As the Fed's two-day policy meeting begins and the eagerly awaited interest rate decision wheels into view, one big pre-Christmas story doing the rounds comes from Unibail-Rodamco (UNBLF).
It has struck a US$15.8bn deal for Westfield Corporation - the Australian firm, which also operates shopping malls in Europe and the USA.
It will reportedly create a US$72bn (£54bn) retail property empire spanning Britain, the USA and most of continental Europe.
Also in pre-market deals in New York, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) shares are up 1.59% to US$39.05.
The group said yesterday it had abandoned its bid for most of the assets of Rupert Murdoch’s Twenty-First Century Fox Inc, leaving Walt Disney Co as the sole suitor in pursuit of the US$40bn-plus deal.
BREAKING NEWS: Comcast drops from buying bid for 21st Century Fox, leaving Disney as the sole contender for a nearly $60 Billion Dollar deal.
— The Anon Journal (@TheAnonJournal) 12 December 2017
A stock to watch on Tuesday may also be Casey's General Stores Inc (NASDAQ:CASY), which saw shares sink almost 5.7% after the bell following a weaker-than-expected earnings for its second quarter.
Last but not least, bluebird bio Inc (NASDAQ:BLUE) shares added 19% to US$203.49 after the company announced updated clinical results from ongoing Phase 1 multicenter study of LentiGlobin gene therapy in severe sickle cell disease at the ASH2017.
In the minutes from the Fed’s November meeting, policymakers said another increase in the central bank's target range would probably be needed “in the near term” provided the economy remains on track, though it also warned that inflation may remain below target for longer than expected.
But Fed chair Janet Yellen, who will be replaced by Jerome Powell when she retires in February, has predicted inflation will soon rebound and thinks the central bank should continue to gradually raise rates.