THE DOW JONES index was 16.93 higher at noon, after an erratic morning, but trading was subdued. More merger news helped shares move higher initially but the National Association of Purchasing Managers' March index leaped to 54.3, signalling increasing inflationary pressures and undermining bonds and shares.
Yahoo and Broadcast.com both gained sharply after Yahoo announced a $5.7bn offer and pushed the Nasdaq higher.
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