Before the Bell: AT&T in talks to buy DirecTV for nearly $50 billion: sources

	Click to View in Browser 05/13/2014 AT&T in talks to buy DirecTV for nearly $50 billion: sources NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - AT&T Inc is in active talks to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV and may complete a deal in the next few weeks that could be worth close to $50 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Stock futures point to flat open after data; S&P at record NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open on Tuesday as investors found few reasons to keep pushing shares higher with major indexes coming off record closes and economic data painting a mixed picture of the economy. Retail sales barely rise in April WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales barely rose in April and a gauge of consumer spending slipped, which could temper hopes of a sharp acceleration in economic growth in the second quarter. UK lawmakers give Pfizer stick as it waves carrot at AstraZeneca LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer hinted it could raise its proposed $106 billion offer if AstraZeneca would only engage in talks, as its boss was grilled by UK lawmakers on his commitment to British research spending and jobs. Small business confidence back at pre-recession levels WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. small business sentiment jumped to its highest level in 6-1/2 years in April, which should bolster hopes of an acceleration in economic activity in the second quarter. Fighting fakes: ahead of IPO, Alibaba takes a tougher line BEIJING/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Alibaba is taking a tougher line against counterfeit items sold on its online marketplaces as the Chinese e-commerce giant heads towards a U.S. stock listing that could be the world's biggest technology company IPO. Airbus sparks relief rally as first-quarter profit beats forecasts PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus Group posted better than expected first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, sparking a relief rally in its shares as it dodged the impact of higher costs for its new A350 jet, which remains on track for a late-2014 debut. E-commerce edge helps British retailers expand abroad BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - Marks & Spencer Plc is making a new push to expand abroad, hoping e-commerce will give Britain's biggest clothing retailer a better chance to succeed than earlier attempts to enter new markets. Chinese police to brief media on GlaxoSmithKline amid probe BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police will brief the media on Wednesday about British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC, which has been under investigation for allegedly funneling up to 3 billion yuan to travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials. BlackBerry aims to reverse emerging market slump with budget handset JAKARTA/TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd launched a low-cost touchscreen device in Jakarta, the Z3, as the embattled smartphone maker looks to revive sales in emerging markets like Indonesia where its once-fervent following has shriveled. Related Video Traders, regulators, crooks: Everyone's watching bitcoin Breakingviews: LSE's tilt at Russell is a long shot Global Investing Xi's new normal with Chinese characteristics: James Saft Want to live in Europe? Money talks 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