TOP STORIES
U.S. STOCKS FALL ON GLOOMY GLOBAL DATA
U.S. stocks fell, weighed down by declines in Europe that were
spurred by another weak reading on the eurozone economy.
BEST BUY ENCOURAGED BY SALES TRENDS
Best Buy said it is encouraged by sales trends heading into
holiday-shopping season, although it is still concerned about
potential impact of a highly competitive, promotional environment.
Shares up 5% as 3Q results easily topped views.
U.S. CONSUMER PRICES UNCHANGED
U.S. consumer prices held steady last month, the latest sign of
weak inflation at home amid soft energy prices and slow growth
abroad. CPI was unchanged. When excluding volatile food and energy
categories, prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2%.
U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL
Initial claims for unemployment benefits decreased by 2,000 to a
seasonally adjusted 291,000 in the week ended Nov. 15, the Labor
Department said, the latest sign of an improving labor market.
DOLLAR TREE POSTS BEST SALES FIGURES SINCE 2011
Dollar Tree posted its strongest quarterly sales growth at
existing stores since 2011 as the discount retailer pushes forward
with its deal to buy Family Dollar Stores. Sales at existing
locations rose 5.9%. Shares up 6% premarket.
APACHE TO DIVEST SOME OIL AND GAS ASSETS FOR $1.4 BILLION
Apache said it agreed to sell some oil-and-gas assets in
southern Louisiana and the Anadarko Basin in Texas and Oklahoma for
roughly $1.4 billion in two separate deals.
U.S. SENATORS RIP BANK TRADING STRATEGIES
A two-year U.S. Senate investigation of commodity-market
activities at big Wall Street banks like Goldman Sachs and J.P.
Morgan Chase found the firms compromised market integrity and put
the broader financial system at risk.
MICHAEL'S EARNINGS JUMP 36%, RAISES GUIDANCE
Michaels posted a bigger-than-expected 36% increase in 3Q
earnings, the arts-and-crafts retailer's second straight quarter of
strong results following June's underwhelming initial public
offering. Sales rose to $1.13 billion.
TARULLO SEES LIQUIDITY RULES HELPING REGULATORS DURING BANK CRISIS
Fed Gov. Daniel Tarullo said new liquidity rules will give
regulators facing a financial crisis the time they didn't have
during the 2008 meltdown to determine if a troubled firm faces a
funding crunch from which it can recover.
EU CHARGES TRUCK MAKERS IN CARTEL PROBE
European Union regulators said they have issued formal charges
against a number of heavy truck makers suspected of participating
in an illegal cartel.
EUROZONE PRIVATE-SECTOR ACTIVITY SLOWS
Activity in the eurozone's private sector slowed in November,
according to surveys of purchasing managers, an indication the
currency area's economy will continue to grow weakly, if at all, in
the final quarter of the year.
======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES =======
Grand Central
FED STAFF WHISPERING CAUTION IN OFFICIALS' EARS
While Federal Reserve officials sent a steady-as-she-goes
message at their Oct. 28-29 policy meeting, the staff economists
advising them were focused on downside risks to the economy. Sign
up here for The Wall Street Journal's daily report on global
central banks.
Capital Journal Daybreak
AMERICANS WANT PARTIES TO WORK TOGETHER
Americans have little faith that Republican gains in the House
and Senate will prompt the two parties to work more closely, a new
WSJ/NBC News poll finds. Sign up here for The Wall Street Journal's
morning rundown of the biggest news driving Washington.