feedjan06






			Tuesday January 31 Bernanke Gets OK to Lead Federal Reserve AP Google profit misses Street target, shares drop Reuters US dollar rallies on Fed rate announcement FT Fed Raises Rates, Drops View for `Measured' Increases BL Text The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Rises Again CB Gold tops $575 as silver stakes gains CBSM Lay, Skilling `Told Lie After Lie' About Enron's Finances, Prosecutors Say BL Labor Costs in U.S. Increase 0.8 Percent in Quarter, Less Than Forecast BL The Worst News Wasn't Even in the GDP Report Baum Meltdown '06? You see it coming Farrell As profits rise, companies keep raises in check WSJ Real wages are having trouble keeping up with prices CNN Time and tide wait for no nude spendthrift The Herald Greenspan tees up last rate rise BBC What Wall St. Should Do With Greenspan Crudele Solid foundations or dangerous house of cards? Guardian America awaits Greenspan's legacy Greenspan's record not so rosy USAT It Is Unwise To Say "No" to Chairman Al Slate Was Greenspan a consensus builder? Or a totalitarian dictator? Greenspan's legacy not unblemished Toronto Star Greenspan and rise of the central banker CS Monitor Bernanke silently slips under almost all radar NYT Fed change said to lift volatility CBSM Hedge funds see other sources of market gyrations too 25 basis points then what? Currency Currents Housing Boom is Over, Analysts Say Knight Ridder Our Worst Nightmare....the Housing Bubble SH Baby boomers fuel trend in retirement housing Arizona Republic Double whammy: Heating, holiday bills land USAT Gold and silver upbeat, hit new highs Reuters Gold Hits 25-Year High On Geopolitics, Inflation Dow Jones The Fourth Major Currency Russell What glitters sure isn’t dollars Boston Herald OPEC Keeps Output Unchanged at 28M Barrels AP Iran’s plan for oil cuts is snubbed by Opec FT West at risk of losing oil money IHT Natural Gas Futures Gain Amid Forecasts for Cold Weather in Eastern U.S. BL The “Commodity Super Cycle” - How Long Can It Last? FSU Copper at $5,000 per tonne? Who would have thought it? Metals Insider The bubble keeps getting bigger but who's got the pin to burst it? Steel shares smoking amid global takeover speculation The Age Google: Value, Share Price, Trouble in Bunches EW Kraft Foods to eliminate 8,000 jobs AP Political row erupts as ExxonMobil posts record profit AFP Oil execs refuse to testify at U.S. Senate hearing Reuters Dell's Expanding Indian Footprint Business Week Biondi teams up with Icahn in Time Warner fight Reuters GM, Ford US sales slide continues in January Reuters Is the IPO market too hot? Hulbert The Hedge Fund Report: Mission Mostly Accomplished TheStreet Banker to Receive $135 Million Parachute NYT Panel: Teflon Chemical a Likely Carcinogen AP Japan's Jobs on Offer Rise to 13-Year High, Household Spending Increases BL Business, Consumer Confidence in Europe Rose to Five-Year High in January BL Brazil Pares Bond Sale Because of Lack of Demand From Investors BL France Should Scent Defeat in Battle With Mittal Gilbert Miyauchi: Livedoor ran a con Yomiuri Row over the £2.6bn of gold coins lost at sea The Herald After victory, Hamas faces money crunch CS Monitor Iran nuclear file 'will go to UN' BBC Monday January 30 Vanishing "dark matter" to widen US current account Reuters U.S. Treasury sees $188 bln borrowing in Jan-March Reuters Chicago Fed Midwest factory activity steady in Dec Reuters Chicago Fed The Handover Fallacy ~ Greenspan's Legacies; Bernanke's Challenges MS Fed chief's mercy may have costs DiMartino Personal Spending Rises 0.9% as Incomes Increase 0.4% BL BEA Savings Rate at Lowest Level Since 1933 AP Contrarian Bandwagons Hussman America beware - dollar could be its downfall King Greenspan record’s not stuff of legend Boston Herald Greenspan leaves nation steeped in debt WP Another Monument in Washington, Prepares to Leave NYT Greenspan Critics Are Off Base on His Legacy Berry The world after Greenspan Guardian Greenspan's Real Legacy Newsweek The standard story of his Fed tenure is deficient because it ignores the major transforming event, which is disinflation. US economy: the inverted yield curve and recession Brookesnews Quotes: Bernanke on Economic Issues AP Quotes from the Greenspan era Markets Foresee Uncertain Patch After Fed Handoff WSJ Alan and Ben's Excellent Rate Adventure WSJ Bernanke May Have His Work Cut Out For Him Business Week Wall Street Economists, Investors Clash on Fed Rate Outlook BL A dull affair in Davos Guardian But signs abound of something big and nasty lurking in the midst of complacency Dissent rules at Davos forum on every big issue FT Harvard president warns on global imbalances FT Housing: Will Surging Supply Pop The Bubble? Business Week The Power of Words NYT High-rise speculators likely in for a fall Sun-Sentinel What Could We Possibly Lose? Cartoon Gold underpinned by political worry CBSM Bells ringing for silver ETF CBSM Gold in Kazakh reserves grows to 14% in 2005 TMC Gold Still Heading For US$600, Citigroup Says AIR $1,000/oz Commodities boom has years to run Reuters OPEC readies to meet amid growing concerns AP Iran, a founding member of OPEC and its second-largest oil producer, could use the meeting to withhold all or part of its 2.4 million barrels a day of exports as a response to criticism over its nuclear ambitions. OPEC Must Consider Cutting Output, Venezuela Says BL World's oil suppliers threatened by anarchy Australian Gunmen seize $285,000 from oil compound AP Squeezing The Last Drop of Oil Business Week Technology is allowing adventurous outfits to get at what was once inaccessible Sugar-powered car sends markets into frenzy thisismoney Exxon Net Soars to $10.7 Billion; 2005 Profit Biggest Ever for U.S. Firm BL Deutsche Bank Top Private Equity Adviser in $246 Billion Year BL Kodak narrows 4Q loss; sees loss for FY06 CBSM Barbie Sales Fall 11% Detroit's endless winter Fortune Executives' Pensions Are the Deal of a Lifetime LA Times Ken Lay's Audacious Ignorance Business Week Lay 'optimistic' ahead of trial SEC to Supervise Hedge Fund Industry AP But some big hedge funds are using a loophole to get around the new oversight, and the new regulation itself is being challenged in the courts. Out-Scourge Byron Asian Stocks Rise to Near Decade High BL Japan Industrial Production Posts Longest Expansion Since 1999 on Demand BL In India-China Race My Money Is on India Pesek ‘Jumping on the Asia Train': How Sustainable Is China's Rapid Growth? Wharton China trade unbalances shipping: Vessels sailing to Asia empty IHT Bank of England fears over soaring debt thisismoney Reported fraud 'at 10-year high' BBC Weight of costs hanging heavy on profit margins FT Unions fear Royal Mail could lose 40,000 jobs to cut costs Times Online Livedoor may face criminal charges Yomiuri Georgia: Russia waging energy blockade AP North Korean Counterfeiting Complicates Nuclear Crisis NYT Before Nuclear Regulators' Meeting, Iran Allows Inspectors Access to 1 Site NYT Rice: No aid to Hamas government AP Dollar May Gain as Fed Prepares to Raise Rates, Survey Shows BL Weekend Edition (Jan 28-29) The Week Ahead: Over to You Ben CIBC PDF Ahead of the Curve Frontline Global Imbalances Watch Noland The Greenspan Legacy Zeal Greenspan’s Charmed Run Will be Tough Act to Follow NYP Inflation-buster leaves new man with bubble to deflate Times Online The Butch Cassidy Of Banking Bonner Silver ETF Packs Punch Texas Hedge Gold's Rise is no Conundrum Schiff Ready for $262/barrel oil? Fortune Two of the world's most successful investors say oil will be in short supply in the coming months Iran crisis 'could drive oil over $90' Guardian Soaring commodity prices... But will the bubble burst? Independent More Heat On Hedge Funds Business Week Bye-Bye, Pension! Slate It's just a matter of time till your company drops its defined-benefit retirement plan Unlike Death and Taxes, Pensions Are No Longer Guaranteed Wharton The Case for Investing in Water Industry Stocks Financial Sense Housing bubble seems set to deflate Montreal Gazette NYSE to Let Fannie Mae Stock Keep Trading AP Citigroup among bidders for GMAC: sources AP Who Will Steal the Enron Show? NYT Microsoft's chairman defends Google in China censorship row Times Online 101 Dumbest Moments in Business Business 2.0 Bargain-hunters circling Livedoor group in search of value Japan Times 'Vanished' housing bubble may be a dangerous illusion Scotsman Chavez taunts Bush, but Venezuela-US trade grows AFP 57% Americans support military action in Iran FT Friday January 27 GDP data misleading, or wrong: economists say CBSM Gold Eases As Dollar Rises DJ he Hollow Ring of Davos Roach New Home Sales in U.S. Unexpectedly