| Global Picture Desk: +65 6870 3775 Global Graphics Desk: +65 6870 3595 (All times GMT / ET) Receive this schedule by email: http://mediaexpress.reuters.com TOP STORIES Fed seen holding rates steady as investor skepticism swirls WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and may struggle to convince skeptical investors it can tighten monetary policy before the end of the year in the face of U.S. and global economic headwinds. (USA-FED/ (WRAPUP 1, PICTURE), moved, by Lindsay Dunsmuir and Jason Lange, 650 words) Shares rise as Riksbank, Apple help ease Fed wait LONDON - European stocks rise for the first time in three sessions after Sweden's central bank increased its bond buying while other assets are steady as investors wait to see if the Federal Reserve will clarify its rate hike plans later. (GLOBAL-MARKETS/ (WRAPUP 5), moved, by Marc Jones, 815 words) VW slumps to first quarterly loss in at least 15 years BERLIN - Volkswagen posts its first quarterly loss in at least 15 years and says the 6.7 billion euros ($7.4 billion) set aside to cover the costs of its rigging of diesel emissions tests is likely just a start. (VOLKSWAGEN-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 4), expect by 1600 GMT/noon ET, by Andreas Cremer, 940 words) + See also: - VOLKSWAGEN-EMISSIONS/EU, moved, by Barbara Lewis, 400 words - FERRARI-RESULTS/, moved, 185 words Cost-cutting helps Walgreens beat profit estimates Drugstore chain operator Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which agreed to buy smaller rival Rite Aid Corp on Tuesday, reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by lower costs achieved through its cost-cutting plan. (WALGREENS BOOTS-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 2), moving shortly, 350 words) MARKETS Oil prices edge up but no end to glut in sight LONDON - Oil prices rise a day after a report showed inventories fell at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub but gains were capped as investors awaited official U.S. inventory data. (GLOBAL-OIL/ (UPDATE 4), moved, by Amanda Cooper, 420 words) + See also: - NORWAY-SWF/ (UPDATE 2), moved, 435 words Dollar edges down as all eyes fix on Fed LONDON - The dollar edges down against a basket of major currencies, as investors bet the U.S. Federal Reserve will decline to raise interest rates for the first time since 2006 when it finishes a two-day meeting later in the day. (GLOBAL-FOREX/ (UPDATE 3), moved, by Jemima Kelly, 365 words) Low demand for Bunds at auction as yields hit six-month lows LONDON - A third auction in a row of German 10-year Bunds attracted demand worth less than the amount on offer, with bidders put off by yields at six-month lows. (EUROZONE-BONDS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, by Marius Zaharia, 595 words) BoE says will map out move to Libor alternative in 2016 LONDON - The Bank of England will spell out next year how markets can migrate to a new "risk-free" interest rate benchmark after banks were fined billions of dollars for trying to rig Libor, the existing benchmark, a senior BoE official says. (BOE-MARKETS/SALMON, moved, 470 words) INSIGHT Auto power play: Japan's hydrogen car vs China's battery drive TOKYO/DETROIT - Asia's two autos powerhouses, Japan and China, are jostling for supremacy in how future electric cars should generate their power - from batteries or hydrogen-powered fuel-cells. (AUTOSHOW-JAPAN/ELECTRIC (INSIGHT, PICTURE), moved, by Norihiko Shirouzu and Paul Lienert, 1,200 words) + See also: - AUTOSHOW-JAPAN/HONDA-CEO (INTERVIEW, UPDATE 1, PICTURE), moved, by Naomi Tajitsu, Paul Ingrassia and Norihiko Shirouzu, 500 words ECONOMY German consumer morale declines again going into November BERLIN - Morale among German consumers declined for the third month running heading into November as an influx of refugees into the country raised households' concerns that unemployment will rise, market research group GfK says. (GERMANY-ECONOMY/GFK, moved, 475 words) + See also: - FRANCE-ECONOMY/CONFIDENCE, moved, 200 words - ITALY-ECONOMY/ (UPDATE 1), moved, 265 words Sweden's central bank expands bond buying, could loosen again STOCKHOLM - Sweden's central bank holds its benchmark rate unchanged as expected and expands its bond buying programme to a total of 200 billion crowns ($23.6 billion) to ensure consumer prices keep rising and to keep the currency weak. (SWEDEN-CENBANK/ (UPDATE 2), moving shortly, by Simon Johnson and Daniel Dickson, 365 words) + See also: - SWEDEN-MARKETS/ (UPDATE 2), moved, by Anirban Nag, 500 words ECB looking at all policy tools, may need to cut deposit rate RIGA/TALLINN - The European Central Bank has a duty to use all instruments in its toolbox to achieve its inflation target and may cut its deposit rate further if price growth is slower than expected, two key ECB policy-makers say. (ECB-POLICY/COEURE (UPDATE 2), moved, by John O'Donnell and David Mardiste, 500 words) Turkey central bank ups inflation forecasts, may follow Fed hike ISTANBUL - Turkey's central bank raises its inflation forecasts for this year and next and indicates it could hike interest rates once the U.S. Federal Reserve begins to tighten, in what could be a boost for the long-suffering lira currency. (TURKEY-ECONOMY/INFLATION (UPDATE 2), moved, by Nevzat Devranoglu and David Dolan, 395 words) Japan's quarterly retail sales rebound offers BOJ some relief TOKYO - Japan's retail sales jump in the third quarter as falling prices and gradual wage gains underpinned consumption, suggesting the economy may narrowly escape recession despite taking a hit from China's slowdown. (JAPAN-ECONOMY/RETAIL (UPDATE 2), moved, by Leika Kihara, 450 words) China Oct official PMI seen edging up to 50.0 but still tepid BEIJING - Activity in China's