ASX to slip, Alphabet surge paces Nasdaq rally

News Snapshot:

Woodside Energy and Santos are in talks on a potential merger of their businesses, Angela Macdonald-Smith reports. The combination of the country’s two biggest listed oil and gas producers would create a company with a market value of almost $80 billion and bring together assets that two years ago were split across four companies, including Oil Search and BHP Petroleum. Market highlights ASX futures down 18 points or 0.3% to 7167 near 4.05am AEDT AUD +0.7% to 65.93 US cents Bitcoin -0.9% to $US43,640 at 4.18am AEDT On Wall St at 12.18pm: Dow +0.1% S & P +0.8% Nasdaq +1.3%...