Reuters - Before the Bell

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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Futures jump on strong earnings; Fed takes center stage

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a strong opening for Wall Street on Wednesday, as an upbeat third-quarter earnings season lifted sentiment while investors waited for clues on future rate hikes from the latest Fed meeting.

Thomson Reuters profit tops estimates, revenue misses

(Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp on Wednesday reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit even as revenue slightly missed estimates, and the news and information company said full-year profits will be at the high end of its earlier forecast.

Cognizant beats earnings estimates on digital services strength

(Reuters) - IT services firm Cognizant on Wednesday reported a higher-than-expected profit for the third quarter, driven by demand for its digital and cloud services as well as higher spending from its healthcare and financial clients.

Wal-Mart triples online items, lowers prices as holiday season kicks in

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc is planning to boost sales and fend off rivals this holiday season by doubling down on incentives for shoppers who buy online and those who visit its stores.

Japan's steelmakers in rare sweet spot, but Kobe Steel may miss out

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's steelmakers are in the midst of the best market conditions in at least three years as steel prices rise with construction in full swing for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and automakers boosting production.

World stocks hit new highs, oil soars, Fed moves into focus

LONDON (Reuters) - Upbeat earnings reports helped drive global stock markets to record highs on Wednesday, as investors turned their focus to a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting for fresh insight on the outlook for monetary policy in the world's biggest economy.

Bitcoin blasts to new all-time high of $6,450

LONDON (Reuters) - Bitcoin climbed to a new all-time high of $6,450 on Wednesday, boosted by bets the cryptocurrency could enter the financial mainstream after the world's largest derivatives exchange operator said on Tuesday it would launch bitcoin futures.

Singapore slaps prohibition orders on two people over 1MDB-related breaches

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Wednesday said it has barred two individuals involved in breaches related to Malaysia's 1MDB fund from taking part in financial services management and advisory activities.

Drugmaker Novo Nordisk warns U.S. legislation could make business difficult

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Drugmaker Novo Nordisk said on Wednesday that new legislation being prepared in some U.S. states to improve pricing transparency could potentially impact business in its key market.

Fed set to hold rates steady ahead of Trump's leadership decision

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday as speculation swirls on who will be its next leader, but the U.S. central bank will likely point to a firming economy as it edges closer to a possible rate rise next month.