Business Today: Stock futures edge higher on China optimism

		Click to View in Browser 12/5/2012 Stock futures edge higher on China optimism NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures rose on Wednesday after comments from China's new leader boosted global growth expectations. Private sector adds fewer-than-expected jobs in November: ADP NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private-sector employers added 118,000 jobs in November, shy of economists' expectations, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday. Productivity fastest in two years, labor costs subdued WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nonfarm productivity increased at a much faster clip than initially thought in the third quarter as businesses held the line on hiring even as output surged, with unit labor costs falling at their fastest pace in almost a year. Freeport-McMoRan to buy Plains, McMoRan Exploration for $9 billion (Reuters) - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc said on Wednesday it would acquire Plains Exploration & Production Co and McMoRan Exploration Co in two separate deals for $9 billion in cash and stock. U.S. sales drive Mercedes record November sales month FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Sales of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz luxury brand climbed 5.7 pct to 120,346 vehicles in November, an all-time high for that month, as rising U.S. volumes fully offset a decline in China. Starbucks sees more than 3,000 new Americas stores NEW YORK (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp intends to open at least 3,000 net new stores in the Americas region by 2017, the company said on Wednesday. Britain to miss key debt goal, growth targets LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister George Osborne said on Wednesday he would break a key debt promise and warned that growth will be weaker than expected in a bleak outlook that could damage his party's hopes of winning a 2015 election. Analysis: For the EU, way ahead may be a three-lane highway BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Much has been written over the past year about the risks of a two-speed Europe in which the 17 euro zone countries move ahead more rapidly than the rest of the European Union. French banks eye U.S. expansion after year of cuts PARIS (Reuters) - France's top banks are taking advantage of calmer markets to return to expanding in the United States, a year after deep cuts to their investment banks saw them lose ground to rivals in the world's biggest financial market. EU imposes record $1.92 billion cartel fine on Philips, five others BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Philips, LG Electronics, Samsung SDI and three other firms were fined a record 1.47 billion euros ($1.92 billion) by EU antitrust regulators for fixing prices of TV and monitor cathode-ray tubes for nearly a decade. Related Video Market Pulse: UK heading towards triple dip - Markit Wealth Strategies: U.S. equities could put up 13% returns Economic News Private sector adds fewer-than-expected jobs in November: ADP Productivity fastest in two years, labor costs subdued 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