Stocks (^GSPC) were mixed in early trading after some disappointing economic data. U.S. consumer spending fell for a second consecutive month in January, falling 0.2% after declining 0.3% in December. Personal Income rose 0.3%. That was less than the 0.4% increase economists were expecting.
Among the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today: Lumber Liquidators (LL). Shares were falling sharply in early trading following a story about the company on CBS's "60 Minutes" last night. The show reported that the retailer's hardwood flooring from China contains levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde that exceeds California safety limits. Lumber Liquidators says its products meet safety standards.
Meantime, shares of NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) are soaring in early trading. The Dutch chipmaker is buying rival Freescale Semiconductors (FSL) for nearly $12 billion. The deal will make NXP the world's biggest supplier of microchips in the auto industry. Freescale Semiconductor shares are also higher on the news.
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In more M&A news, we're watching Endo International (ENDP). The healthcare firm based in Dublin is selling its men's and prostate health business to Boston Scientific (BSX) for $1.65 billion.
Sticking in the health field, shares of Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) are gaining. J&J is selling its Cordis heart device unit to Cardinal Health (CAH) for just shy of $2 billion dollars.
And we're following shares of Costco (COST). The biggest warehouse retailer has a new credit card agreement with Citigroup (C) and Visa (V). Costco and American Express (AXP) are ending their long-standing deal next April.
And we're watching Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A). It's in the spotlight after Warren Buffett said in his annual shareholder letter this weekend that future growth is unlikely to match the gains of the past, due to the company's size. He also mentions plans for a potential successor but didn't name who will take the reins once the 84-year-old steps down.
We have another company that's making a big announcement. Pharmaceutical company Actavis (ACT) is readying for a more than $20 billion dollar bond sale. This deal is set to be the second biggest in corporate bond history, just behind Verizon's (VZ) $49 billion dollar sale in 2013.
In other investing news, Bitcoin Investment Trust, or BIT, is reportedly slated to become the first publicly traded Bitcoin fund. The Wall Street Journal reports BIT has been racing a fund offered by the Winklevoss twins to launch publicly.