Increase, Capping Fifth Record Year BL Economy Expands at 1.1% Annual Rate, Half the Pace Forecast BL BEA Stock futures hit air pocket CBSM Seeing a Stumble Ahead for Stocks Fortune Technical analysts find gloomy portents in the market's gyrations--and fret about Wall Street's bullish mood. Even the bears are divided between two camps FT What Growth? Economy Is Getting Worse Under Bush, Americans Say BL Greenspan's Warning Words Resonate in Bond Funds Currier Sluggish private job growth indicates failure of tax cuts EPI Pension worry piles pressure on American consumers Reuters The big squeeze SMH Generous health care for workers is being blamed for a health scare for US corporates Economist Magazine Warns 'Danger Time' for U.S. Newsmax N.J. turns to hedge funds for pensions BL Picasso Lures Hedge-Fund-Type Investors to Art Market BL Housing Market Is Certainly Cooling Down Northern Trust PDF McCains having trouble selling mansion UPI Californians May Be First To Feel Home Loan Pinch Realty Times SLO County median home price drops Tribune Foreclosure rate 'disaster' sparks action Charlotte The housing bubble is deflating -- but gently Jubak The SEC and NYSE Bend Rules For Fannie Mae NAlert If It Isn't Red, You Can't Read It on Google Pesek Microsoft Profit Climbs on Product Launch AP P&G Profit Up on Gillette, Raises Outlook AP GM widens on results, no GMAC news Reuters Mittal Bids $22.7 Billion for Arcelor in Steel Industry's Biggest Takeover BL Companies ‘shortsighted when hedging’ FT Key Enron trial nears, but climate has changed CS Monitor Enron woes reverberate through lives USAT Stolen financial data leads to $10 million fine for ChoicePoint PPG Moody's: An Obligation Is a Debt CFO Central Bank Gold Sales Seen Falling Short of Quota -HSBC Dow Jones Funds Push Silver To 19-Year High Dow Jones Gold's up but so's the gloom factor SMH Copper at new high but sell-off concerns grow Reuters Oil Prices: The New Reality Business Week Futures traders are already assuming sky-high prices are here to stay Monthly FX Outlook CIBC PDF Japan's Consumer Prices Rise for Second Month in Sign Deflation May End BL Japan's 2005 retail sales post 1st rise in 9 years Kyodo Too Fast in China? Washington Post Crude steel output up 25% in 2005 Stunning Growth May Have a Built-In Problem: Overcapacity Goldman, Allianz Lead $3.8 Billion Investment in China's Largest Lender BL Good times ending for New Zealand economy AFP Repsol to Write Down Reserves by 25%; Shares Tumble BL Gazprom accuses Ukraine of stealing gas in transit AFP Scandal may spark corporate exodus Yomiuri Boycott of Danish Goods Over Blasphemous Cartoons Arab News Thursday January 26 Extreme home selling CNN Rates on 30-year mortgages turn slightly higher AP CBO Projects $337 Billion Deficit in 2006 AP Forbes Crude Oil Gains as Iran Nuclear Standoff Stokes Supply Concern BL Bankers see volatile markets as Bernanke joins Fed Reuters Durable Goods Orders Rise More Than Forecast BL Census - JClaims Up U.S. Mortgage Lending: The Last Shoe To Drop? BCA Research For the first time in the history of the data, the short-term growth rate of revolving consumer credit, revolving home equity, and personal bank loans has turned negative... Pension Bombs Go Boom in Bonds; Treasuries Next? Gilbert Pension liabilities Yield curve not good for guessing future - K.C. Fed Reuters -- Longer-Term Perspectives on the Yield Curve and Monetary Policy PDF The Perils of Forecasting WSJ A Decadent Empire Bonner Puplava - Mogambo - Hook Greenspan to launch consulting firm CBSM Uncle Miltie’s Ugly Fed Lesson TCSDaily Bracing For Ben Bernanke NBR Greenspan Leaves a Legacy of Rising Prosperity Burdened by Debt BL US banks seek more mortgage proposal comment time Reuters Trouble on the Home Front TheStreet Vegas Condos Go Cold Time Local housing market continues to cool Palm Beach Post Leading Economist Predicts Recession In Colorado CBS4 NY Precious Metals Pre-Open: Gold Dn $4.40; Silver Flat Dow Jones The "Flim-Flam" Act Russell Gold traders having a ball Mining Mx Fortis Metals Monthly Fortis ETF’s have become the “Peoples’ Central Bank” Andisa Oil markets balanced, no need for more: Saudi oilmin Reuters GM Reports $4.78 Billion Loss BL HON - CAT - DOW Nokia's Profit Unexpectedly Falls; $8 Billion Buyback Is Planned in 2006 BL Kerkorian Boosts GM Stake to 9.9% as He Pressures Wagoner for Cuts BL Bush plays down bailout for automakers: report Reuters Greenspan urges industrial bank exemption review Reuters EPA tries to curb use of Teflon chemical USAT Japan's Trade Surplus Shrank in December as Imports Increased 27.3% BL China to ease foreign exchange accumulation FT Shanghai property bubble burst: UBS Shenzhen Daily Bubble Trouble In Shanghai? Forbes Asia/Pacific: Three Horsemen and the Ghostbusters Xie Prudential warns of tough year for pensions market Times Online Hungry giant is on the horizon: a $100bn private equity fund Times Online Are even the world's biggest companies set to become takeover targets? Cheap Livedoor could attract raiders Asahi Bullish investors chase new Iraqi bonds FT Bush accused of stretching armed forces to the limit FT Washington warns Delhi over UN vote on Iran FT Hamas wins upset victory in Palestinian election Reuters Wednesday January 25 Economists predict sliding dollar BBC Blasts halt Iraqi oil exports to Turkey-official Reuters Treasuries Drop as $22 Billion Auction Draws Weakest Demand Since April BL Stocks Barely Mixed As Yield Curve Inverts AP Home Resales in U.S. Fall 5.7%, More Than Forecast, as Market Cools BL NAR U.S. Stock Success in 2006 May Depend on January-Effect Rise BL A battle for the soul of January Hulbert The inflated Greenspan Projo Ego Inflation Mother Jones ($) Money war's new general Courier-M Eat, Drink, and Buy Merrily American Conservative Celebrated Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan’s true legacy is one of debt and fiscal deceit. His successor aims to follow. Fed's Greenspan becomes a true work of art in NY Reuters That Old Malaise: Inflation, the Middle East, and High Crimes in the House BnB Robert Rubin's Two-Edged Sword TomPaine 'We Must Change Policy Direction' Rubin (WSJ$) The buck drops here Kellner Plenty of reasons to cheer a falling dollar "Groundbreaking" Over Some VERY Old Ground EW Americans: world's worst savers CNN Economy Up, Wage Down EPI As Manhattan Booms, Inflation Squeezes Rest of New York NYT Indiana Sells Road for Billions; Prepare for Deluge BL London reaffirms FX dominance over NY FT Desperate House Cries Voice of San Diego Californians plan exit strategies PE Some take the money and run; some just can't afford to stay Condo investments - how to lose a lot of money very quickly Blog Buying a home on a half-century plan LA Times Is there such a thing as a 50-year mortgage? It's one way to lower your monthly payments, so expect to see it offered. Mortgage borrowers know that they don't know much Bankrate U.S. mortgage applications increase last week-MBA Reuters Silver jumps to new highs, platinum hits record Reuters Shine On – Part II: SEC Proposes Rules for Silver ETF Trading WSE No tossup regarding legality of Liberty coins Buffalo News “We use Liberty silver dollars because they are backed by silver, and I believe the American monetary system is going to collapse." Citigroup ups metals outlook but warns of bubble Reuters Rogers: Investing in a Material World BW Q&A Yale Study: Not Enough Metals in Earth to Meet Global Demand Yale Investors add companies' revenue to list of worries USAT Freddie Mac poses no special systemic risk: CEO Reuters No Tibet or Tiananmen on Google's new Chinese site Times Online Google is simply the latest internet company to conclude that the world’s most populous country is too important a market to ignore. Computer Associates forecast disappoints Reuters Delta to close hangar, cut up to 1,000 jobs BL Rubbermaid to close northeast Ohio plant AP Old Thinking Won't Save Ford WP Ex-CSFB Analyst Reingold Remains in Denial in His `Confessions' Gilbert Hedge funds expect more defaults FT Manager of $11.2 billion Janus Fund replaced Rocky MN Tax Shelter Inquiry Expands NYT When Hot Women Pick Hot Stocks Slate Reports: Sex.com appeals, sells for $12M Reuters For $176,000, it better be Super USAT China's Economy Grows to World's Fifth Largest After Expanding 9.9 Percent BL China regulates real estate mortgage evaluation Xinhua South Korean Economy Grows More Than Expected BL German Business Confidence Advances to the Highest in More Than 5-Years BL India Makes Bernanke's Job at Fed Look Easy Pesek Will Horie's impact last? JT Echoes of Enron ~ Advertisers flee Stock Exchange limits trading hours for Livedoor