TOP STORIES 
 
U.S. GDP EXPANDS AT 3.5% RATE 

U.S. GDP advanced at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.5% in 3Q, a sign of sustained growth fueled by government spending and a narrower trade deficit despite mounting concerns about the health of overseas economies.

 
U.S. STOCKS RISE; VISA BOOSTS DOW 
 

U.S. stocks pushed higher, as a strong earnings report from Visa spurred gains for the Dow industrials. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 137 points in recent trading.

 
WAL-MART WEIGHS MATCHING ONLINE PRICES 
 

Wal-Mart Stores is testing a program to match online prices from rivals like Amazon.com this holiday season, a move that could make the discounter more competitive but also cut into profits.

 
TIME WARNER CABLE PROFIT DROPS 
 

Time Warner Cable, still awaiting regulatory approval for its deal to be bought by larger peer Comcast, said its 3Q profit fell 6% to $499 million, missing Wall Street expectations as the company lost subscribers.

 
CARDINAL HEALTH'S REVENUE EDGES LOWER 
 

Cardinal Health said its revenue edged down 2% to $24.07 billion in its fiscal 1Q, hurt by the expiration of its contract with Walgreen. Overall, the company posted a profit of $266 million.

 
EUROZONE CONFIDENCE REVIVES, POINTS TO GROWTH 
 

Businesses and consumers across the 18 countries that share the euro became slightly more upbeat about their prospects during October, a fresh sign the currency area's economy isn't in imminent danger of a slide back into a sustained contraction.

 
KELLOGG SALES CONTINUE TO DECLINE 
 

Kellogg reported a profit of $224 million, or 62 cents a share, as sales fell 2.1% in the latest quarter on declines at the cereal maker's morning foods and snack businesses.

 
BAD LOANS RISE AT CHINA'S BIGGEST BANKS 
 

Sour loans on the books of China's biggest banks have risen 22% since the start of the year, as slowing economic growth and overcapacity in a number of industries take an increasing toll on the financial sector.

 
ECB TO START ABS BUYS IN NOVEMBER 
 

The European Central Bank said that it has appointed four asset managers to conduct its purchase program of asset backed securities, adding that the purchases under the program should begin in November.

 
FIRST IRAQI KURDISH FIGHTERS REACH KOBANI 
 

The first dozen of some 160 Iraqi Kurdish fighters crossed into the besieged Syrian city of Kobani from Turkey, as Islamic State continued shelling the frontier in an apparent attempt to keep them away.

 
CONOCOPHILLIPS'S EARNINGS RISE ON HIGHER PRODUCTION 
 

ConocoPhillips said its 3Q earnings grew 9% to $2.7 billion on increased oil and gas production, despite a drop in selling prices. For the full year, ConocoPhillips reaffirmed its outlook for 3% to 5% volume growth.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Heard on the Street 
OIL PRICE SLUMP UNBALANCES MAJORS' BUDGETS 
 

Just as Europe's oil and gas companies were getting close to covering capital spending and dividends with operating cash flow, along comes a slump in the oil price, writes Helen Thomas.

 
The Wall Street Journal 
U.S. BOOM CAN STAND FURTHER FALL IN OIL PRICES 
 

Oil prices would need to fall at least another $20 a barrel to choke off the U.S. energy boom, industry experts say, though some smaller American producers would face serious problems from a more modest decline.