Reuters - Before the Bell

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Monday, March 18, 2019

U.S. Transportation Department probes FAA approval of 737 MAX: WSJ

The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of Boeing Co's 737 MAX jetliners, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the probe.

U.S. fintech to buy Worldpay as electronic payments business booms

U.S. fintech Fidelity National Information Services Inc (FIS) has agreed to buy payment processor Worldpay for about $35 billion, the biggest deal to date in the fast-growing electronic payments industry.

Shares in European payments companies rise on Worldpay takeover

Shares in European payments technology companies such as Worldline, Ingenico and Wirecard all rose on Monday, buoyed by Fidelity National Information Services's $35 billion takeover of Worldpay.

Ethiopia says crashed jet's black boxes show similarities to Lion Air disaster

The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed 157 people had "clear similarities" with October's Lion Air crash, Ethiopia said on Sunday, shown by initial analysis of the black boxes recovered from the wreckage of the March 10 disaster.

Deutsche, Commerzbank merger would put 30,000 jobs at risk: union

A merger of Deutsche Bank and its rival Commerzbank could result in as many as 30,000 job cuts over the long term, a representative of German union Verdi who is a Deutsche supervisory board member told n-tv broadcaster.

Germany's Bsirske 'more than skeptical' on Deutsche/Commerzbank merger

Frank Bsirske, chief of the Verdi labor union and a supervisory board member at Deutsche Bank, is "more than skeptical" about the prospect of a merger of that bank with Commerzbank, he said on Monday.

Deutsche, Commerzbank talks private commercial decision: SPD leader

Merger talks between Deutsche Bank and its smaller rival Commerzbank are a private commercial decision, the leader of the German center-right SPD party, Andrea Nahles, said on Monday.

China rejects 'abnormal' U.S. spying concerns as EU pushes trade

China dismissed U.S. security warnings against its telecoms equipment maker Huawei as groundless and "abnormal" on Monday, as the Chinese government's top diplomat went to Brussels to cool growing European frustration over trade.

Far-flung job offers pose tough choices for GM Ohio workers

General Motors Co built the final Chevrolet Cruze small car at its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant on March 6, despite demands from President Donald Trump, Ohio political leaders and the United Auto Workers union not to close the plant and leave nearly 1,500 workers laid off.

Stock futures tick higher after best week of the year; Boeing weighs on Dow

U.S. stock futures eked out gains on Monday following the S&P and Nasdaq's strongest weekly gain this year, while investors waited for further details from a Federal Reserve policy meeting later this week.