due to flooding sell orders AP Manufacturers cut 25,000 jobs in three months Guardian Yields on 50-year gilts hit auction low FT Banks relax Europe hedge fund credit rules Reuters New issues are like a lottery - a long shot Telegraph There's something about flotations that persuades people to suspend their critical faculties, a belief that new issues are a sure-fire way to make money. Brazil's Lula Raises Minimum Wage 17%, Ministry Says BL Venezuela threatens to take over mines AP Inflation to peak at 800 percent in Zimbabwe Xinhua ASIC slams Westpoint scandal Courier-Mail Dapeng Securities declared bankrupt China Knowledge Wanted: toothless novices to keep watchdogs at bay Times Online Tuesday January 24 Disney to Acquire Pixar for $7.4 Billion in Stock; Steve Jobs Joins Board BL Canada Raises Main Rate, Sees `Modest' Further Action BL Slow Economy Causes Recent Market Bubble To Leak Crudele Fed Will Raise Rates With Bernanke in the Wings Berry US current account deficit ‘unsustainable’ – NY Fed chief FT U.S. Housing Is Slowing, Consumption Is Next BCA Research U.S. Credit Perspectives PIMCO Hit, Stay, or Walk Away Post-Game Stock Analysis? EW Analysts weigh end of Greenspeak era The Herald Greenspan Mania Different takes from Dow Theory pair Brimelow Prospect of housing downturn casts pall over US economy FT It's Time to Face Up to the U.S. Medicare Crisis AEI Gold: Is De Secret In De Hedge? AIR China: Gold rush set to continue Shanghai Daily Whenever gold bullions hit the counter, they are sold out very quickly... Gold rush grips Chinese consumers Globe & Mail What Will Happen to Gold Shares in a Crashing Stock Market? Casey Australia Sold Saddam's Gold To Cover Wheat Sales -Report DJ Oil eases on weather, Saudi comments CBSM Kuwait: Oil reserves 'report is not accurate' Gulf News Countdown to 100$ oil Book Highlight: A Civilization in Trouble - Beyond the Oil Peak PDF Amazon Asian institutions still find commodities risky Reuters China SRB Bans Its Units From Futures Trading Dow Jones DuPont sees 1Q, FY06 earns below Wall St. consensus CBSM MMM - MCD J&J posts unexpected sales dip, shares fall Reuters Lexmark profit drops 47%, plans job cuts CBSM Banks feeling the squeeze Boston Globe Exposure to corporate bonds is reduced FT DaimlerChrysler to Cut 6,000 Management Jobs to Save $1.8 Billion a Year BL Sprint Freeze On Pensions NYP Pixar Board Will Meet to Consider Offer From Disney, Person Familiar Says BL Lender accused of bait-and-switch tactics to pay $325 million PPG Ayres' last chapter begins IndyStar Patent lawsuit may lead to BlackBerry shutdown SFC AMD to offer $500M in common stock ABJ FASB on Recalculating Leveraged Leases CFO Bank group wary of United States retailer credit card suit Reuters Trump Sues Author and Publisher for Defamation Business Wire Book: The Global Class War EPI Amazon India's Central Bank Unexpectedly Raises Interest Rate to Curb Inflation BL China, Saudi Arabia Sign Energy Cooperation Deal Xinhua Asia/Pacific: Do Imbalances Matter? Xie All of Japan's Regions Expand for the First Time Since 1997 BL Analysts: Japan Needs Securities Agency AP Japan Inc. Arrives Naked at Livedoor Ball Pesek Livedoor echoes scandals of Enron and WorldCom NYT Livedoor executive says Horie knew about shady deals Asahi Tokyo accused of 'accounting fraud' over pensions move FT Weak dollar would hit Dutch hard IHT (BL) Bosses 'are deluded' over success of deals Times Online Pensions lifeboat to the rescue of only 13 Times Online Slovakia's Pension Reforms CATO Dubai's property market set for major correction Khaleej Times Official trading starts in Iraq paper FT Did Russia blow up its own gas pipelines to punish West-leaning Georgia? BW Gazprom: Ukraine Is Using Too Much Gas Moscow Times Marshals Target Yukos Prisoners for $600M Moscow Times Quebecker hit in laundering investigation Globe & Mail Venezuelan VP to McCain: 'Go to hell' AP Harper wins Tory minority government, pledges to work with parties CBC Monday January 23 Texas Instruments Net Income Gains 34%; Revenue May Miss Estimates BL Iran Threatens Full Uranium Enrichment AP Home prices get even more overvalued CNN Ford to Cut Up to 30,000 Jobs to Stem North American Losses BL F J.P. Morgan sees gold near $600/oz by year-end Reuters Natural gas drops near eight-month low CBSM Leading Economic Indicators Point to Slower Growth BL CB Between the Lines Roach Key drivers of dollar weakness this morning BSwan PDF $ Losses Build This Week: Investors Have Earnings Trepidation WSJ More bad news coming? Thrill of Dow 11,000 already gone USAT Fed's Poole Says Inflation `Stable,' Suggests Rate Increases May End Soon BL As Economy Thrived Under Greenspan, So Did Debt WP Imbalances Make Federal Reserve Chairman's Legacy Unclear Greenspan's exit from the Fed will be low-key USAT Federated fund manager sees dark days for economy PPG Mr. Lehman's eternally dreary outlook has earned him the nickname "Permabear." Buffett, Gates, Soros Losses May Aim Davos Spotlight on Dollar BL Contrarian Bandwagons Hussman Treasuries Lose Appeal With Foreign Central Banks as US Debt Sales Rise BL Tension over pensions: Can they be saved? CS Monitor Triumph of the Redistributionist Left CS Monitor Uncle Sam cracks the whip on students MSN Not only have rates soared, but the debt can haunt you all the way to the grave The Fed and the real estate boom NBF PDF Just because the Fed’s interest rate hikes are coming to and end and long-bond rates have barely budged, does not mean that the U.S. housing market is out of the woods... Mortgage default rate shooting up MJS Local home builders say that slump has arrived Herald Tribune Why it's time to take a fresh look at Keynes King Paul Kurgan’s economic shortcomings Jackson Bank of America's Profit Unexpectedly Declines 2 Percent on Bankruptcies BL The hard truth about IBM and Intel MSN (Fleck) Intel, Yahoo, Technology Stocks May Foretell Decline in Global Markets BL Pop Go Hedge Funds ; The Air is Rushing Out, and so Are Investors Inde Ford Has $124 Million Profit on Car and Truck Loans, Gain From Hertz Sale BL - Shareholders’ equity slips by more than $3 billion in 2005 PR 'Black Monday' looms over Ford's future Detroit News 25,000 jobs ride on Ford's 'Way Forward' strategy to be announced today. Google Lovers, the Future Isn't Rosy BL Nike Chief Perez Resigns Amid Differences With Knight BL Blam! Winchester is Through NYP Saks Therapy NYP Gold Likely To Stay Volatile In Overall Uptrend DJ GFMS Cautiously Positive Oil for Delivery in 5 Years at Record; Traders Doubt Boom to Go Bust BL Sanctions Could Drive Oil Past $100 AP Iran Insists Not Withdrawing Currency McCain: U.S. can't be held hostage for oil AP OPEC risks being dragged into conflict between Iran and West AFP Oil prices climb to Katrina levels CS Monitor Falling Prices Don't Kill Heating Bills WSJ U.S. gas prices climb 3 cents China's Economy Probably Grew 9.8% Last Year, Overtaking France BL Oil-hungry China courts Saudi king Reuters Japan Won't Let BOJ Repeat Policy Mistakes, LDP's Yamamoto Says BL Banks 'not making credit card checks' FT Nine out of 10 borrowers have been issued credit cards without the lender carrying out any checks to verify that the consumer could afford the debt MPs to call on Brown to review his 'golden rule' Times Online UK utilities 'must raise gas price to stem losses' Times Online Oil price rise could boost Indian inflation Reuters Spain's Economic Miracle Is Running Out of Steam BL Russia re-routes gas to Georgia after pipeline blasts AFP Livedoor's shady deals date back to '03 Asahi Livedoor CEO Takafumi Horie Is Arrested AP Japan charges Yamaha Motor over China sales Reuters Iraq's next big hurdle: unity government CS Monitor Israel braces for possible Hamas victory in Palestinian election CP Bush Said to Use Taxpayer Dollars to Back More Moderate Party ABC Reuters Canada: A lot can happen... Northern Trust Tale of Two Votes Lofty loonie likely no matter who wins CP Ready for rate hike Canada Liberals face loss after 12 years in office Reuters Euro May Gain on Signs Economy, ECB Interest Rates Will Rise BL Gold at 25-Year High May Fall as India, Middle East Sales Drop BL Emerging debt supported by money inflows Reuters Weekend Edition (Jan 21-22) The Rules of Trading Mauldin Dow violates major support CBSM Nasdaq and S&P on the brink Is the Fourth Year a Charm for the Bull Market? IHT (NYT) Dow 11K: Who Moved the Rear-View Mirror? EW 2005 Year of Buying. 