TOP STORIES 
 
DOW, S&P 500 SET ALL-TIME HIGHS 

The Dow industrials and S&P 500 set fresh all-time closing highs after the Bank of Japan's decision to unexpectedly expand its stimulus measures. The Dow added 195 points to 17391, while the S&P gained 23 to 2018 and the Nasdaq advanced 65 to 4631.

 
U.S. EXCHANGES SAY TRADES DURING GLITCH TO STAND 
 

NYSE, Nasdaq OMX and BATS Global Markets said they would let stand all trades made during a system outage that disrupted markets on Thursday afternoon.

 
BOJ ANNOUNCES MASSIVE STIMULUS MOVE 
 

The Bank of Japan took financial markets by surprise, ratcheting up its already aggressive campaign against deflation by expanding its yearly asset purchases by tens of trillion yen, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth-revival plan teeters on the verge of faltering.

 
VIRGIN GALACTIC SPACESHIP CRASHES; ONE REPORTED DEATH 
 

A test pilot was killed and another injured when one of Virgin Galactic's spacecraft crashed during a test flight, according to local authorities in Mojave, Calif.

 
AIG AGREES TO $35 MILLION FINE TO SETTLE WITH NEW YORK 
 

AIG has agreed to a $35 million fine to settle with New York's top financial regulator over allegations that an international business it has since sold had marketed insurance in the state to multinational companies without proper licensing.

 
U.S. CONSUMER SPENDING FALLS 
 

Personal spending fell 0.2% from August, down for the first time since January, raising doubts about the economy's ability to maintain the summer's sturdy growth. Economists had predicted a 0.1% rise.

 
REUTERS/MICH FINAL OCTOBER SENTIMENT EDGES UP TO 86.9 
 

The Thomson-Reuters/University of Michigan final October sentiment index edged up to 86.9 from a preliminary October result of 86.4, according to a source who has seen the numbers. Economists expected the final version to be steady at 86.4.

 
LACKER SAYS U.S. CAN TAKE RATE RISES WELL 
 

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker shrugged off weak inflation readings and said the U.S. economy can easily deal with central bank interest rate increases when they arrive.

 
STRONG DOLLAR SENDS OIL BELOW $80 A BARREL 
 

U.S. oil prices slid below the psychologically key $80 a barrel mark after the Bank of Japan unexpectedly expanded its stimulus measures, boosting the dollar.

 
EXXON, CHEVRON POST HIGHER EARNINGS 
 

Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported surprising profit growth, despite gloomy market conditions, boosted by their refining divisions that have lost favor with some smaller peers.

 
JUDGE REJECTS MAINE BID TO RESTRICT NURSE'S MOVEMENT 
 

A Maine judge rejected a bid by state health officials to restrict the movement of nurse Kaci Hickox, who defied a state quarantine for medical workers who have treated Ebola patients.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
The Wall Street Journal 
WAGES SHOW SIGNS OF PICKUP, JUST AS CONSUMERS HICCUP 
 

Workers are starting to see a little spring in their paychecks and benefits. U.S. employers' compensation costs grew in the second and third quarters at their fastest pace since 2008, the Labor Department said

 
Heard on the Street 
JAPAN LETS LOOSE ON GLOBAL RATES 
 

The Bank of Japan's surprise move to ratchet up its asset purchases didn't merely alter the monetary policy calculus in Japan, it upped the chances that other central banks will be a lot more stimulative, writes Justin Lahart.