PRESS DIGEST - Wall Street Journal - Nov 3
Nov 3 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
* Preliminary data suggest some type of violent structural failure, rather than an engine explosion, might be the likely cause of the crash of Virgin Galactic's experimental rocket ship on Friday. (http://on.wsj.com/10MfCw0)
* Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Chevron Corp have lower profit margins than a decade ago, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, prompting them to shelve expansion plans and shed operations. (http://on.wsj.com/1vC9L44)
* Publicis Groupe SA is in talks to buy Sapient Corp, as the French advertising firm seeks to speed up its transformation into a digital-technology company. (http://on.wsj.com/1GcHJEE)
* Five days after the first U.S. Ebola case was confirmed, Massachusetts General Hospital deployed a new Ebola application made by QPID Health Inc that automatically matches a patient's travel and family history with medical symptoms. (http://on.wsj.com/1zqVdL8)
* Investors who bet on strong growth at Alibaba Group Holding Ltd when it went public in September, will soon get their first look at how well the Chinese e-commerce giant is meeting their expectations when it will report quarterly earnings on Tuesday for the first time since its record $25 billion debut on the New York Stock Exchange. (http://on.wsj.com/1GcYtvw)
* Diageo Plc is nearing an asset-swap deal with Jose Cuervo that would give the British liquor giant full ownership of a fast-growing tequila brand in exchange for its Bushmills Irish whiskey. (http://on.wsj.com/1yPj4Bh)
* Investors seeking higher returns are finding them in an unexpected place: the market for debt sold by states, cities and government-related entities. Municipal bonds have posted their longest string of monthly gains in more than two decades, outpacing gains this year in blue-chip U.S. stocks and corporate debt. (http://on.wsj.com/1pgwJkA) (Compiled by Luke Koshi in Bangalore)
