Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Open Higher; Microsoft To Buy Nokia's Handset Business For $7.2B

Following the market opening Tuesday, the Dow traded up 0.58 percent to 14,896.16 while the NASDAQ surged 1.20 percent to 3,632.83. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.94 percent to 1,648.24. Top Headline
Shares of Nokia NOK jumped more than 38% after the company announced its plans to sell its cellphone business to Microsoft MSFT for 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion). The transaction is likely to close in the first quarter of 2014. Nokia now has a 15 percent share in the handset market, and just a 3 percent share in smartphones market. Equities Trading UP
Nokia NOK shot up 38.97 percent to $5.42 after the company agreed to sell its cellphone business to Microsoft MSFT for 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion). Shares of Rogers Communication RCI got a boost, shooting up 8.48 percent to $42.96. National Bank upgraded the stock from Sector Perform to Outperform. Ericsson ERIC was also up, gaining 6.20 percent to $12.51 as the company announced its plans to build three global ICT Centers. Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Verizon Communications VZ were down 3.97 percent to $45.50 after the company agreed to buy Vodafone Group's VOD 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion deal. Microsoft MSFT shares tumbled 4.34 percent to $31.95 after the company announced its plans to buy Nokia's NOK cellphone business for 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion). Vodafone Group Public Limited Company VOD was down, falling 2.75 percent to $31.46 after Verizon Communications VZ agreed to buy Vodafone's 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion deal. Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded down 0.29 percent to $107.34, while gold traded up 0.24 percent to $1,399.50. Silver traded up 4.07 percent Tuesday to $24.47, while copper rose 0.90 percent to $3.29. Eurozone
European shares were mixed today. The Spanish Ibex Index gained 0.46 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index rose 0.11 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX dropped 0.23 percent and the French CAC 40 tumbled 0.24 percent while U.K. shares fell 0.09 percent. Economics
The final reading of Markit manufacturing PMI declined to 53.10 in August, versus a flash reading of 53.90. The ISM manufacturing index rose to 55.70 in August, versus a prior reading of 55.40. However, economists were expecting a reading of 54.00. Construction spending rose 0.60% in July, versus economists' expectations for a 0.30% rise. The Treasury is set to auction 3- and 6-month bills.