Business Today: Stock futures imply higher open after historic closure

		Click to View in Browser 10/31/2012 Stock futures imply higher open after historic closure NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wednesday as equity markets reopened after a damaging storm in the Northeast forced a two-day market closure. Home improvement stocks set to lead S&P 500 after storm NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks in home improvement chains looked set to lead the S&P 500 index higher on Wednesday as investors bet on reconstruction efforts following the devastating impact of hurricane Sandy on millions of homes on the east coast of the United States. GM posts profit, sees break even in Europe by mid-decade DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co posted a surprisingly strong profit on Wednesday and said it was targeting a return to break-even levels in its European operations by mid-decade after a loss of as much as $1.8 billion in that region this year. MasterCard third-quarter profit rises but purchase growth slows (Reuters) - MasterCard Inc , the world's second-largest credit and debit card network, reported an 8 percent rise in quarterly profit but worldwide purchase volume growth slowed to the lowest level in six quarters . Barclays hit by fresh U.S. investigations LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays, already rocked by an interest rate rigging scandal, unveiled new U.S. regulatory investigations into the bank's financial probity on Wednesday and said its profit was hit by charges for mis-selling insurance. More than 760,000 Con Ed customers in NYC still without power (Reuters) - New York power company Consolidated Edison Inc said Wednesday it had restored power to over 160,000 of the 930,000 total customers knocked out by Hurricane Sandy, leaving about 764,000 still without power. Clorox posts higher profit, stands by 2013 view (Reuters) - Clorox Co posted a higher quarterly profit and maintained its forecast for the fiscal year on Wednesday, buoyed by price increases on products such as bleach, as well as by cost cuts. Eaton profit falls 5 percent, misses Wall Street estimates NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. manufacturer Eaton Corp reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, as weaker results in units that supply auto, plane and truck industries offset strength in electrical businesses, and the company said its markets are growing more slowly than it had expected. PVH takes control of Calvin Klein clothing with Warnaco buy (Reuters) - PVH Corp will buy lingerie and sportswear maker Warnaco Group Inc for about $2.8 billion in a cash-and-stock deal to bring the Calvin Klein clothing brand under one roof. Accenture targets jobs cuts in Finland: YLE HELSINKI (Reuters) - IT services supplier Accenture will next week start layoff talks in Finland and aims to cut up to 330 jobs, the country's national broadcaster YLE said on Wednesday. Related Video Maersk Drilling CEO sees energy quest moving to deeper seas China transition won't usher in reform drive: scholar Economic News Lukewarm jobs report awaits Americans as election nears Mortgage applications down as refinancing demand slows A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend