Before the Bell

At last, corporate America has regained Wall Street's ear. Stock futures are pointing higher on news of a $25 billion takeover of student loan company Sallie Mae and better-than-expected earnings from Citigroup.


Fellow bank Wachovia and drug maker Eli Lilly also reported strong results. But don't forget about the economy. Retail sales are set for release shortly, some Fed officials are speaking later, and the consumer price index is coming tomorrow. U.S. Treasuries are down a bit. The dollar is up against the euro, but otherwise weak across the board.


And then there's oil, which is back around $64 a barrel. OPEC has spurned calls for members to pump more crude and said supply looked sufficient despite concerns over low U.S. gasoline inventories. In other M&A, Quest Diagnostics is buying Ameripath for $1.23 billion.


Attention all brides. If you've been longing to look like a Walt Disney character on your big day - well, now you can. The company has come up with a line of wedding gowns inspired by princesses from "Sleeping Beauty," "Beauty and the Beast" and other films.

Lisa Von Ahn - Editor
www.reuters.com