TOP STORIES
U.S. STOCKS FALL AFTER WEAK ECONOMIC DATA
Stocks fell after weak economic data added to concerns about
U.S. growth at the start of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average was down about 100 points in recent trading.
IRAN, WEST STRUGGLE TOWARD NUCLEAR DEAL
Nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers remained bogged
down as senior Western and Iranian diplomats sought to make
decisive progress on the outlines of a final deal in the coming
hours.
PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS UP ONLY 189,000 IN MARCH
Private payrolls in the U.S. rose by 189,000 jobs in March,
according to employment report compiled by ADP and Moody's
Analytics. The number was far below expectations; economists had
projected 225,000 new jobs added.
U.S. MANUFACTURING SLOWS FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT MONTH
U.S. manufacturers reported activity in March slowed for the
fifth consecutive month, according to a survey by the Institute for
Supply Management. The ISM's manufacturing purchasing managers
index fell to 51.5 in March from 52.9 in February.
U.S. AUTO SALES FALL IN MARCH
GM and Ford posted lower U.S. vehicle sales in March, while Fiat
Chrysler posted a 1.7% uptick amid strength in Jeep brand. March
included one less selling day than prior-year month, which is
likely dragging down auto makers' sales for the period.
ARKANSAS GOVERNOR CALLS FOR CHANGES TO RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM BILL
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson called for changes to a
religious-freedom bill passed by the state's legislature, after it
sparked an outcry akin to the one that followed a similar law in
Indiana from groups and companies who say it could be used to
discriminate against gays and lesbians.
GODADDY'S SHARES JUMP IN MARKET DEBUT
Shares of GoDaddy, a technology provider to small businesses,
jumped as much as 34% in their market debut as investors piled into
the company known nearly as much for its racy television
commercials as it is for selling Web domains.
LAFARGE, HOLCIM GET CLEARANCE IN INDIA
Cement makers Lafarge and Holcim said their planned merger is
still on track after they received clearance from Indian
competition authorities.
TURNER AND DISH REACH NEW DISTRIBUTION PACT
Time Warner and satellite TV provider Dish Network are said to
have come to terms on a new distribution pact that includes an
online deal offering of HBO.
LUFTHANSA, INSURERS, PLEDGE QUICK SETTLEMENT AFTER PLANE CRASH
Relatives of victims of the Germanwings Flight 9525 that crashed
in the French Alps last week can expect a complete, fair and swift
settlement of insured costs, although final assessments will take
some time, the insurers of the flight and Germanwings parent
Deutsche Lufthansa pledged.
OIL PRICES GAIN ON SLIGHT PRODUCTION DROP
Oil prices climbed after inventory data showed that U.S. oil
production fell last week for the first time since January. Nymex
May crude recently traded up $1.93, or 4.1%, to $49.51 a
barrel.
======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES =======
The Wall Street Journal
CHINA TRIES TO CLEAN UP E-COMMERCE
China is tightening control over the largely unregulated world
of Chinese e-commerce, a booming sector that has built up behemoths
such as Alibaba but also contributed to the proliferation of fake
and substandard goods and questionable business practices.
The Wall Street Journal
LLOYDS BONDHOLDERS DON'T SCORE AS REGULATORS MOVE GOALPOSTS
Trying to walk a line between equity and debt is a precarious
game -- especially when it comes to investing in banks. U.K.
investors in junior bonds issued by Lloyds designed to convert into
stock if the bank faces life-threatening losses are rediscovering
this painfully.