US equity markets advanced as US voters head to the polling booths tonight AEST for the midterm elections, and with investors eyeing inflation data later in the week - Dow +423-points or +1.31%. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc gained +4.10% following reports that No. 2 U.S. pharmacy chain would invest ~US$3.5B to support the primary care provider VillageMD’s acquisition of urgent care provider Summit Health in a deal valued at nearly US$9B. Boeing Co (up +3.06%) was another notable Dow performer. The broader S&P500 +0.96%. The Nasdaq rose +0.85%. Apple Inc added +0.39% despite the tech company said iPhone production has been temporarily reduced because of COVID-19 restrictions in China. Meta Platforms Inc gained +6.53% a day after the Wall Street Journal report that said the company could start layoffs as soon as Wednesday (9 November). The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose 0.64%. Carvana Co (down -15.64%) continued to tumble, with trading in the stock briefly halted after the on-line used car retailer reported disappointing third-quarter results after the closing bell of last Thursday’s (3 November) session.