manufacturing sector likely picked up slightly in October but remained subdued, a Reuters poll shows, fuelling hopes that the world's second-largest economy may be bottoming out after a burst of stimulus measures. (CHINA-ECONOMY/PMI (PREVIEW), moved, 345 words) COMPANIES HIV drugs and flu vaccines help GlaxoSmithKline beat forecasts LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline reports better-than-expected quarterly earnings, helped by strong demand for HIV drugs and flu vaccines, which offset a continued slide in sales of respiratory medicine, sending its share 4 percent higher. (GSK-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, by Ben Hirschler, 340 words) Lloyds hit by weak third quarter ahead of UK share sale plan LONDON - Lloyds Banking Group reports weaker than expected third-quarter results, a setback for Britain's finance ministry which is planning to return the bank to full private ownership next year. (LLOYDS-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 3), moved, by Matt Scuffham, 415 words) Northrop Q3 results beat forecasts, 2016 profit outlook raised WASHINGTON - Hours after winning a multibillion-dollar contract to build a new U.S. bomber, Northrop Grumman Corp reports higher-than-expected quarterly revenues and earnings and increases its profit outlook for the full year. (NORTHROPGRUMMAN-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 2), moved, 265 words) Heineken profits across Americas and in warm Europe BRUSSELS - Heineken NV, the world's third-largest brewer, says revenues and beer volumes grew by more than expected in the third quarter, driven by strong sales across the Americas and by a warmer summer in much of Europe. (HEINEKEN NL-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, by Philip Blenkinsop, 310 words) BT-EE merger wins provisional British regulator clearance LONDON - Britain provisionally cleared BT's deal to buy mobile operator EE in a 12.5 billion pound ($19 billion) tie-up that will create the country's leading player in broadband, fixed line and mobile. (EE-BT GROUP/CMA (UPDATE 2), moved, by Paul Sandle, 490 words) AB InBev, SABMiller extend takeover deadline to Nov 4 BRUSSELS - Brewer SABMiller Plc has extended the deadline for rival Anheuser-Busch InBev to make a formal $100 billion-plus takeover offer by a week. (SABMILLER-M&A/A B I (UPDATE 1), moved, 215 words) Saipem plans 3.5 bln euro rights issue as Eni steps back LONDON/MILAN - Italian oil contractor Saipem is asking investors to pump in fresh capital equivalent to its current market value to help it to weather the oil service recession and plot a path to recovery as main investor Eni takes a step back. (SAIPEM-ENI/FSI (UPDATE 2), moved, by Stephen Jewkes and Karolin Schaps, 515 words) + See also: - STATOIL-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 2), moved, 395 words Barclays to pay new chief Staley up to $12.6 mln a year LONDON - Barclays will pay incoming chief executive James "Jes" Staley up to 8.24 million pounds ($12.6 million) a year after appointing the former JPMorgan investment bank boss to one of the most prominent posts in British business. (BARCLAYS-CEO/ (UPDATE 4), moved, by Steve Slater, 880 words) Telenor Q3 profit beats forecast, cuts 2015 outlook OSLO - Norwegian mobile phone operator Telenor reports third-quarter core earnings above expectations but revised down its full-year revenue and margin guidance citing a failed merger in Denmark. (TELENOR-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, 245 words) Meggitt warns on profits as aircraft spares market falters LONDON - Shares in Meggitt plunge after the UK engineering firm warns profits this year will be "meaningfully" below forecasts after demand for spare aircraft parts deteriorated and its energy industry business suffered from low oil prices. (MEGGITT-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 3), moved, 455 words) Antofagasta cuts annual copper output forecast for third time Chile's Antofagasta Plc cut its annual copper production forecast for the third time this year, sending its shares lower as the miner posted steady output in the third quarter versus the second. (ANTOFAGASTA-OUTPUT/ (UPDATE 2), moved, by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, 395 words) British American Tobacco revenue hurt by weak currencies LONDON - British American Tobacco, the world's No. 2 cigarette company, reports a 6.5 percent decline in revenue for the first nine months of the year, hurt by currency fluctuations and declines in smoking rates. (BAT-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, 280 words) Numericable-SFR steps up marketing spend to stem customer losses PARIS - French telecoms operator Numericable-SFR stemmed customer losses in the third quarter by spending more on marketing, with the promotional effort set to continue over the year-end holiday season. (ALTICE-NUMERICABLE/RESULTS (UPDATE 1), moved, by Leila Abboud and Joseph Sotinel, 345 words) Linde Q3 profit higher on U.S. medical gases FRANKFURT - Linde, the world's biggest industrial gases company by sales, eked out a gain in adjusted core profit as strong growth at its U.S. healthcare gases business outweighed a declining engineering division that continues to suffer from a weak order book due to the low oil price. (LINDE-RESULTS/ (UPDATE 1), moved, 200 words) Winemakers will survive, international body says of climate change PARIS - Good news for wine drinkers: a leading international body says grape vines are a hardy little number and can survive climate change, at least over the medium term. (CLIMATECHANGE-WINE/OUTPUT (INTERVIEW, UPDATE 1, PICTURE, GRAPHIC), moved, by Sybille de La Hamaide and Pascale Denis, 460 words)
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