TOP STORIES 
 
U.S. GDP EXPANDED AT 4.2% RATE IN 2Q 

The U.S. economy's second-quarter rebound was more robust than previously estimated and corporate profits surged, putting the recovery back on track as it ended its fifth year.

 
UKRAINE ACCUSES RUSSIA OF INVASION 
 

Ukraine accused Russia of invading the country, apparently dashing hopes of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and challenging the West to respond.

 
U.S. STOCKS STILL DOWN ON UKRAINE CONCERNS 
 

U.S. stocks fell as renewed tension on the Russia-Ukraine border cast a shadow over upbeat economic reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 35 points in midday trading.

 
J.P. MORGAN WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ON CYBER ATTACK 
 

J.P. Morgan Chase said it wasn't seeing "unusual fraud" and it was working closely with law enforcement to determine the scope of a computer-hacking attack.

 
U.S. PENDING-HOME SALES RISE IN JULY 
 

An index of pending home sales, reflecting purchases under contract but not yet closed, rose 3.3% to 105.9 in July from June, the National Association of Realtors said. Economists had forecast a 0.6% rise in July sales.

 
GUNMEN HOLD PEACEKEEPERS IN SYRIA 
 

An armed group detained 43 U.N. peacekeepers during fighting in Syria and another 81 peacekeepers are trapped, the United Nations said.

 
DOLLAR GENERAL REAFFIRMS FAMILY DOLLAR BID 
 

Dollar General reaffirmed its bid to buy Family Dollar Stores, maintaining the antitrust feasibility of its proposal. It also reported its sales for the quarter ended Aug. 1 climbed less than expected, while its bottom line matched projections.

 
VIVENDI FAVORS TELEFÓNICA FOR GVT UNIT 
 

Vivendi said it had entered exclusive talks with Telefonica to sell its Brazilian unit GVT, after the Spanish telecom giant sweetened its bid to EUR7.45 billion in cash and shares, besting for now a rival proposal from Telecom Italia.

 
U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL AGAIN, REACHING 298K 
 

The number of new applications for jobless benefits dropped again last week and remained near post-recession lows, the latest sign of a strengthening labor market.

 
TYSON COMPLETES TENDER OFFER FOR HILLSHIRE 
 

Tyson Foods has completed its tender offer for Hillshire Brands, paving way for the completion of the meat industry's biggest-ever deal later today, the companies said.

 
STATISTICS CANADA BLAMES REPORT ERROR ON INADEQUATE OVERSIGHT 
 

Canada's statistics agency blamed inadequate oversight and inadequate communication among staff for an error in July's national employment report that forced it to take the extraordinary step of expunging and re-releasing the data.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
The Wall Street Journal 
VALUE OF TWO ALIBABA UNITS ADDS INTRIGUE TO IPO 
 

Alibaba Group Holding's disclosure that its quarterly profit nearly tripled on a one-time gain is putting the spotlight on two of the company's recent acquisitions.

 
Money Talks 
ENDING THE EURO ZONE'S ENDLESS CREDIT SQUEEZE 
 

Until the credit squeeze on corporate Europe eases, the European Central Bank will find it enormously difficult to generate growth and shake off deflation in the single currency region, writes Alen Mattich.