TOP STORIES 
 
GOLDMAN SACHS PROFIT TOPS ESTIMATES 

Goldman Sachs said 1Q net income fell 10% to $2.03 billion, but results topped analysts' estimates. EPS came to $4.02; analysts expected $3.45. The better-than-expected results driven by strength in investment banking pushed shares up 1%.

 
GE POSTS DECLINES IN PROFIT, REVENUE 
 

General Electric's profit fell 15% to $3 billion, or 30c a share, as revenue slipped 2.2% to $34.18 billion. CEO Jeff Immelt said GE saw strength in most markets, including power and water, aviation and oil and gas. Shares rose 2%.

 
U.S. STOCKS PAUSE AFTER THREE-DAY RALLY 
 

Stocks paused as weak earnings reports from some blue-chip companies weighed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Dow was down about 10 points, while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 were slightly higher.

 
PUTIN KEEPS FORCE AS OPTION IN UKRAINE 
 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped not to send Russian troops into Ukraine but didn't rule it out, accusing the Kiev government of committing "a serious crime" by using the military to quell unrest.

 
MORGAN STANLEY'S PROFIT RISES 56% 
 

Morgan Stanley's 1Q profit rose to $1.51 billion as it posted higher revenue in each of its major businesses, including surprisingly good results from its fixed-income trading arm. Shares rose 2% as results beat analyst estimates.

 
U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS RISE SLIGHTLY TO 304,000 
 

Initial claims for jobless benefits rose 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 304,000 in the week ended April 12 but remained near a seven-year low, indicating an improving labor market. Economists expected 315,000 new claims last week.

 
JUDGE DENIES 'PARK IT NOW' REQUEST IN GM RECALL 
 

A federal judge gave General Motors a pass, ruling against forcing the auto maker to tell owners of the 2.6 million vehicles covered in the ignition-switch recall to park their cars until they are fixed.

 
BARNES & NOBLE CHAIRMAN REDUCES STAKE 
 

Barnes & Noble chairman and biggest shareholder Leonard Riggio sold nearly a quarter of his stake in the retailer for $64 million, he disclosed, fueling questions about the retailer's prospects. Shares drop 9%.

 
BLACKSTONE'S EARNINGS RISE 58% 
 

Blackstone Group said its first-quarter earnings rose 58% to $814 million, or 70c a share. The results, the best quarter to start a year since Blackstone became a public company, were largely due to the buyout business. Shares rose 2%.

 
PHILADELPHIA FED APRIL BUSINESS INDEX JUMPS 
 

Manufacturers in the Mid-Atlantic region have reported much-better business conditions this month, with the Philadelphia Fed's index of general business activity in regional factory sector coming in at 16.6 in April, from 9.0 in March.

 
POST HOLDINGS TO BUY MICHAEL FOODS FOR $2.45 BILLION 
 

Post Holdings Inc. confirmed it will acquire Michael Foods Inc. for $2.45 billion, expanding the cereal maker's menu of breakfast offerings into eggs and dairy goods.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
The Wall Street Journal 
CITIGROUP RECEIVED MIXED SIGNALS ON 'STRESS TEST' 
 

The Federal Reserve's New York office indicated to Citigroup that the bank would have more time to fix certain "stress test" planning problems before Fed officials in Washington last month gave it a failing grade.

 
The Wall Street Journal 
FACEBOOK TO NOTIFY USERS WHEN FRIENDS ARE NEARBY 
 

Facebook users will soon be able to receive notices on their mobile app when they're near friends, signaling an effort by the online social network to play a bigger role in real-world interactions.