NYT : ALERT FGC BOLSA - FGC FINANCIAL MARKETS -December 2, 2012-.: A Holiday Shopping Stampede, but Maybe No Economic Jolt

Alert Name: FGC BOLSA- FGC FIN
December 2, 2012 Compiled: 12:33 AM

A Holiday Shopping Stampede, but Maybe No Economic Jolt

By JEFF SOMMER (NYT)

With Black Friday starting on Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday lasting a week, retailers are doing their best to encourage a holiday shopping binge. But the economic effect is unclear.

The Birthrate and America’s Future

By ROSS DOUTHAT (NYT)

America has had a demographic advantage, but that is no longer a sure thing.

Widows Pushed Into Foreclosure by Mortgage Fine Print

By JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG (NYT)

Just as the housing market is recovering, a growing group of homeowners — widows over 50 whose husbands held the mortgage — are losing their homes to foreclosure.

Obama vs. Obama on the Deficit

(NYT)

Readers respond to “Slugging It Out, Inside Obama’s Mind” (Economic View, Nov. 25).

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NYT: ALERT FGC BOLSA - FGC FINANCIAL MARKETS -December 1, 2012-: Consumer Spending Reported Down 0.2% in October

Alert Name: FGC BOLSA- FGC FIN
December 1, 2012 Compiled: 12:27 AM

Consumer Spending Reported Down 0.2% in October

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (NYT)

Consumer spending dropped 0.2 percent in October, the government said, down from an increase of 0.8 percent in September and the weakest showing since May.

A Simpler Tax Code, for Stronger Growth in the Long Run

By ANNIE LOWREY and DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI (NYT)

Economists say the talk in Washington of raising additional tax revenue and cutting spending would most likely depress growth in the short term.

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MarketWatch | Asian Markets at Close Report -November 30, 2012-.: Asia stocks buoyant at month’s end Nikkei, Taiex rise 5.8% in November; Chinese indexes suffer losses

By Sarah Turner and V. Phani Kumar, MarketWatch 

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Most Asian stocks rose Friday as investors took in their stride indications that no major progress had been made to avert the U.S. fiscal cliff, with Chinese shares rebounding from near four-year lows to snap a four-day losing streak.

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average JP:100000018 +0.48% rose 0.5%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 AU:XJO +0.63% added 0.6%, China’s Shanghai Composite CN:000001 +0.85%  advanced 0.9%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index HK:HSI +0.49%  climbed 0.5% and Taiwan’s Taiex XX:Y9999 +1.02%  rallied 1%. 

The performance added to the solid monthly gains for most regional markets: Japanese and Taiwanese stock benchmarks ended November with a 5.8% surge, while the Shanghai and Shenzhen indexes finished November with a loss of 4.3% and 10.9%, respectively. 

South Korea’s Kospi KR:SEU -0.10%  defied the broad regional advance to end 0.1% higher, but finished both the week and the month with a 1.1% gain. 

Regional stocks managed to climb on Friday despite uncertainty over whether U.S. politicians will be able to prevent more than $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts that are set to kick in automatically in January. Read: U.S. stocks extend gains on ‘cliff’ hopes. 

 

Dampening sentiment, Republican U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday morning there has been “no substantive progress” in negotiations on the so-called fiscal cliff, briefly rattling Wall Street. Read: Republicans say no to Obama’s opening ‘cliff’ bid. 

 

IG Index strategist Stan Shamu said the back-and-forth on the fiscal cliff would likely fuel market volatility through the end of December. 

“Many [are] now convinced that negotiations will mirror that of last August’s debt-ceiling disaster and go right down to the wire. As a result, a choppy last month of the year is probably the most likely scenario, disappointing those hoping for a Santa Claus rally,” Shamu said. 

The term “Santa Claus rally” refers to a year-end gain for shares that tends to start in December.

Still, a slew of Japanese data out Friday helped to lift sentiment, with the country’s industrial production unexpectedly rising in October after a sharp decline in the previous month. Read full story on the Japanese economic data. 

 

The Japanese government separately announced its approval for a second stimulus package in a little more than a month, comprising of 880.3 billion yen ($10.7 billion) in spending. Read: Japan government approves stimulus package. 

 

Samsung limits drinking after work Samsung has implemented a strict rule to battle the excessive drinking that's a standard feature of "hoesik" (staff dinners) in South Korea. 

Exporters performed particularly well as the dollar USDJPY +0.69%  rose against the yen to ¥82.65 from ¥82.11 in early action, while the euro EURJPY +0.89%  hit a seven-month high against the yen.

Among currency-sensitive firms, Nikon Corp. JP:7731 +4.48%   NINOF -2.49%  gained 4.5%, and Canon Inc. JP:7751 +1.19% CAJ +1.04%  advanced 1.2%. 

