Morning News

• Futures are flat pointing to a slightly lower open.

• September Consumer Price Index 8:30 this morning.

• September Retail Sales also due out at 8:30 am.

• August Business Inventories today as well.

• September Industrial production 9:15 am.

• University of Michigan to release Preliminary October Reading of Consumer Sentiment.

• Toyota to recall 160,000 Prius Hybrid cars due to an electrical problem which causes the car to stall.

• Refco Inc. freezes customer accounts for 15 days in one of the companies subsidiaries due to lack of money to operate normally.

• Electronic Arts (ERTS) hires Steven Spielberg.

• Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) to purchase Vintage Petroleum Inc. (VPI) for $3.8 billion in cash and stock.

• Bird Flu cases confirmed in Turkey and Romania.

• Crude Oil currently $62.51 per barrel.

• Wholesale Gasoline is $1.73 per gallon.

• Natural Gas has pulled back a bit currently $12.95 per unit.

• Gold is $472.90 per ounce.

Budd Foxx