TOP STORIES 
 
VERIZON SETS SIGHTS ON FACEBOOK, GOOGLE 

Verizon Communications is gunning for Facebook and Alphabet's Google, following its $4.83 billion deal to acquire Yahoo Inc. announced on Monday.

MCDONALD'S POSTS LACKLUSTER SAME-STORE SALES GROWTH 

McDonald's posted weaker-than-expected same-store sales in its latest quarter, a sign that the boost from its all-day breakfast offerings may be receding.

STOCKS MIXED AS EARNINGS REPORTS DISAPPOINT 

U.S. stocks were little changed after disappointing earnings reports from Dow components McDonald's, Verizon and 3M.

AB INBEV RAISES BID FOR SABMILLER TO REFLECT WEAKER POUND 

Anheuser-Busch InBev raised its offer for rival brewer SABMiller, as it tries to quell an investor revolt following a fall in the value of the British pound after the U.K. vote to leave the European Union.

LVMH PROFIT WAS FLAT IN FIRST HALF 

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton said its first-half net profit was flat compared with a year earlier, dragged down by the fashion & leather goods division.

DEUTSCHE BÖ RSE SAYS IT HAS REACHED LSE MERGER ACCEPTANCE THRESHOLD 

Deutsche Bö rse AG said on Tuesday it had reached the 60% minimum acceptance threshold for the proposed merger with London Stock Exchange to go forward, a level it recently lowered from 75%.

NEW-HOME SALES POSTED SOLID GAIN IN FIRST HALF 

Sales of newly built homes rose at a solid pace in the first half of 2016, offering fresh evidence of healthy momentum in the U.S. housing market as home-buyers enjoy low interest rates.

U.S. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED FOR JULY 

A gauge of U.S. consumer confidence edged lower, but was relatively unchanged in July, a sign consumer spending could continue to support the U.S. economy over the second half of the year.

CATERPILLAR SLASHES GUIDANCE, ANNOUNCES MORE JOB CUTS 

Caterpillar slashed its outlook and said it would cut more jobs this year as the industrial giant continues to try to steady its business amid depressed demand from the oil and gas industries and increased global uncertainty.

3M SALES HURT BY ELECTRONICS AND ENERGY SEGMENT 

3M Co. trimmed its sales outlook for the year, as the company topped second-quarter profit expectations despite continued falling sales in its struggling electronics and energy business.

ALLY FINANCIAL BEATS EXPECTATIONS 

Ally Financial logged stronger-than-expected earnings and revenue growth in its latest quarter despite a drop in auto originations, thanks to higher yields on originations and the bank's efforts to diversify its business.

OIL HITS 3-MONTH LOWS AMID GLUT OF GASOLINE 

U.S. oil prices sank to a fresh three-month low Tuesday as concerns about oversupply resurged.

NEW UNICREDIT CEO SHAKES UP BANK'S TOP RANKS 

UniCredit's new chief executive announced a management reshuffle and a new structure aimed at cutting costs and improving decision-making at Italy's largest lender.

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES REVENUE CLIMBS 

United Technologies Corp. boosted the lower end of its full-year sales and revenue forecasts Tuesday as the company said revenue climbed in its latest quarter, though profit fell.

LOW FUEL COSTS HELP JETBLUE'S PROFIT RISE 

JetBlue Airways Corp. said its second-quarter earnings rose 18% and the discount carrier continued to benefit from low fuel costs.

OIL WORKERS STRIKE OVER SHELL'S PROPOSED CUTS 

The contractors' 24-hour action won't affect production because their North Sea rigs are undergoing maintenance, the company says.

DISNEY UNIT GUILTY IN 'STAR WARS' ACCIDENT INVOLVING HARRISON FORD 

Film-production company Foodles Production, owned by Walt Disney Co., admitted health and safety breaches over an accident on the set of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" that broke the leg of Harrison Ford.

ANGLO AMERICAN JUST SCRATCHING SURFACE IN EFFORT TO SLIM DOWN 

As the diversified mining company tries to exit coal and sell other businesses to reduce debt, its CEO is under increasing pressure from anxious investors.

DUPONT, DOW CHEMICAL MERGER ON TRACK: CEO 

The planned merger of DuPont Co. and Dow Chemical Co. remains on track to close by the end of this year as DuPont's profit rose 8.4% in the latest period, helped by solid results in its agriculture and nutrition divisions amid lower costs.

AK STEEL SWINGS TO PROFIT 

AK Steel Holding swung to a second-quarter profit as the steelmaker reduced its exposure to spot prices and focused on more profitable coated products.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Central Banks 
5 THINGS TO WATCH AT THE FED MEETING 
 

Federal Reserve officials are virtually certain to leave interest rates unchanged at their meeting that wraps up Wednesday, but their policy statement will be scrutinized for any clues to whether a September rate increase is in play.

 
Election 2016 
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS PUSH TO QUELL REVOLT 
 

Leaders of the Democratic Party's progressive wing worked to unify a party divided after a day of turmoil, with Bernie Sanders leading the effort for Hillary Clinton.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 26, 2016 13:02 ET (17:02 GMT)

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