What you need to know before the US open
With a quiet start to a week with plenty of data coming later on, it’s a modest open for US markets.
Other markets have been gaining cautiously today, as fears over the Ukraine situation continue to trim investor confidence.
Following, Sunday’s referendum, gold has risen above $1,290 an ounce, and the dollar’s lost ground.
Corporate news
Pinnacle Foods, the brands company that went public last year, is being bought by Hillshire Brands for $6.6bn, including debt.
Virgina Rometty, the chief executive of IBM, has told Steve Lorh of the New York Times that the firm’s experiencing a “rocky time”.
Irish firm Shire has agreed to but Lumena Pharmaceuticals for an initial $260m in cash
Pfizer published another series of videos on its website this morning, promoting the positives of the much-debated possible transaction between it and AstraZeneca, as it seeks to lessen the fears of those who say a deal could damage the UK’s research sector.
And botox maker Allergen has confirmed it’s rejected a $46bn offer from Valeant Pharmaceuticals which, it says, undervalues it and would stop it from innovating.
Data in focus
• 5.00pm: US Philadelphia Fed’s Plosser speech
• 7.00pm: US April monthly budget statement