US equity markets opened November sharply higher, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices climbing to fresh records - Dow rallied +301-points or +1.11% The broader S&P500 +0.97% to 3,066.91, logging its third record close in five trading sessions. The technology-centric NASDAQ gained +1.13% to 8,386.40, also a fresh record closing high. Apple Inc rose +2.84% Google parent Alphabet Inc announced that it will acquire smartwatch maker Fitbit Inc for US$2.1B or ~US$7.35 per share in cash. Fitbit jumped +15.53% (to US$7.14) following the announcement, having traded to an all time high of US$51.90 back on 5 August, 2015 - a couple months after its stock market debut at $30.40. The latest gains for equity markets came as concerns about an economic slowdown were allayed by the latest US jobs report and factory activity figures in China. Note: with the clocks changing in the US over the weekend the US markets now close at 8am AEDT (or 7am AEST)