2006 Year of Selling FXA Welcome to 2006 Noland Current Conditions Typical of Market Peak Comstock Will 'Helicopter Ben' be forced to raise interest rates? CBSM NYC mayor: housing market "dramatically" slowing Reuters Ing ~ Texas H ~ Maund ~ Stott Price Of Gold, Runoff Brings New Gold Rush CBSM Japan investors favour gold as alternative asset Mining Weekly Kuwait oil reserves only half official estimate Reuters PIW World demand for crude to rise 1.9 percent AFP Watch Oil Prices As Iran Rattles Sabres NYP Time to really worry about oil Norris Tactical Gas Trends Zeal BMO sees commodities slowing Globe & Mail All that shines needn't be gold: Jim Rogers HTimes Weak company revenue raises questions on growth Reuters Centex to hold 12-hour Calif. home sale AP When flipping goes from fun to fraud CBSM Lex: General Motors FT Buyout boom's next phase: greedfest Jubak State quarter's extra leaf grew out of lunch break USAT When it came to earnings, Michelangelo was the master BL Why the US Malaise Over China? YaleGlobal Oil-hungry China courts Saudi king Reuters Risks remain while the sun rises on Japan Weekend Australian Japan at a crossroads FT UBS Cancels All Banking Business With Iran AP Shell shareholders’ squabbles are sheer lunacy Times Online The results are in: now the real struggle for power begins Times Online Israeli Hints at Preparation to Stop Iran AP Friday January 20 Stocks Plunge Nasdaq suffers biggest one-day fall since Sept. 2003 - Street Suffers Meltdown - Widespread Pain World economy vulnerable to jittery markets Reuters Traders on defensive as options gauge spikes up Reuters Google Shares Have Biggest Drop Ever BL Citigroup drops most since 2002 on weak earnings Reuters Crude sets fresh four-month high CBSM Stocks in U.S. Head for Biggest Losses in Three Months; Shares of GE Slide BL Consumer sentiment improves in January Reuters Congress' pension: Nice and secure CNN Road to Ruin, Part Two Sprott PDF What they don't want you to know about the coming oil crisis Inde GE, Citigroup ease stock futures CBSM The Irony of Complacency Roach Wall Street Spin Doctors at Work Schiff Fed officials say threat of inflation remains Boston Globe Boardwalk and Park Place with Five Hotels PBear Why you should be worried about the US property market Money Week Housing market slides from 2005 peak CS Monitor Real Estate: Buy, sell, hold? CNN Local housing market goes flat PPG Gold Headed for Fourth Weekly Gain as Oil Rises on Nigeria Attacks Threat BL Gold bulls dominate in survey of 30 commentators Mining Weekly After surge, gold vulnerable as speculators change bet G&M Topping Out? Gold Lease Manipulation FSU The Base Metal Bubble In Ga-Ga Land AIR Everyone’s been expecting a reversion to reality for some time now, and it hasn’t happened... Lonely At the Top Schaeffers Google to Fight Fed Search Request TheStreet Google stock-sharing plan may bite investors WSJ Ford Motor May Eliminate 25,000 Jobs to Stem Losses BL Russell Corp. to cut 2,300 jobs Reuters Hollinger to reorganize Sun-Times, cut 300 jobs Reuters Citigroup Profit Rises 30 Percent on Sale Gain; Bankruptcies Hit Card Unit BL General Electric Has Smallest Profit Gain Since 2004 After Insurance Exit BL Barrick gets 81% of Placer CP Off-Shore Shilling Byron Group seeks criminal probe of powerful lawmaker USAT Did Scrushy Pay for Positive Press? CFO U.S. auditing watchdog must keep on barking Norris China Central Bank's Ma Blames U.S. for Deficit, Denies Yuan Manipulation BL China to Launch Exchange for Trading Financial Derivatives Asia Pulse Bank of Japan to Keep Pumping Cash Into the Economy BL How Cell Phones Roil Japan's Stocks Business Week Livedoor Case Is a Pivotal One for Japan Inc. Pesek Livedoor ordered fake contracts by e-mail Yomiuri TSE to increase capacity--again Asahi Record capital flows to emerging markets in 2005: report AFP IFF French December Consumer Spending Unexpectedly Drops BL U.K. Bonds Play Dangerous Game of Musical Chairs Gilbert UK economy 'still weak', says BCC BBC Why it may be time to say, Oh! Canada Brimelow Brown urged to end bond crisis ThisisMoney Hedge fund sues Japanese newspaper Reuters Shareholders sue Australian telecom giant over disclosures AFP Poor figures scupper bonus payments for Asda workers Times Online Iran Moving Its Foreign Exchange Reserves AP Thursday January 19 Foreign central banks boost U.S. debt holdings-Fed Reuters TIC Federal Reserve's Yellen Says Inflation Risks `Skewed Slightly to Upside' BL Crude Jumps as Iran's Nuclear Research Program Adds to Supply Concerns BL Gold futures end with a $15 gain CBSM Undermining Gold Swenlin Nasdaq Error Results in Incorrect Quotes AP Dow off highs on bin Laden AP Housing Starts Decline More Than Forecast Amid Slowing Sales BL PDF Jobless claims drop to lowest level since April 2000 CBSM Currency Currents Black Swan PDF Will 'Helicopter Ben' Spike Gold Prices Further? PRN I Remember Alan Forbes U.S. Consumption Growth Is Slowing BCA Research A slow-moving wave BRW Magazine Forecasters' optimism is ill-founded, and an impending slowdown in the United States will eventually bring global trouble. With pensions waning, workers save. Is it enough? CS Monitor CPI hits 5-year high; pay fails to keep up WP Bay Area home prices could fall SF Gate Study estimates risk of decline at higher than 50% in 2 years Is Google Out of Steam? Business Week Tech Is Hit with a Mild Chill BW Who the Heck Cares About "Livedoor"? EW Retail execs a little uneasy about '06 CNN Senate Targets Some Convertible Bonds CFO Hedge Funds: The Pool Is Shrinking BW Ex-Enron Chief Helps Build His Defense, and an Office for His Lawyers NYT Gold's Sparkling Prospects BW The Perfect Time to Buy Palladium Mogambo It's not IF gold will go up Behind rising oil cost: Nigeria CS Monitor Sticker shock at gas pumps may stick around IndyStar Expert: Gas prices may soon go above $3 at the pump Det FP Heating bills soar in Northeast, Midwest AP Utility shut-offs surge in late '05 Denver Post Xcel disconnected 7,942 Colorado customers in the fourth quarter of 2005 because of delinquent bills, compared with 6,022 in the same period of 2004. Nikkei rebounds on chips, Softbank surges Reuters Quick Nikkei Update Yen Nears Lowest in More Than a Week on Slumping Japan Stocks BL Tokyo Stock Exchange Imposes Trading Limits to Avoid Repeat of Shutdown BL Market attacked for act of 'desperation' Times Online “The idea that we should falsely slow down trading is a piece of market manipulation in itself. If people want to sell, it is outrageous that the world’s second-biggest exchange can’t handle the pace.” Exec. Dead in Apparent Suicide AP Keidanren rues Livedoor entry JT Livedoor threatened with delisting Yomiuri Investigation now addressing window-dressing suspicions Asahi Stock split further lifted affiliate's share price Asahi Livedoor exposes invisible funds Yomiuri Livedoor denies allegations K China Squeezes Savers; India Represses Banks BL Bank's Large warns of "frothy" world markets - FT Reuters ECB's Issing Says Oil May Gain, Growth to Pick Up BL Unemployment level hits a three-year high Times Online Sharp fall in bond yields adds billions to deficits Times Online Gilts bubble savages pensions FT Tuesday’s fall in yields, which took the real yield on the 2055 issue from 0.59 per cent to 0.48 per cent, was one of the biggest one-day drops recorded. Sweden: First of a Series of Rate Hikes Coming This Friday Northern Trust Hot housing market cooling Globe & Mail Oil sands boom puts companies over a barrel G&M Gas price increase is 'appalling' BBC Yukos Gets Additional $3.5Bln Tax Bill Moscow Times Shares Plunge Fraudster fights to sell £13m St Tropez villa Telegraph Wednesday January 18 EBay Profit Up 36%; Shares Down on Sales Forecast BL No Shine on Apple Washington Mutual Misses Estimate TheStreet Stock market optimism on the rise FT Fund managers’ have cut their cash levels to an average of 3.5 per cent - the lowest level ever recorded by the survey which has conducted since April 2001. Japan's panic: Lost in translation? CNN BBook Says `Intense Competition' May Be Holding Down Price Gains B Fed Odds of March Fed rate hike dip below 50% CBSM Hedge fund failures on the rise as market grows Reuters Bye-bye, rally? CNN Consumer Prices Drop for Second Month; 2005's Core Rate Unchanged BL U.S. mortgage applications increase last week MBA World can't afford to lose Iran's oil: US EIA Reuters Treasury yield curve inverts again FT Bernanke must prove mettle with rate hike Kellner Situation shaky BRW The flaws in the world economy will become apparent in 2006. 