TOP STORIES 
 
INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE SAYS IT WON'T BID FOR LSE 

New York Stock Exchange operator Intercontinental Exchange said it doesn't intend to make an offer for the London Stock Exchange, likely paving the way for the U.K. exchange's merger with Germany's Deutsche Bö rse.

SHELL PROFIT PLUNGES 83% 

Royal Dutch Shell said it would bring the hammer down harder on spending as it contends with a nearly two-year slump in oil prices that dragged the company's first-quarter earnings down 83%.

ADP SHOWS PRIVATE-SECTOR HIRING COOLED TO 156,000 IN APRIL 

Hiring by the private sector cooled in April, a sign that concerns over the global economy may be starting to impact payroll growth at many American businesses.

U.S. STOCKS PULL BACK AGAIN 

U.S. stocks declined further Wednesday, a day after the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at a three-week low. After rallying within striking distance of its all-time high, the Dow has pulled back in recent sessions.

U.S. TRADE DEFICIT NARROWED IN MARCH 

The trade deficit narrowed in March as imports fell faster than exports, underscoring slow growth at home and abroad in the opening months of the year.

TIME WARNER EARNINGS LIFTED BY STRENGTH AT TURNER, HBO 

Time Warner said first-quarter earnings climbed above Wall Street's expectations, buoyed by continued HBO gains and a pickup in its Turner segment.

HUMANA PROFIT FALLS 46%, HURT BY COSTS FROM AETNA MERGER 

Humana Inc. reported its profit tumbled 46% in the first quarter of the year, hurt by costs related to the Aetna Inc. merger and a rise in a key measure of the company's medical costs.

U.S. PRODUCTIVITY FELL 1%, SIGNALING TEPID GROWTH 

U.S. worker productivity fell in the first three months of 2016-slidding 1%- in further evidence of weak economic growth at the start of the year and a long-running decline in employees' efficiency.

PRICELINE WARNS ON PROFIT GROWTH 

Priceline warned investors its profit growth would slow sharply in the second quarter, the first challenge for interim Chief Executive Jeffery Boyd as he searches for a permanent successor.

BHP, VALE FACE $44 BILLION LAWSUIT OVER BRAZIL DAM DISASTER 

Brazilian federal prosecutors filed a civil lawsuit demanding that mining companies responsible for a catastrophic dam failure shell out up to $43.55 billion for cleanup and remediation, far more than the government initially estimated.

AÉ ROPOSTALE FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION 

Troubled teen retailer Aé ropostale filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with plans to trim its chain, rework contracts and emerge in streamlined form.

EUROZONE RETAIL SALES FELL SHARPLY IN MARCH 

European currency area's economic recovery remains modest and vulnerable to setbacks.

CREDIT SUISSE SLASHES DEBT TRADING WITH PRIVATE-EQUITY DEAL 

Credit Suisse agreed to sell a big chunk of its distressed-debt assets to an affiliate of TPG, helping to speed the Swiss bank's retreat from risky trading businesses.

HSBC UNIT APPEALS FINE BY HONG KONG REGULATOR 

In what would be the largest fine imposed by Hong Kong's securities regulator, misconduct has been alleged surrounding products sold to HSBC's private banking clients between 2003 and 2008.

ECONOMY THROWING MIXED SIGNALS, FED'S LOCKHART SAYS 

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta leader Dennis Lockhart said the U.S. economic conditions seem fundamentally strong but existing data present a murky picture ahead of policymakers' next meeting in June.

PRIVATE-EQUITY FIRM NEAR DEAL TO BUY MULTIPLAN 

Private-equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC is nearing a deal to buy health-care services provider MultiPlan Inc. for about $7.5 billion including debt in what would be one of the largest recent leveraged buyouts.

CANADIAN GROCER LOBLAW RAISES DIVIDEND, POSTS STRONGER PROFIT 

Canadian grocer and pharmacy operator Loblaw Cos. raised its dividend and said its first-quarter profit rose 32%, helped by positive same-store sales in both its food and drug retail operations.

DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE PROFIT MORE THAN DOUBLES 

Delphi Automotive PLC said its first-quarter profit ​more than doubled as last year's moves to realign the company, combined with higher demand for its products in most regions around the world, bolstered its earnings power.

SIEMENS POSTS SOLID PROFIT GROWTH 

German engineering giant Siemens recorded a strong rise in second-quarter profit, in a sign that Chief Executive Joe Kaeser's revamp of the company is starting to yield results.

SOCIÉ TÉ  GÉ NÉ RALE'S RETAIL BANK OFFSETS CHOPPY MARKETS 

French bank Socié té Gé né rale reported higher first-quarter net profit, as a debt valuation adjustment and a strong retail banking performance helped offset lower trading revenue from volatile markets.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Election 2016 
TRUMP'S INDIANA VICTORY JOLTS GOP 
 

The Indiana primary offered merely the latest in a string of once-unimaginable tremors that have shaken the system and the Republican Party, Gerald F. Seib writes.

 
Wealth Management Journal 
ADVISERS ADD INVESTMENT COMMITTEES TO SMOOTH OPERATIONS 
 

Here are tips for advisory firms to get the most value from these groups and mistakes to avoid.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 04, 2016 10:01 ET (14:01 GMT)

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