Business Today: Wall Street ends at record, Fed maintains stimulus

	Click to View in Browser 09/18/2013 Wall Street ends at record, Fed maintains stimulus NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied to record highs on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve surprised investors and decided against trimming its bond-buying stimulus program, which has fueled Wall Street's rally of more than 20 percent this year. Fed surprises, sticks to stimulus as it cuts growth outlook WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it would continue buying bonds at an $85 billion monthly pace for now, expressing concerns that a sharp rise in borrowing costs in recent months could weigh on the economy. White House official says Yellen front-runner for Fed chair WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A White House official said on Wednesday that Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen is the front-runner to take over the top job at the U.S. central bank when Ben Bernanke steps down, the strongest indication yet of her likely nomination. BlackBerry plans deep job cuts as new phone launches: report TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd plans to slash thousands of jobs by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, just as the company launches a flagship smartphone intended to revive its fortunes. Unionized American Airlines, US Airways workers rally for merger WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Union members who work for American Airlines and US Airways Group rallied on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, urging the U.S. Justice Department to drop its opposition to a planned merger between the two airlines. Analysis: Time to taper? Not if you look at bank loans (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve decided to hold off on scaling back its bond-buying program on Wednesday, and at least one reason for its choice may have been a stubbornly weak economic indicator: bank lending. Lufthansa signals major wide-body jet order FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Lufthansa signaled its second major aircraft order in six months on Wednesday, saying its supervisory board had backed a long-haul fleet plan that industry watchers expect to benefit Airbus and Boeing . Commodities fund Arbalet to close soon as investors flee: sources NEW YORK (Reuters) - Commodities hedge fund Arbalet Capital is set to close over the next month or two, just a year and a half since its launch, after sluggish returns sparked an investor exodus at the firm, people familiar with the matter said. U.S. single-family housing starts, permits show recovery on track WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Groundbreaking for U.S. single-family homes rose in August and permits for future construction hit a five-year high, pointing to resilience in the housing market recovery in the face of higher mortgage rates. Ex-banker pleads guilty in Olympus accounting fraud NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Singapore banker pleaded guilty in federal court in New York on Wednesday to helping Japan's Olympus Corp orchestrate a $1.7 billion accounting fraud. Related Video Daily Digit: $7.8 million gold Lamborghini Starbucks: Don't bring guns Economic News Fed surprises, sticks to stimulus as it cuts growth outlook U.S. single-family housing starts, permits show recovery on track 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