TOP STORIES 
 
U.S. HOUSEHOLD WEALTH HITS FRESH RECORD

Americans' wealth hit the highest level ever in the second quarter amid a rise in stock and home prices, prompting consumers to ramp up their borrowing--a development that could boost the economic recovery.

 
U.S. STOCKS RISE ON FED'S CALMING WORDS

U.S. stocks rose as investors were heartened by signals from the Federal Reserve that it remains on a measured course to eventually raise interest rates. The Dow industrials gained 96 points in recent trading.

 
U.S. HOUSING STARTS FALL IN AUGUST

Housing starts fell 14.4% in August from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 956,000 units, while building permits fell 5.6%. Economists had forecast housing starts to fall 5.5% and building permits to decline 1.1%.

 
U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS FELL 36K LAST WEEK

Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 36,000 to a seasonally adjusted 280,000 in the week ended Sept. 13. That was less than the 305,000 claims forecast by economists and placed them just above the 14-year low.

 
SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE VOTE GETS UNDER WAY

Voters in Scotland were making the pivotal decision of whether to break up the U.K. after 307 years, in a historic referendum that pits a vision of independence against the potential economic turmoil.

 
ALIBABA IPO GIVES INSIDERS RARE CHANCE TO SELL EARLY

A swath of early investors in Alibaba Group Holding will be able to sell more than $8 billion worth of shares on the day the Chinese e-commerce company goes public, an unusual arrangement that is influencing how bankers price the offering.

 
UKRAINE LEADER CALLS FOR MORE WESTERN MILITARY AID

President Petro Poroshenko appealed to the U.S. to significantly expand its military assistance to Kiev and called Moscow's campaign against Ukraine "one of the most cynical acts of treachery in modern history."

 
CONAGRA FOODS' PROFIT SURGES

ConAgra Foods said its fiscal 1Q earnings more than tripled to $482.3 million, or $1.12 a share, as lower costs and expenses helped offset nearly flat revenue.

 
RITE AID PROFIT SURGES, LOWERS FULL-YEAR VIEW

Rite Aid said its fiscal 2Q earnings more than tripled to $127.8 million, or 13c a share, beating expectations as pharmacy sales help drive revenue higher. Revenue increased 3.9% to $6.52 billion.

 
YELLEN HIGHLIGHTS DEEPENING U.S. POVERTY

Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen said the 2007-2009 recession left lasting scars on the poorest American families that have yet to heal more than five years into the official economic recovery.

 
SWEDEN'S KLARNA TO ENTER U.S. ONLINE PAYMENT MARKET

The co-founder and CEO of Sweden's Klarna, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, says the time is right to enter the U.S., as the company plans to enter the already-crowded online-payments market just after Christmas.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Analysis 
HEDGE FUNDS SEEK PROFIT IN SCOTLAND VOLATILITY

Hedge funds have been trying to profit from market volatility surrounding Scotland's independence referendum, regardless of whether it votes to leave the U.K.

 
The Wall Street Journal 
CHINESE PROPERTY INVESTORS MAKE BIG BETS OVERSEAS

The slowing of China's economy and the government's encouragement of diversification have sparked a global push among Chinese investors and developers.