Elsewhere, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. JP:7011 +2.96% MHVYF +0.16%  climbed 3%, and Hitachi Ltd. JP:6501 +4.16% HTHIF +0.33%  advanced 4.2%, after the firms said they will merge their thermal-power businesses and related units in a joint venture by 2014. 

Gains in Hong Kong were led by banks, with heavyweight stock HSBC Holdings PLC HK:5 +1.42%  rising 1.4% and Bank of Communications Co. HK:3328 +1.97% BCMXY +3.57%  climbing 2%.

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. HK:388 -0.80% HKXCY -3.49% fell 0.8% after announcing a plan to raise 7.75 billion Hong Kong dollars ($1 billion) via a private placement to fund its acquisition of the London Metal Exchange. Read: Hong Kong Exchanges taps market to fund LME bid. 

 

In other stock market related news, People’s Insurance Co. Group of China — commonly known as PICC — priced its initial public offering at HK$3.48 (45 U.S. cents), a level near the low end of its indicative price range of HK$3.42–HK$4.03. The firm makes its trading debut on Dec.7, and PICC’s listing is set to become the largest IPO — at a projected $3.1 billion — for a Chinese state-owned company since 2010. 

Over on mainland Chinese bourses, construction-related shares advanced after Vice Premier Li Keqiang reportedly said urbanization remains a main focus area for the leadership in coming years.

Shares of property developer China Vanke Co. CN:200002 +3.90% CVKEY 0.00%  rose 3.8% in Shenzhen, while Anhui Conch Cement Co. HK:914 +3.20% jumped 4.9% and Poly Real Estate Group Co. CN:600048 +3.33% climbed 3.3% in Shanghai. 

In Australia, shares of miners ranked among the gainers after metals prices rose in New York trade on Thursday. Read: Gold futures score first climb in four sessions. 

 

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. AU:FMG +1.30% FSUMF -0.25%  rose 1.3% and Rio Tinto Ltd. AU:RIO +2.75% RIO +4.43%  climbed 2.8% after announcing cost plans on Thursday. 

 

Sarah Turner is MarketWatch's bureau chief in Sydney. Follow her on Twitter @SarahTurnerMKTW. Varahabhotla Phani Kumar is a reporter in MarketWatch's Hong Kong bureau. Follow him on Twitter @MktwKumar.

NYT: ALERT FGC BOLSA - FGC FINANCIAL MARKETS -November 30, 2012-: White House Plan on Fiscal Crisis Draws G.O.P. Ire

Alert Name: FGC BOLSA- FGC FIN
November 30, 2012 Compiled: 12:32 AM

White House Plan on Fiscal Crisis Draws G.O.P. Ire

By JONATHAN WEISMAN (NYT)

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner’s proposal to the House speaker, John A. Boehner, was loaded with Democratic priorities and short on detailed cuts.

Most Americans Face Lower Tax Burden Than in the 80s

By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM and ROBERT GEBELOFF (NYT)

Most Americans in 2010 paid far less in total taxes — federal, state and local — than they would have paid 30 years ago.

Building Homes for Modern Multigenerational Families

By PENELOPE GREEN (NYT)

Multigenerational living, a throwback to the past, is a growing trend in the struggling economy, and major homebuilders are designing flexible layouts.

The No. 10 Dashboard and Cybernetics

By WILL WILES (NYT)

How, with the No. 10 dashboard, David Cameron (and maybe even Barack Obama) could follow in the footsteps of Salvador Allende.

Class Wars of 2012

By PAUL KRUGMAN (NYT)

The same people who bet big on Mitt Romney, and lost, are now trying to win by stealth the ground they failed to gain in the election.

Sales at Nation’s Retailers Fell Short of Expectations in November

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD (NYT)

Major chains including Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s and Target said their sales declined in November, which included the important Black Friday kickoff of the holiday shopping season.

Upward Revision in G.D.P. Hides Weakness in Economy

By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ (NYT)

The Commerce Department increased its estimate of third-quarter economic growth from a 2 percent annual rate, but economists do not see that level continuing.

Economic Reports Help Shares Gain Ground

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (NYT)

The Commerce Department raised its estimate for economic growth, and the Labor Department reported that first-time applications for unemployment benefits fell last week.

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NYT | Global Update -November 29, 2012-: U.N. Will Vote on Status for Palestinians, Defying U.S.

