Morning News

• Futures are pointing to a flat or slightly lower open this morning.

• December PPI, and Retail Sales to be released today.

• Boston Scientific raises it's bid for Guidant Corp. to $24.3 billion or $73.00 a share with an acceptance deadline of Friday afternoon.

• Securities and Exchange Commission launches formal probe into International Business Machines Corp. on how the company disclosed earnings and expenses for stock options.

• Pfizer to pay Sanofi Aventis $1.3 billion for worlwide rights to inhaled insulin the company has developed.

• American International Group Inc. reportedly could pay as much as $1 billion to end suit filed in May by the New York Attorney General, and the New York State Insurance Dept.

• Tyco International ltd. expected to split up into three publicly traded units.

• Crude Oil is $63.90 per barrel.
  

• Wholesale Gasoline is $1.71 per gallon.

• Natural Gas is currently $8.93 per unit.

• Gold currently $547.90 per ounce.

Budd Foxx