43% of first-time home buyers put no money down USAT NAR BIS warns of home loan risks FR BIS Suburbs flush with homes for sale Boston Globe Many megamansions for sale, but nobody's buying WSJ Risk of East Bay home price drop rises Contra Costa Dark Matter Mauldin The Kondratieff Cycle Revisited Mish California, New York Officials Sense Danger in Debt BL Gold Falls the Most in Two Weeks as Inflation Speculation Eases BL Gold futures hit by Tokyo selling CBSM Iran fears stir commodity prices BBC Are Chinese purchases moving gold market? Business Line Gold Sentiment Saville Gold: Forecasts 2006 Oil nears $67 a barrel Globe & Mail Nigeria militants say every oil producer at risk Reuters Google agrees to buy radio ad company AP Chinese users 'prefer' Google to Baidu AP JPMorgan Chase Posts Strong Fourth Quarter AP Smaller firms joining pension plan freeze Record Online Ford Tells Workers Innovate Before It's Too Late BL SEC's Cox Shows Guts on New Executive Pay Rules BL NYMEX Nerve NYP Buffett Issues Warning Over Trade Deficit AP ”Pretty soon, I think there will be a big adjustment” Berkshire Hathaway buys Business Wire AP PDF Release Berkshire Hathaway Discloses Holdings AP CEO retires after 55 years at See's Candies SJBJ TSE Halts Trade as Order Surge Overloads Computer System BL TSE Nikkei drops 3 pct as retail investors pull out Reuters Livedoor raid news raises worries over markets for start-ups Kyodo Livedoor's market value falls 100 billion yen in one-day panic Asahi Horie, an increasing target in scandal, says he will stay Asahi Japan's Long Margin Stock Balance Hits New 14-Yr High Jiji Press Japan consumers see brighter days BBC China To Discourage Second Home Ownership With Heavy Taxes Tax-news U.K. Doesn't Need Law to Fight `Wal-Martization' Bloomberg Sebi bans five Mumbai-based brokers India Times 50,000 Saudi Investors Eye Rayyan IPO Arab News Nationwide declares price war on big four with 4.25% interest rate Guardian RIM allegedly caused ‘substantial harm' G&M US bird flu outbreak could cost insurers $133 billion Reuters New struggle in China: Keep up with the Chans CS Monitor Chinese nanny state takes root in US BBC Want a Calgary office? Try a closet G&M Iran crisis: World powers at odds CNN Israel: Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons CNN Tuesday January 17 Yahoo 4Q Profit Misses Views; Shares Fall AP Intel's Earnings Rise; Shares Drop After Sales Forecast Is Below Estimates BL Oil Rises Above $66 to Three-Month High Amid Nigeria, Iran Supply Threats BL SEC Moves for More Exec Pay Disclosure AP Soft Growth of Factory Output Strengthens Case For Pause NT Why Is The Yield Curve Inverted? Yeald Wall St. braces for big earnings deluge CNN Overvalued, Overbought, Overbullish Hussman Treasuries May Fall as $100 Billion of Debt Overwhelms Buyers BL Balancing act may be crucial for US economy Times Online Forecasters see signs of cooling US economy in 2006 from Blue Chip Abby Joseph Cohen: “The US stock market is underpriced” The Global Delta, Part II Roach U.S. Consumers Reeling From Higher Debt Burden BL Report: Bankruptcy filings steady CNN Bush, Congress Lack Courage to Fix Entitlements Berry Bush Leans on Adviser Hubbard to Deliver on a Diminished Agenda BL The Rocky Road for the Stars of '99 Kiplinger Real estate's January report card Inman Perspective: Housing market faces record level of unsold inventory House resales take a tumble in December Union Tribune Metro home sales tank Detroit News Gold Falls From 25-Year High on Concern Gains May Be Overdone BL Gold hits 25-year high, platinum at all-time high Reuters Gold Riding High On The January Effect? AIR Oil Rises Above $65 to Three-Month High Amid Nigeria, Iran Supply Threats BL Copper forges new highs but what is driving it now? Metals Insider “We think that it is pointless continuing to analyse copper prices as if they were simply prices of an industrial raw material. For now, copper is behaving essentially as a financial instrument...” Bloomsbury ($) Copper Jumps to Record on Concern Demand in China May Outpace Supply BL High demand strains supply of wood pellets AP Corn-burning stoves are hot Accounting Changes May Squeeze Pensions AP Hedge Funds Raise Fees as Investment Returns Decline 50% From 90s BL Wall St. Wooing Hedge Funds LA Times Alcoa drops traditional pension for most new hires Reuters The goliath that reshaped America CS Monitor Did Wal-Mart bring us a triumph of capitalism - or its darkest hour? Boston Scientific raises bid for Guidant to $80 AP Record Week for Corporate Bond Offerings CFO SEC meets today to vote on big compensation changes CBSM Nikkei ends below 16,000, Livedoor spurs selling Reuters Prosecutors Raid Livedoor Offices in Tokyo AP Livedoor staring down the barrel Rule changes to curb Japan equity demand Reuters The Reversal of the US's and Asia's Relative Monetary Conditions Xie China sees foreign cash pile as possible peril IHT Inflow of hot money eases Standard Saudi King to Visit China to Discuss Oil AP China may merge A-share, B-share markets Xinhuanet Personal savings hit record US$1.7tr China Daily German Inflation Accelerated to Fastest Pace in Four Years in 2005 on Oil BL Watch asset prices, King stresses BBC Lex: Indian banks FT Too Good to Be True? Dutch Yogis Offer 15% Bond Gilbert Germany regaining its stride NYT Lula Says Brazil No Longer Needs Foreign Financing for Economy to Expand BL GIC Real Estate to Expand Into Brazil, India, China BL Business confidence plummets to 35 year low Radio New Zealand Ecuador more ofa risk than Iraq FT Carmaker's managers in Iraq bribery allegations Times Online War's stunning price tag LA Times Iran envoy to Moscow welcomes Putin N-offer IranMania Europeans to Seek New U.N. Action on Iran LA Times The Proposed Iranian Oil Bourse 321 ~~CNN banned from Iran for translation gaffe~~ ~ Iran Lifts Ban AP Monday January 16 Spot prices for gold tap $562 an ounce CBSM Gold's going much higher; thank China MSN (Fleck) Analysts: Growing Deficit Hobbles Economy AP Americans saving less than nothing SF Gate Spending could outstrip income in 2005, which hasn't happened since the Depression Has the FED Already Overshot? Mish What drives the greenback? NBF PDF Inflation and the US economy — what’s the problem? Brookesnews For too many investors, the long run is defined by months, not years PPG U.S. investors held stocks for an average of eight years in 1960, three years in 1980, and 11 months in 2000. Dollar May Fall; Snow Expects Some Diversification of Reserves BL $ May Gain Gold and platinum scale new heights Reuters Funds driving $200bn gold bull Mining MX Gold May Set 25-Year High as Investors Seek Haven, Survey Says B Getting in on gold with less risk CBSM Madagascar gold rush attracts foreign interest Reuters Record run ahead for oil, gold Australian Oil Rises in Tokyo on Concern Over Iran Dispute, Nigeria Supply BL Iran issues stark warning on oil price Guardian Copper Futures Rise to Record in Shanghai as Cable Demand Climbs BL Sugar May Rise to 24-Year High on Ethanol Demand, Smaller Crops BL Asia-Pacific Market Outlook 2006 Dow Jones PDF Japan's Producer Prices Rise at Fastest in 16 Years on Oil, Commodities BL Asian Stocks Fall, Led by Sony, on U.S. Dollar; Samsung Electronics Gains BL China's forex reserves hit US$818.9b Xinhua FDI Tops US$60b The commodities boom and China: the missing ingredient Brookesnews Left a bit ... right a bit ... Independent (King) The mysteries of inflation targeting and Bob Monkhouse's 'Golden Shot' Britain's Fiscal Rule Is More Leaden Than Golden BL Profit warnings rise as consumers take fright Guardian Property funds in Germany 'were mis-sold' FT Durex Offers Japan a Population Wake-Up Call Pesek "Easy money" to roll on in 2006? AFP Q&A: ElBaradei on Tehran's Nukes Newsweek US, EU seek support to censure Iran AAP Iran crisis is likely to explode Gulf News Iran nuclear bid 'fault of West' BBC Weekend Edition (Jan 14-15) Is Bernanke ready? Shiller Retiring with Bernanke -- Are You Prepared? Merk Clintons' book agent looks to sign deal with Fed Chairman Times Online Greenspan set to earn six figures for giving speeches FT The Sacrifice Ratio Mauldin The Illusion of a Rising Dow Schiff On Wall Street: Dow 11,000? Seen it all before FT Real Gold Highs? Zeal Anecdotes of Excess Begetting Excess Noland Investment Themes for 2006 Faber PDF Tech world braces for options impact CBSM Requirement to book expenses means big earnings hit Fat cats getting fatter at firms going bust IHT (NYT) Some Mutual Funds Are Joining the Activist Bandwagon NYT Japan's new cars may hurt the Big 3 Detroit News Wal-Mart Says January Same-Store Sales Are Rising Within Its Forecast BL Trader on Lam NYP Saudi king opens up $1 trillion of business to the West Times Online Japan to Study Importing Oil Sands From Canada Bloomberg Iran Sanctions Could Mean $100 Barrel Of Oil Evening Standard Friday January 13 Iran threatens to block inspections CNN US's Snow-some shift out of dollar reserves normal Reuters Gold marks another quarter-century