November 29, 2012 Compiled 21:45 GMT Global Update

TOP NEWS U.N. Will Vote on Status for Palestinians, Defying U.S. By ETHAN BRONNER An overwhelming majority of United Nations members were expected to favor recognizing Palestine as a "nonmember observer state" over the objections of the United States and Israel. Live Updates on Twitter Egypt Rushes to Vote on New Constitution By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK Analysts say the document is hastily drafted and ill-defined, but members of the constitutional assembly acted after facing a looming court ruling and an escalating political crisis. Condemning British Press, Report Urges a New Regulator By ALAN COWELL and SARAH LYALL An inquiry triggered by the phone hacking scandal found "significant and reckless disregard for accuracy" by the press and said a regulator should be underpinned by law. Executive Summary | The Full Report (gov.uk) Global Edition Home Page »

Technology Video: 60 Seconds With Pogue: Tablets The personal-tech columnist David Pogue reviews the Kindle PaperWhite, Nook HD and iPad Mini. Opinion Op-Ed Contributor Japan's Nuclear Mistake By FRANK N. VON HIPPEL and MASAFUMI TAKUBO Japan's plutonium recycle program sets a terrible precedent and creates a tempting target for terrorists.

WORLD Hamas Chief Revives Talk of Reuniting With P.L.O. By ANNE BARNARD The move could help heal the political split between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the party that controls the P.L.O. and the West Bank. Israel Seizes 2 Gaza Boats Near New Offshore Limit By FARES AKRAM and JODI RUDOREN Despite an Israeli concession to permit fishing up to six nautical miles from shore, forces detained a Palestinian fisherman as his crew tried to venture farther into the Mediterranean Sea. Bombings in Iraq Kill at Least 48 By DURAID ADNAN Attacks across the country left 32 dead in Hilla and killed 16 more in Karbala, Falluja, Mosul and Baghdad. More World News » BUSINESS U.S. Growth Revised Up, but Year-End Slowdown Is Feared By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ The Commerce Department increased its estimate of third-quarter economic growth from a 2 percent annual rate, but economists do not see that level continuing. Shares Close Up on Hopes for Budget 4:11 PM ET Sales at Nation's Retailers Fall Short By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD Major chains including Macy's, Nordstrom, Kohl's and Target said their sales declined in November, which included the important Black Friday kickoff of the holiday shopping season. Generic Drug Maker Stops Making Cholesterol Pill By KATIE THOMAS Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, the largest producer of the generic version of Lipitor, has halted production of the drug until it can figure out how some pills were contaminated with glass particles. More Business News » TECHNOLOGY Losing in Court, and to Laptop Thieves, in a Battle With NASA Over Private Data By NATASHA SINGER A former astronomer at the Jet Propulsion Lab in California sued NASA, claiming its background checks violated his privacy rights. He lost the case, but his claim now has proved true. ArtsBeat MoMA Adds Video Games to Its Collection By ALLAN KOZINN The Museum of Modern Art has acquired the first 14 titles in a planned collection of about 40 games, including Pac-Man, Tetris and The Sims. Medicare Is Faulted on Shift to Electronic Records By REED ABELSON A sharply critical report says the agency has not put in place safeguards against fraud and abuse in encouraging the switch to electronic medical records. More Technology News » SPORTS Golf Acts To Ban Anchored Putting By KAREN CROUSE Golf's governing bodies on Wednesday proposed a rule that would make it illegal for golfers to anchor the club while making a stroke, beginning in 2016. Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning in Brazil By ROB HUGHES The elders of Brazilian soccer gave no explanation for the most recent firing of the national team coach, and they now seem determined to reach into the past for the next one. Players Still Dropping Gloves, but Picking Their Battles, in Ontario Junior League By JEFF Z. KLEIN A new regulation aimed at limiting fighting in the junior Ontario Hockey League this season seems to be working, but hockey traditionalists offer resistance. More Sports News » U.S. NEWS In Colorado, Seeking the New Normal in Marijuana Use By JACK HEALY In the uncertain weeks following the state's vote to legalize small amounts of marijuana, how authorities handle minor drug cases depends less on the law than on location. Fight Over Ferry Prompts Questions on Definition of Earmarks By JONATHAN WEISMAN Language in a Coast Guard reauthorization bill would protect the S.S. Badger, which operates on Lake Michigan. But does that consideration constitute an earmark? Dartmouth Names Michigan Provost as Its President By TAMAR LEWIN The college's next president, Philip J. Hanlon, a mathematician, is a graduate of Dartmouth. More U.S. News » OPINION Op-Ed Contributor Trying Juveniles By JOHN KAMM China has made significant strides in the handling of juvenile delinquents. Op-Ed Columnist Keeping Egypt's Republic By ROGER COHEN Morsi must correct course. Liberals must seek compromise. Columnist Page Op-Ed Contributor Please Rise for Our Polyglot Anthem By ALEX MARSHALL The final words of the new Iraqi anthem, "Long live Iraq," will be sung in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen and Assyrian. More Opinion »

NYT | Global Update -November 29, 2012-.: U.S. Weighs Bolder Effort to Intervene in Syria's Conflict

