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U.S. stock market report 0857 EST 18Nov2009-AmEx to buy Revolution Money for $300 mln ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

American Express Co on Wednesday agreed to buy Revolution Money for $300 million.

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2010.

Revolution Money is an Internet-based payment platform.

For details, see

Shares of AmEx, a Dow component, closed Tuesday at $41.36.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0851 EST 18Nov2009-Family Dollar board OKs $400 mln in buybacks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shares of Family Dollar Stores Inc rose in premarket trading on Wednesday after the company's board approved the repurchase of up to $400 million more of its common stock.

The retailer said it would fund the purchases with cash from operations.

For details, see

The stock gained 1.4 percent to $30.30 before the bell.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0843 EST 18Nov2009-Goldman Sachs downgrades Target to "neutral" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goldman Sachs on Wednesday downgraded Target Corp to "neutral" from "buy," citing pricing competition from Wal-Mart Stores.

The firm wrote that the competition could weigh on Target's margins, and added that credit delinquencies were likely to tick higher.

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Target shares fell 1.5 percent to $48.05 in premarket trading.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0839 EST 18Nov2009-Consumer prices up in October on autos, energy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in October, chiefly from increases in energy and motor vehicle costs, according to government data on Wednesday that showed the economy may have to confront some inflation threats during its recovery from the worst recession in 70 years.

The Labor Department said its Consumer Price Index jumped 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis -- more than the 0.2 percent increase analysts polled by Reuters had anticipated -- after rising an unrevised 0.2 percent in September.

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Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0835 EST 18Nov2009-Housing starts, permits fall sharply in October ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New U.S. housing starts in October unexpectedly fell to their lowest level in six months, weighed down by a sharp decline in construction activity for both single-family and multi-family dwellings, a government report showed on Wednesday.

The Commerce Department said housing starts dropped 10.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000 units, the lowest level since April and the percentage drop was the biggest since January. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected housing starts to rise to 600,000 units.

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Following the release of the data, Beazer Homes fell 1.6 percent to $5.08 in premarket trading.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0822 EST 18Nov2009-Hershey, Ferrero review options over Cadbury ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hershey Co and Italy's Ferrero are reviewing options over a possible bid for Cadbury, though analysts consider a hostile $16.2 billion bid from Kraft Foods Inc as the front runner.

Hershey and Ferrero both said separately they were evaluating their options, and both said there could be no assurance that a proposal or offer for the British confectioner would emerge.

For details, see

Shares of Hershey closed Tuesday at $38.41 while Kraft, a Dow component, slid 1.1 percent to $27.33.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS

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