PRESS DIGEST- Wall Street Journal - April 15

April 15 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc is nearing a deal to buy pharmaceutical-testing company PPD Inc for more than $15 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be the latest tie-up among companies that run clinical trials and provide other services for drugmakers. https://on.wsj.com/2OObfyX

- The Justice Department has stepped up an antitrust probe of American Airlines Group Inc's recent partnership with JetBlue Airways Corp and is concerned the deal could lead to anticompetitive coordination and inflated fares at key traffic hubs, according to people familiar with the matter. https://on.wsj.com/2QnnZgs

- Silver Lake is investing in Abu Dhabi technology company Group 42, in a sign of the private-equity firm's deepening relationship with the emirate, the companies said Wednesday. https://on.wsj.com/3tmx1J4

- Dell Technologies Inc said Wednesday it would spin off its stake valued at $52 billion in cloud-software company VMware Inc in a deal the personal-computer maker said would strengthen its financial position as it looks at new markets and works to reach clients revamping their digital strategies. https://on.wsj.com/2OOxNQa

- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank will begin to slow the pace of its bond purchases "well before" raising interest rates. https://on.wsj.com/3wVxlAJ

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)