*Merck, MasterCard shares slide after earnings. NEW YORK, May 1- U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve's decision to stand pat on its current monetary stimulus was not able to offset weak economic figures and several lackluster earnings reports.
*Merck, MasterCard shares down after results. *Copper posts largest daily drop since April 2012. Copper prices fell 3.7 percent, the most in a day since early April 2012.
May 1- Comcast Corp posted higher quarterly profit on Wednesday, driven by strength on the cable side of the business. Excluding revenue from Comcast's sale of spectrum, the company posted earnings of 51 per share and beat analyst estimates by a penny.
*Merck, MasterCard shares down after results. *Copper, oil prices slide more than 3 percent. NEW YORK, May 1- U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday after a batch of economic data indicated weaker-than-expected growth in the world's top economies a day after the S&P 500 index closed at a record high.
PARIS, April 30- Vivendi said that the ongoing sale of Maroc Telecom would not be finalised before the autumn, although two bids were now being evaluated in close collaboration with the Moroccan state. The kingdom of Morocco owns 30 percent of the fixed and mobile operator and must approve Vivendi's choice of buyer.
*Carphone Warehouse to pay 500 mln stg for the stake* Best Buy retrenches to core U.S. market By Dhanya Skariachan and Paul Sandle. NEW YORK/ LONDON, April 30- U.S. retailer Best Buy Co Inc retreated from an ill-timed European expansion on Tuesday by selling its stake in a joint venture to Carphone Warehouse Group for less than half of what it paid five years ago.
*Best Buy to sell 50 pct in Carphone Warehouse Europe. *Best Buy retrenches to core U.S. market. NEW YORK/ LONDON, April 30- U.S. retailer Best Buy Co Inc retreated from its ill-fated European expansion on Tuesday by selling its stake in a joint venture to Carphone Warehouse Group for less than half what it paid five years ago.
TOKYO, April 30- SoftBank Corp President Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday that a counteroffer for U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp from Dish Network Corp.
*Intel CEO backed SoftBank's bid for Sprint in letter to FCC. TOKYO, April 30- SoftBank Corp said there is no need to improve its $20.1 billion bid for 70 percent of U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp, which has been challenged by a counter-offer from Dish Network Corp.
TOKYO, April 30- Japanese mobile operator SoftBank Corp said on Tuesday that there was no need to change the terms of its $20.1 billion offer for U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp, after Dish Network Corp. made a $25.5 billion counteroffer. SoftBank President Masayoshi Son also told reporters that a review by U.S. regulators of the deal was on schedule.