high CBSM America's pension time bomb Fortune Bondholders warned G&M Is Google headed for $2000? Or $100? Fortune U.S. Producer Prices Climb 0.9%; Core Prices Increase 0.1% BL BLS Retail Sales in U.S. Rise 0.7%; Excluding Autos Gain 0.2% BL Census Monetary myopia Economist The accolades bestowed upon Greenspan ahead of his retirement on January 31st have a strong whiff of irrational exuberance Danger time for America Economist The economy that Alan Greenspan is about to hand over is in a much less healthy state than is popularly assumed Economic Expansion Far Weaker Than Average Comstock Warning - Bumpy road for stocks IHT (BL) Snow moves to rebut Soros warning of recession in US Scotsman The Post-Bubble Bearish Case For 2006 Forbes Deficit Could Top $400 Billion WP China's Conundrum Tops Greenspan's Riddle Pesek Credit derivatives dealers boost IT spending to cut backlogs Finextra The absolute number of backlogs continued to rise... Asia's central banks hold key to U.S. homes market Norris The latest figures show net mortgage issuance running at 7.9 percent of gross domestic product, a record. The share of the economy devoted to residential construction spending was 5.1 percent, also a record. If Speculators Get Itchy, Residential Market Could Fall Real Estate Journal Speculators' inventory has economists worried Union Tribune Adjustable-rate loans come home to roost Boston Globe Some squeezed as interest rises, home values sag Housing market cools down a degree Â Santa Cruz Sentinel An Ameriquest Settlement: Storm Clouds on the Horizon Realty Times Gold-dollar inverse correlation starts to reappear Reuters Tanaka Kikinzoku Forecasts Gold Demand Gain in Japan BL Will gold average $618 in 2006? BD $620 in â€˜06 ~ Casey Copper Rises in Shanghai as Cable, Wire Makers Buy Before New Year BL Plat reaches near 26-yr high Fin24 Shell's Nigeria output cut by 20% BBC Tyco Cuts Profit Forecast, to Spin Off Electronics and Health-Care Units BL IBM Gets Formal SEC Probe Notice TheStreet SEC Eyes Home Depot Vendor Charges CFO Lucent lowers FY06 revenue view; shares down 6.6% CBSM Banks Object to Plan for Fannie Mae Home Loans WP The Rising Tide of Google WSJ Hedge funds helped make Google and gold two of the hottest investments in 2005. On the flip side, when things go wrong, hedge funds can contribute to sudden and sharp losses in inflated investments. Bankruptcies to weigh on Wells Fargo CBSM AIG to pay over $1 bln to settle probe: report Reuters GMAC to take $450 million goodwill charge Reuters UBS fined $49.5 million for market-timing for hedge fund clients AP SEC may sue hedge fund that backed Mylan deal PPG Greet analystsâ€™ stock picks with skepticism Dorfman Caldwell CEO blasted - 1Q06 Results ~Â High Liner sued - Jan 10 Â Wish List Mortgage fraud is sweeping across Canada Macleans The criminals are sophisticated, and often victims don't know they've been scammed until it's too late U.S. GAAP Won't Fly North of the Border CFO China Bank Regulator Warns of Bad Property Loan Risks BL Japan's good buys Asia Times A total of 68 firms were found to have more cash than the amount needed to buy half of their outstanding shares China warned by EU over dumping of leather goods AP Interest on corporate loans went up to 6-8 per cent last year Khaleej Times Alberta petroleum rights hit record pace G&M Europe to tackle Brown over handling of Equitable Times Online Lingbao Gold's Shares Surge on Market Debut Reuters Japan bank wrongly sent out account numbers AP France launches probe into Euronext FT BA calls bankruptcy suggestion 'ludicrous' Reuters Oil Gains on Concern Iran's Output May Be Cut BL Iran threatens to end UN checks BBC Avoiding critical mass with Iran CS Monitor Tehran's defiance sparks fears of a regional showdown Inde Thursday January 12 Stocks in U.S. Retreat From Four-Year Highs; Shares of General Motors Fall BL Corporate Taxes, Gov't Spending Hit Records AP PDF File Iran's nuclear intentions spark safe-haven interest CBSM Trichet Sees Risks to Growth, Avoids Giving Signal on Rates BL Euro Down Nov. Trade Gap Narrows to $64.2 Bln as Aircraft Sales Rise BL Census Import Prices Unexpectedly Drop BL US. jobless claims rise 17,000 Don't Sweat the Inverted Yield Curve: No One Knows What It Means Wharton Too much, too fast for the stock market? CNN As Bernanke era begins, former Fed governors expect change Knight Ridder Housing Sector News Remains Bearish Northern Trust PDF Homebuilders Buried in Land TheStreet Previously Foreclosed Homes Flood The Real Estate Market AHN Stealth No More Bugos How About Getting Politicians Out of Politics? Baum Crazy or Brave? Skeptic Remek Says Sell Google Gilbert Hurricane troubles persist for hard-hit companies IHT (NYT) Auto Industry Consolidation: Is There a New Model on the Horizon? Wharton Kerkorian Poses Unlikely Answer to GM's Prayers BL RadioShack Confirms 2005 Profit Shortfall AP Williams-Sonoma to Shut Hold Everything AP Analyst V. Scribe Finger-Pointing Gets Heated Crudele SEC. Plans to Accuse Hedge Fund of Violations NYT Perry gets SEC notice The Hedge Fund Report: Home Cooking at ForstmannLeff TheStreet Boston Scientific May Raise Guidant Bid After J&J Adds Cash BL Wall Street bonuses hit $21.5 billion AP Howard Stern mulls a Sirius sale CNN Head of SEC Finance Division Resigns AP Grassley Says Senate Committee Interviewed Two Former SFBC Officials BL ECB's Trichet Says Europe Economic Prospects Improving, Inflation a Threat BL European Currency Plays As The Dollar Weakens BCA Research Deficits on fuel help drive trade gap to £6bn Times Online Markets oblivious to the grim implications of Britain's widening trade deficit Ind China 2006 real estate sales growth to slow to 20 pct - NDRC AFX Missed India's Software Boom? Try Real Estate BL In India, it's IKEA without the assembly CS Monitor Members of U.S. lumber lobby exposed Globe & Mail Buyback 'scare tactics' denied by regulator Times Online Actuary advises BA to go bankrupt Times Online France Telecom expects tough year, cuts 2005, 2006 sales targets AFP Italian minister accused AP Wednesday January 11 Oil hits three-month high on Iran concerns Reuters Gold holds above $550; sentiment upbeat CBSM Geithner Says Asset Prices to Have `More Important' Role in Policy BL Speech Treasuries Fall After $13 Billion Auction Meets Lowest Demand Since April BL Moody's Lowers Ford, Ford Credit Ratings AP Bankruptcy Filings Hit Record 2M in 2005 AP U.S. Payroll Growth Has Peaked BCA Research U.S. Stock Price Swings to Rise From 12-Year Low: Taking Stock BL Of debt, deflation and rotten apples Asia Times 2006 - The Year Americans Will Begin To Pay the Piper Grandich Faber Bets on Asian Property After Calling Gold, Oil in 2001 BL Late credit card payments stay near high AP ABA Even with the slight decline, consumer card delinquencies were at the third-highest level on record, prompting concerns about more problems to come. E-Economic Newsletter Mogambo Meltdown in 2006? Cast your vote! Farrell High-Stakes Showdown Boom/Bust PDF Prosperity in George Bush's Economy Alertnet Real Estate Burst, Upcoming Recession, and Soaring Commodity Prices 321 Currency players keep wary eye on housing Reuters Real estate overvalued LA Daily Construction expert: Home building to slow Arizona Republic Mortgage Applications Rise for First Week in Five as MBA Index Increases BL DuPont Profit Slides, Missing Forecast, on Hurricanes, Disappointing Sales BL OfficeMax restructuring shuts 110 stores AP GM's big gamble DetNews GM Needs To Get Scared Forbes Automaker cuts $1,300 on average on 57 models Chrysler Ex-CFO Calls for GM Cuts CFO Airlines Brace for Dog Fight TheStreet Asset-backed issuance set to decline FT Uptick in Bond Issuance Seen for 2006 CFO Executive perks to be revealed in US rules Times Online A Refco Creditor Stormed Offices To Get Money Back NY Sun (R) Enron Audiotape Prompts Second Thoughts CFO Analysts see gold as high as $600 an ounce in 2006 Reuters Gold seen consolidating before spiking again Reuters Gold's lure provides the inspiration for platinum FT With Gold Over $500 North Copper in Shanghai Rises to a Record on Processor Buying, Strike in Chile BL Natural gas futures topple from high USAT China imports 130 mln tons crude oil in 2005 Xinhua Oil Prices Slip Ahead of Inventory Report AP China Trade Surplus Triples to $102 Billion, Increasing Currency Pressure BL China sees 2006 GDP growth slowing Reuters China backs down on antidumping order against US FT Apartment dwellers reach for sky in Japan IHT Japan Money Supply Unlikely Grow Fast Near Term-BOJ Paper Dow Jones Consumers suffer New Year gloom ThisisMoney India's New Faces of Outsourcing WP Foreign Buyers Snap Up