Stocks finished the last day of the month somewhat mixed. Political news mixed with weal oil prices held the markets back. The Dow 30 lost 18, the S&P 500 was flat on the day, and the Nasdaq 100 lost 1. Tomorrow the new month begins with manufacturing numbers along with more of the earnings season.

Baker Hughes (BHI  ) stole the spotlight again today as shares blasted off higher, adding to Friday's more than 8% jump. The news became official today that General Electric (GE  ) and Baker Hughes are merging their oil and gas businesses. The deal leaves GE will own a majority stake in the new company. Analysts were quick to point out that this transaction will create another big player in the energy sector with combined revenue of $32 billion. Earlier this year Baker Hughes had planned a merger with Halliburton (HAL  ), but regulators caused the deal to fell apart. Investors took the opportunity to sell on the news though. Shares started positive but finished the day down 6.28%.

Lumber Liquidators (LL  ) shares plummeted 16.13% today as the company reported a wider-than-expected loss for the third quarter. On the bright side, revenue did top Wall Streets estimates as sales rose for the first time in six quarters. Analysts noted that this may be a sign that customers are once again buying its flooring products. Lumber Liquidators' has been in the news for over a year following a "60 Minutes" report last year that claimed its flooring from China contained high levels of a cancer-causing substance.

Level 3 Communications (LVLT  ) shares shot up another 3.89% today as investors continue to chase the news that the communications services company is being bought by CenturyLink (CTL  ) for about $25 billion in stock and cash. CenturyLink will own a slight majority of the combined company, while Level 3 shareholders will own the rest. CenturyLink is a provider of internet, TV and phone services to consumers and also offers data and IT services to businesses.