Before the Bell: Stock futures point to higher open, S&P 500 near record

	Click to View in Browser 05/12/2014 Stock futures point to higher open, S&P 500 near record NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Monday, putting the S&P 500 within striking distance of record levels, though geopolitical concerns in the Ukraine could cap gains. Pfizer defends 'powerhouse' Astra deal as CEO braces for grilling LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer defended the business case behind its plan to acquire AstraZeneca on Monday and questioned the UK drugmaker's ability to stand alone for much longer as the New York-based group's CEO prepared for a grilling from British lawmakers. Hillshire to buy Pinnacle Foods in $6.6 billion deal (Reuters) - Hillshire Brands Co said it would buy Pinnacle Foods Inc for about $6.6 billion including debt, adding products such as Duncan Hines baking mixes to its portfolio that includes Jimmy Dean sausages and Hillshire Farm luncheon meats. Exclusive: ECB gets pragmatic to keep bank test deadlines in sight LONDON (Reuters) - The European Central Bank has quietly made a series of concessions to banks that will make it easier for them to meet the tight deadlines of a landmark review of their businesses, four sources familiar with the process told Reuters. Apple tries to lift online sales by cutting refund times in half SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc has cut in half the time it takes to give refunds to online store customers who want to return their iPhones and other gadgets, a small but crucial step to try to get more people to buy direct from its website. How 'Big Corn' lost the ethanol battle to Philadelphia refiners NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six months ago the U.S. oil industry scored a surprise win against farm groups when the Obama administration proposed slashing the amount of ethanol refiners must blend into gasoline, a move that could save them billions of dollars. GE oil chief sees more growth despite Alstom deal NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Electric Co's $16.9 billion bid for Alstom SA's power business will do little to slow down GE's oil and gas division, according to the head of the unit, even though such a transaction could preclude any more big deals by the U.S. conglomerate until after next year. U.S. regulators probe 37,656 Nissan minivans for fuel gauge issue DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into an estimated 37,656 Nissan Quest minivans after receiving complaints about stalling due to inaccurate fuel gauges. BSkyB in talks to unite Murdoch's pay-TV businesses in Europe LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Britain's largest pay-TV company BSkyB is in talks to buy Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia, a 10 billion euro deal that would realize Rupert Murdoch's long-held ambition to combine his European TV interests in a single business. UniCredit swings back to profit, bad loans fall MILAN (Reuters) - UniCredit , Italy's biggest bank by assets, returned to profit in the first quarter of 2014 thanks to lower loan loss charges after last year's massive balance-sheet clean up, it said on Monday. Related Video BSkyB's European bid is a test for new board Infosys president – reversing staff attrition a top priority Global Investing Success in life doesn't depend on college choice A Mother's Day missive for women who are breadwinners 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