Gazprom Moscow Times Canadian accounting rules to be replaced Globe & Mail OSC probes trading spike in EMS shares G&M Tuesday January 10 GM CFO: "I am in crisis mode" Reuters Iran Earns Scorn of West by Removing Seals AP GM Plans to Lower Prices on Most Vehicles AP Toyota Chairman: U.S. Gov't May Help GM AP Phelps Dodge Profit Plunges on Output Shortfall, Hedging Losses BL The Housing Bubble Will Probably Burst Shilling 2006 Assessment Swenlin Federal Reserve Needs English Elocution Lessons Gilbert How a Fed halt could hurt you Jubak Smart money is on the dollar's decline Times Online The Preverse Logic That Pushed Dow Over 11,000 Crudele What took the Dow so long? Hulbert Ready For A Surprise Move? Cross Currents Heavy Treasury supply poses challenge FT Wealth isn't all it looks like today DiMartino Fed's Hoenig says U.S. fiscal gap not sustainable Reuters PDF File Why budget fixes can't wait CS Monitor Rising longevity, healthcare costs, and federal obligations will force a reckoning in the US, experts say The Middle Class on the Precipice Harvard Magazine The It-Sucks-To-Be-Me Generation Slate Scandals are a Symptom, Not a Cause Paul Is This Rally for Real? And Other Thoughts BnotB Gold falls from 25-year high as investors cash in Gold Mkt Too Small For Chinese Diversification DJones A Fool's Gold Fool Platinum surges to 26-year peak in Europe Reuters S&P Cites Rise in Credit Downgrades CFO Last year, ''fallen angels'' outnumbered ''rising stars'' by the highest margin since 1997. Boom in Corporate Debt Issuance CFO Investor 'to call for cut' in GM's dividend FT Carmakers see more headaches in commodity prices Reuters Toys R Us to close 87 locations AP Judge declines to dismiss Enron charges AP Sovereign Bancorp eyes SEC probe of top investor Reuters Bird Flu Stocks, Anyone? New Scams for New Year BL China 'Unlikely to Sell Dollars' Reuters China cautioned over trade gap Reuters Australian trade deficit balloons AFP Dutch pension fund sues Shell over reserves scandal Times Online United Microelectronics Shares Decline After Former Chairman Indicted BL The Kremlin and the world energy war Asia Times The Time of [oil] Sands CIBC PDF The race of financial hubs: Dubai set to claim crown Khaleej Time China car sales up sharply in 2005 but profits down AFP China's Chery cars to make US debut in 2007 China Daily Pension fund deficits keep rising - are they as dangerous as they seem? Ind German Investment Bank Sued AP Financial sanctions on North Korea based on solid evidence: US AFP N. Korean Leader Visiting China AP Bremer claims he was used as Iraq 'fall guy' FT Monday January 9 Soros Sees Chance of Recession in 2007 Reuters Alcoa's Earnings Slide 16 Percent as Costs Erode Benefit of Metals Prices BL COMEX gold rises above $550/oz to 25-year peak Reuters Dow Jones Industrials Close Above 11,000 AP The End of Labor Roach A Perfect Soft Landing? Berner Stocks eclipse hedge fund returns in 2005 -Edhec Reuters GM rallies on Goldman Sachs upgrade CBSM China oil firm buys into Nigeria BBC Do P/E Ratios Expand Once the Fed is Done? Hussman Worried about the market? Be ready to act fast Fleck Does The Yield Curve Matter? Business Week Watch for Potholes As Earnings Roll In WSJ I'll take Santa's gifts, but not his Wall Street rally Det News Soros sees chance of recession in 2007 Reuters US economy, productivity and the Bush boom Brookesnews Americans saving less than nothing SF Gate Over-valued Real Estate Blog Gold nears 24-year high TheAge Highest since March 1981 Reuters 2006 Looking Precious And Buoyant AIR Gold’s glitter to last a few more years TheStar Gold to sustain bull run in 2006, says Ncdex Business Standard Chinese Reserve Diversification Could Spell Doom for Dollar Resource Investor Oil Prices Climb, Natural Gas Futures Dip AP Gas prices pop up CNN Accounting problems are still common AZ Central (NYT) In the past year, a record number of companies have been forced to correct erroneous earnings statements... Pension crisis could hit balance sheets AP Pensions take biggest hit The Rush to Shut Down Pensions Business Week Banks may post lackluster 4th-quarter results Reuters Equity Trading, Wall Street's Hottest Money Maker, May Climb 15 Percent BL It’s Deja ‘GOO’ Byron Boston Scientific, Outbidding J&J, Offers $25 Billion to Acquire Guidant BL Paramount may sell DreamWorks library to Soros: WSJ Reuters US auto giants open year with headaches Reuters Ford chief warns 'change or die' FT Exodus from Michigan continues Det News It's a good time to be overseas CSM Interest grows in overseas equities FT The rest of the world did better for US investors last year than the US did. China Says Economy Grew 9.8 Percent in '05 AP German Exports Unexpectedly Declined in November BL Yen Advances to 3-Month High; Tanigaki Suggests Unconcerned About Gain BL South Korean Won Soars to 8-Year High Following Yen's Gains Last Week BL EU to give Brown 15 months to sort out Britain's budget deficit Guardian Tories to investigate 'bizarre' decision on rail group Times Online Britain could become the Huddersfield Town to China's Chelsea King In Depth - pensions crisis BBC Shanghai now the world's largest cargo port China Daily Bank of China plans $4 billion listing CBSM Dollar Bears Increase on Speculation Rising Rate Cycle Ending BL Treasury YieldCurve to Steepen as Fed Nears End of Rate Boosts BL U.S. Stock Rally May Fizzle as Profit Growth Trails Estimates BL Weekend Edition (Jan 7-8) Forecast 2006: On the Gripping Hand Mauldin Are Housing Prices, Household Debt, and Growth Sustainable? Levy Housing bubble trouble Krugman Risky home loan standards tightening CNN The World Isn't Flat, but Its Yield Curve May Be NYT (Gross) Forecast 2006 Chapman Issues 2006 Noland Tactical Silver Trends 4 Zeal Funds will add to gold rush Gulf Daily Some Pitfalls To Watch For in 2006, Mr. Snow NYP Google opens online video store BBC Google 2K? TheStreet In Detroit, risk and high expectations face automakers CBSM U.S. Postage Rates to Increase on Sunday AP A Home Boom Busts LA Times Shanghai's hot housing market has fizzled after a run-up fed by speculators, threatening a significant part of China's economy. Yuan unlikely to gain much in 2006: Expert Reuters Renminbi Controversies IIE PDF The Week Ahead: Where to Hitch Your Wagon CIBC PDF The debt overhang is a real problem for the British economy Independent Is there any way out? Living long - but not prospering Observer Focus: Crisis in the pipeline Times Online Bulgaria in Russia gas supply row BBC Deutsche suspends trader over £30m discrepancy FT Chad urges World Bank to reverse loan suspension Reuters Iraq war could cost US over $2T, says Nobel prize-winning economist Guardian Friday January 6 Gold ends atop $541, up over 4% on week CBSM Oil ends at 3-month high; natural gas drops 14% on week CBSM Oil Closes Above $64 for First Time in Almost Three Months on Fuel Demand BL General Motors to Reduce Prices on 90 Percent of U.S. Models, Person Says BL U.S. Economy Adds 108K Jobs; Unemployment Rate Declines to 4.9 Percent BL Dollar Declines Against Yen, Euro After U.S. Adds Fewer Jobs Than Forecast BL Upswings and downfalls Asia Times If history repeats itself, is it time to panic? Norris Debt-laden consumers present problems for economy WSJ There is Little Value in Broker Economics Smither Nervous energy Economist Consumers are highly vulnerable to a sudden break in energy supplies. But so are producers Outlook 2006: More Upside In Equity Prices BCA Research US denies being in China's economic grip AFP One On One With U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow NBR Freddie Mac sees home sales down 6% to 8% in 2006 AFX O'ahu's Home prices slipping Honolulu Adviser The Google Bubble Corante IBM to Cut Pension Benefits to Save as Much as $3 Billion Over Four Years BL Could Wal-Mart solve America's health-care crisis? Slate MCI restates for three 2005 quarters CBSM GM exec said to regret employee discount CNN Schwarzenegger Unveils `Unprecedented' $200 Bln Plan BL Howard Stern to Get $220M in Sirius Stock AP As bank jobs go abroad, are records at risk? CA Monitor Forensic accountants book governance gains CBSM Hollinger challenges U.S. demand Globe & Mail Insider Case: $2.8 Million NYP Nikkei reverses course to hit five-year highs Reuters China signals switch in reserves away from dollar FT China's move to switch reserves could raise pressure on dollar Times Online China Regulator Names 13 Bks To Act As Yuan Market Makers Dow Jones SKorean Won Declines as Government Plans to Probe Speculative Trading BL `Geisha' Offers Asian Business Lessons Pesek Firms lose battle to prop up pensions Guardian Gloomy new year for companies Thisismoney