US markets firmer, with the Republican-led Senate late Wednesday agreeing to begin formal negotiations with the House, spurring hopes the final tax overhaul will be completed by a self-imposed deadline of December 22. - Dow up +71-points or 0.29% and The broader S&P500 +0.29% and snapped a four-session losing streak helped by gains for the technology, industrials and materials sectors. The technology-centric NASDAQ +0.54%. Reuters also reported an exclusive interview with Whitehouse legislative affairs director Marc Short in which he said President Trump still wanted a corporate tax rate of 20% in the tax reform package being debated in Congress despite the president recently saying that it could end up higher.
