TOP STORIES 
 
MORGAN STANLEY'S PROFIT RISES 56% 

Morgan Stanley's 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 3% as results beat analyst estimates.

 
GOLDMAN SACHS PROFIT TOPS ESTIMATES 
 

Goldman Sachs said first-quarter net income fell 10%, but results comfortably topped analysts' estimates. The investment bank saw a slump in trading that overshadowed a drop in expenses.

 
U.S. STOCKS FINISH MIXED 
 

U.S. stocks ended mixed in relatively narrow trading, with the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 posting a fourth-straight day of gains and the Dow industrials finishing slightly lower.

 
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, even as his foreign minister agreed with the Ukrainian government on the first tangible steps to defuse the crisis.

 
OBAMA SAYS HEALTH-PLAN SIGN-UPS AT 8 MILLION 
 

Enrollment for private health insurance through federal and state exchanges has swelled to about 8 million, President Barack Obama announced.

 
GE POSTS DECLINES IN PROFIT, REVENUE 
 

General Electric's profit fell 15% to $3 billion, or 30c a share, as revenue slipped 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%.

 
AMD'S LOSS NARROWS AS SALES JUMP 
 

Advanced Micro Devices' first-quarter loss narrowed as the chip maker reported a double-digit jump in sales, due to strong growth from the graphics and visual solutions unit. Shares jump 5% late.

 
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.

 
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.

 
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.

 
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%.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Analysis 
MORGAN'S EARNINGS ROW AGAINST WALL STREET TIDE 
 

While no sizable financial firm is immune to market malaise, Morgan Stanley's results demonstrated it was able to make progress even during a mostly lackluster quarter for rivals, writes John Carney,

 
The Wall Street Journal 
COMPANIES MAP CONTINGENCY PLANS 
 

Escalating military action and sanctions are forcing executives around the globe to map out scenarios to safeguard employees, supply chains and assets within and beyond the borders of Ukraine and Russia.