Before the Bell: U.S. economy stalls on inventories, trade

	Click to View in Browser 04/30/2014 U.S. economy stalls on inventories, trade WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy barely grew in the first quarter as exports tumbled and businesses accumulated stocks at the slowest pace in nearly a year, but activity already appears to be bouncing back. U.S. private sector adds 220,000 jobs in April: ADP NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. private employers added 220,000 workers in April, the highest amount since November and above analysts' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday. Futures dip ahead of jobs, GDP data NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures dipped on Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street a day earlier that left the Dow and S&P 500 less than 1 percent away from their record closing highs, and ahead of key data on the job market and overall economic growth. Alstom studies GE offer, leaves door ajar for Siemens PARIS (Reuters) - Cash-strapped French engineering group Alstom said on Wednesday it would study a $16.9 billion offer from General Electric for its energy arm but left the door open for a rival bid from Germany's Siemens. Nuclear power producer Exelon to buy Pepco for $6.83 billion (Reuters) - Exelon Corp, the largest U.S. nuclear power producer, said it would buy Pepco Holdings Inc for $6.83 billion to create the biggest electric and gas utility in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. Pimco's Gross says future neutral policy rate critical: letter NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest bond fund at Pimco, said Wednesday that the future "neutral" policy rate would be critical for finding value in all assets, and that his firm believed it was about 2 percent. Fed expected to take further step toward ending bond buying WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is expected to cut its bond-buying program by a further $10 billion on Wednesday as signs mount that the U.S. economy is starting to pull away from its winter slowdown. 'The Lego Movie', 'Game of Thrones' boost Time Warner results (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc reported better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by the box office success of its "The Lego Movie" and the popularity of its "Game of Thrones" TV series. Thomson Reuters profit beats expectations (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as acquisitions and corporate demand boosted growth at its legal, tax and accounting units. Poor lung drug sales hit GSK in first-quarter, CEO wary on M&A LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline posted a 10 percent fall in quarterly sales on Wednesday, highlighting some of the industry pressures behind last week's decision to trade more than $20 billion of assets with Swiss rival Novartis Related Video Breakingviews: Siemens will struggle to beat GE's Alstom bid Expats fuel French business boom in UK Global Investing New California law gives tax break to for-profit space explorers Leading investors lift equity holdings; cut bonds, emerging stocks 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