The markets opened modestly higher with the Dow adding 4 points to 18,165 as consumer spending rebounded in September. Nasdaq rose 9 points to 5,199.
On the upside
Blackstone Group will take Team Health Holdings (NYSE: TMH) private in a deal valued at approximately $6.1 billion.
Bargain hunters lifted shares of Senomyx (Nasdaq: SNMX).
InvenSense (NYSE: INVN) has hired a financial advisor to evaluate potential suitors.
On the downside
Memorial Production Partners (Nasdaq: MEMP) suspended its quarterly cash distributions.
Zimmer Biomet Holdings (NYSE: ZBH) reported higher third quarter earnings and revenue but the company cut its full year revenue forecast and trimmed the high end of its full year earnings outlook.
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) will acquire Level 3 Communications (Nasdaq: LVLT) in a deal valued at approximately $34 billion including the assumption of debt.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 5 to 4 on the NYSE while decliners outpaced advancers by more than 10 to 9 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 rose 3 points to 2,129. Bitcoin gained $3 to $700.