The equity release nightmare Thisismoney Brown faces EU censure over deficit FT Second 'fat finger' error lands bank with $10m problem Times Online Iran's abrupt no-show stuns atomic negotiators IHT (NYT) Thursday January 5 Gold falls for first time in 9 sessions CBSM Services Expanded at Faster Pace BL ISM S&P Lowers Ratings for Ford, Ford Credit AP Holiday sales results could spell trouble for retailers in 2006 CBSM Retailers Look to Face an Uncertain 2006 AP U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fall to Lowest Since 2000 BL A Gift That Should Keep on Giving PIMCO (Gross) The Yield Curve Inversion â€“ Itâ€™s Different This Time? KasrielÂ PDF The comptroller: Washington's prophet of fiscal doom CS Monitor "We face something that is unprecedented in the history of this country. It is called a demographic tidal wave." How U.S. debt threatens the economy MSN Millions Brace for Higher Credit Card Payments ABC This trend's no friend Globe & Mail â€œIf everyone is sitting on the same fence, it is going to breakâ€ Resolving to avoid investing pitfalls DiMartino With Rosy Predictions, Pundits Missing 2006's Warning Signs Washington P Interest Rates Crudele How high will rates go? That's the real conundrum. Could the Fed Take a Pass at Jan. 31 Meeting? Baum The end of rate hikes isn't necessarily bullish CBSM Real estate market is like a 'balloon,' says economist Inman The Facts, the Future, & "Unpleasant" Scenarios EW Clock is running down on 'cheap' mortgages Herald Tribune "Consumers have become so accustomed to very liquid mortgage markets, where credit is available for almost any circumstance, that they are not aware this is unusual in the marketâ€ 50-year real estate loans a possibility Inman Housing prices look like tech stocks at the height of the dot-com boom BW Real estate like porn for actress USAT Housing markets, oil, China and the business cycle OECD PDF Wal-Mart to Miss Number Â TheStreet American Automakers May Be In For A Rough Ride This Year NBR The Hedge Fund Report: Fighting for Korea Fund TheStreet Four Years Later, Enron's Shadow Lingers as Change Comes Slowly NYT Lay, Skilling seek new Enron trial venue AP Feds Say Skilling Tried to 'Deceive' SEC CFO Scrushy Ordered to Repay Bonuses CFO U.S. fines Shell, trader for false trades CBSM Gold Smashes Dollar in 2006 Texas Hedge Gold May Rise for Sixth Year as Hedge Funds Diversify BL Gold, stocks to tumble: Wien Globe & Mail Shanghai Copper Reaches Record as Chile Contract Workers Strike BL Clashes mar Chile copper strike BBC Cement prices climb as Mumbaiâ€™s real estate scales new heights EIndia Asian Stocks Rise to Six-Year Highs Bloomberg Fanuc, Japanese Shares Lure Foreign Buyers as Economy Recovers BL Japanese fund managers raise equity weighting to 7-month peak Standard Chill on China: Speculators trim bets on strong yuan IHT (NYT) Consumer appetite for debt wanes BBC The appetite of UK consumers for new debt has fallen to its lowest level for 11 years. Equity release will destroy value, homeowners warned Times Online Deutsche Bank Sets Pace in European Bond Revolt Gilbert Income trusts driving boom in IPOs G&M Japan Post's sales of investment trusts triple in December Kyodo System Glitch Mars Debut of Japan Bank AP Rag trader Austin joins casualty list SMH ABN fined $17 million over loans IHT Oil investor jailed in China Reuters Court Jails Former Milk Firm Chairman Shenzhen Daily He bilked his mom Toronto Sun Wednesday January 4 Dollar Declines After Fed minutes BL Minutes Top forecaster sees U.S. recession BL Consumer spending will fade in 2006 Kellner The Lessons of 2005 Roach Goodbye, Mr. Greenspan Xie Piper raises Google price target to $600 Reuters Yahoo options in demand amid Microsoft speculation Reuters Microsoft scrambles to patch security hole in Windows operating system AFP GM price cuts could spark sales battle China Daily China goes step nearer to freeing the yuan Times Online Lessons of Ferber's Trial Ignored 10 Years Later BL Argentina Pays Off Entire $9.5 Bln Debt to IMF BL Iraq to give $3bn worth of bonds to Saddam-era creditors Times Online World's Biggest Bank Opens in Japan AP Tuesday January 3 U.S. Stocks Start 2006 With the Biggest Rally in Two Months on Fed Minutes BL Gold up for seventh straight day CBSM Crude Jumps Above $63 as Russia-Ukraine Dispute Raises Supply Concerns BL Dollar Drops the Most in Three Months After U.S. Factory Expansion Slows BL ISM factory index down in Dec. CBSM ISM Construction Spending Hits Record in Nov. AP Flat Yields Throw Curve at Mutual Fund Investors Currier Prospects for 2006 Hussman McCulley Q&A Fundamentals Do Not Count Cross Currents Fed May Shed Light on Rate Path With Minutes of Last Meeting Bloomberg Trading the change at the Fed Hulbert The Wisdom of Wall St.? Sometimes It's Wrong Norris Housing slump could stun economy WP Economists see a slumping housing market to be the biggest risk for the economy in 2006 Risks Ahead as Policies (and Money) Tighten in '06 NYT A flat 2005, but a soaring 2006? Brimelow Hybrid Loan Time Bomb Mish Is the Inflation Monster Tamed? Don't Count Deflation Out Yet Nystrom The 2005 Year in Review & 2006 Outlook Mound Peace and Prosperity in 2006? Paul Should The Dow Ditch General Motors? BW Analysts: 2006 Pivotal Year for Airlines AP Wall Street banks pledge to avoid spending excess FT A New Abacus For Pensions Business Week The FASB rules on post-retirement accounting are changing. Benefits could suffer Stock Options: The Backdating Games CFO Bleak prospect for Cisco shareholders FT Enron case big test of the `idiot defense' Chicago Tribune 2005 was the year the hammer fell on crooked corporate executives AP Online payment systems becoming the currency of choice for cybercrooks BW Gold Rises Amid Investor Gain Expectations, Jewelers' Demand BL We have lift off! Schultz Through a Gold Bug's Eyes Business Week Now banks help you invest in gold Rediff Gold dog figures become hit in market China Daily Oil could put corporate America on the skids Australian Russia restores most of natural gas flow IHT (NYT) Moscow has more than the price of gas on its mind FT In Gazprom dispute, a warning to natural gas buyers IHT (NYT) Singapore's Economy Expands at Annual 9.7 Percent Pace in Fourth Quarter BL China and India leaving G7 nations in the slow lane King Time to Revamp India's Ink-Stained Bureaucracy BL Japan Inc wakes up to India’s investment allure Reuters Britons in debt to the tune of £1.13 trillion Independent An insider's dark view of Toyota CS Monitor Starbucks wins China trademark fight AP The murky tale of a failed fund Globe & Mail Is Iran the Cause of That Inverted Yield Curve? BL Dollar May Extend Its Rally This Year After Biggest Annual Gain Since 1997 BL Monday January 2 The Many Faces Of Liquidity Contrary Investor The Yield Curve Has Inverted. So What? WSJ All Eyes on Yield Curve Inverted Yield Curves and Recessions Professor Morici US housing prices likely to decline Goodbye, Holiday Splurges. Hello, Saving WSJ US economy and productivity: some truths and fallacies Jackson Maybe the Stock Pickers Have Gone Fishing Norris 'Blah, blah, blah...' DiMartino Let them eat cake this year Burns Happiness trumps money for retirees Farrel At 150 Edgars Lane, Changing the Idea of Home NY Times Slow year ahead for US IPOs Reuters Tobacco Stocks May Extend 2005 Record on Emerging-Market Growth BL Corning Files New Bankruptcy Plan Aimed at Erasing Asbestos Claims BL Suit Tests SEC Rule on Hedge Funds LA Times Gold is Female Shultz Does gold glitter for all investors? AP Gold rally to continue but bumpy ride ahead Standard Shining ever brighter Business Standard Rubber prices headed north; fragile opening inventory to blame Financial Express Corn, Soybeans May Rise as Dry Weather Threatens Crop Growth BL Big Barrick-Placer hedgebook manageable: analysts Reuters Taiwan's Stocks Decline on Chen's Speech BL Mixed 2006 start in Asia DJ U.S.'s Rival in 2006 Isn't China, But Japan Pesek China's GDP up 9.8% in 2005: says NDRC Xinhua Foreign debt at US$267B New Zealand: Economic trouble is brewing Hawke’s Time to pay the bill Guardian Britain is up to its eyes in debt and 2006 could be the year we all feel the pinch 2006 promises another roller-coaster ride India Times Will the emerging cocktail of ambition, greed and excess in the primary market survive the year? Monopoly ends for Britain's Royal Mail AFP 300 million Chinese drink unsafe water Daily Times Venezuela regains control of 32 privately operated oil fields Xinhua Gas to Keep Flowing After Russia Cuts Off Ukraine BL Natural-Gas Supplies Shrink in Austria, Hungary as Russia Cuts Off Ukraine BL U.S. Has End in Sight on Iraq Rebuilding WP