November 29, 2012
Compiled 05:25 GMT

Global Update

TOP NEWS U.S. Weighs Bolder Effort to Intervene in Syria's Conflict By DAVID E. SANGER and ERIC SCHMITT The Obama administration, hoping that the war in Syria has reached a turning point, is considering more aggressive action there, including providing arms to some opposition fighters. Panel Drafting Egypt's Constitution Vows Quick Finish By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK If it succeeds in completing a charter by Thursday, Egypt's constitutional assembly could make moot the power struggle between the courts and President Mohamed Morsi. News Analysis Big Issues Are Lost in Focus on Libya Talking Points By SCOTT SHANE The parsing of four sentences, rather than important questions about the Benghazi killings, could decide the fate of a leading candidate for secretary of state, Susan E. Rice. Global Edition Home Page »

Multimedia Lens Blog Hang Up and Shoot By JESSE NEWMAN The birthplace of photography plays host to a Parisian show of mobile phone photographs. Plus les apps changent, plus c'est la même chose? Opinion Opinionator | The Conversation Fiscal Ecstasy By DAVID BROOKS and GAIL COLLINS Brooks and Collins make budget deliberations interesting.

WORLD As Opposition Coalition Meets in Cairo, More Violence Kills Dozens in Syria By CHRISTINE HAUSER and HALA DROUBI As a newly formed opposition coalition started talks on Wednesday, there were reports that insurgents had shot down another government aircraft. Video Feature: Watching Syria's War | Complete Coverage » Benghazi Violence Is Beyond the Control of Even the City's Powerful Militias By KAREEM FAHIM Recent killings, including that of the American ambassador, have brought attention to the lawlessness that has plagued the Libyan city. U.S. and Israel Look to Limit Impact of U.N. Vote on Palestinian Authority By MICHAEL R. GORDON and MARK LANDLER Anticipating approval of the resolution, Western diplomats have pushed for a Palestinian commitment not to seek membership in the International Criminal Court. Israel Plays Down Importance of U.N. Bid by Palestinians More World News » BUSINESS Spanish Banks Agree to Layoffs and Other Cuts to Receive Rescue Funds in Return By RAPHAEL MINDER and JAMES KANTER The payment of 39 billion euros, or $48 billion, approved on Wednesday is conditional on the banks' laying off thousands of employees and closing offices. Lending in Euro Zone Continued to Fall in October 9:13 AM ET Greece Struggles Again to Come Up With Funds 2:13 PM ET News Analysis As the Bailouts Continue in Europe, So Does the Flouting of Rules By LANDON THOMAS Jr. Some say the euro zone's sovereign states will become fiscally responsible only when they truly grasp that Brussels will abide by the founding treaty's prohibition against countries' bailing out one another. Greece Will Borrow to Buy Back Debt By NIKI KITSANTONIS and LIZ ALDERMAN The government said it would have to borrow 10 billion euros to 14 billion euros to pay for a debt buyback that its international creditors have demanded. News Analysis: Deal for Greek Aid Leaves Questions Unanswered More Business News » TECHNOLOGY Losing in Court, and to Laptop Thieves, in a Battle With NASA Over Private Data By NATASHA SINGER A former astronomer at the Jet Propulsion Lab in California sued NASA, claiming its background checks violated his privacy rights. He lost the case, but his claim now has proved true. Google Fires a Rare Public Salvo Over Aggregators By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN Google is fighting a proposal that would force it and other online aggregators to pay German newspaper and magazine publishers to display snippets of news in Web searches. Mediator Joins Contentious Effort to Add a 'Do Not Track' Option to Web Browsing By NATASHA SINGER Peter Swire, a former White House privacy official, will try to bring together two sides of a rancorous battle over how to let consumers control the collection of their online data. More Technology News » SPORTS Canadian University Is on an Expedition By MIKE TIERNEY Simon Fraser, the only Canadian university that belongs to the N.C.A.A., plays Thursday in the semifinals of the Division II men's soccer tournament. Golf Acts To Ban Anchored Putting By KAREN CROUSE Golf's governing bodies on Wednesday proposed a rule that would make it illegal for golfers to anchor the club while making a stroke, beginning in 2016. Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning in Brazil By ROB HUGHES The elders of Brazilian soccer gave no explanation for the most recent firing of the national team coach, and they now seem determined to reach into the past for the next one. More Sports News » U.S. NEWS Rail Plan Stirs Distrust Among Black Angelenos By IAN LOVETT The Leimert Park neighborhood, the heart of black culture in Los Angeles, may be left without a stop on a new rail line.  Slide Show Despite Powerball Odds, a Mad Rush to the Registers By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON Across the country, Americans lined up for a chance to win a $550 million Powerball jackpot, the second-largest lottery jackpot in United States history. Investigators Said to Question How Detainee Died of Overdose By CHARLIE SAVAGE How Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif, a detainee at the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, obtained excess medication remains under investigation, according to officials. More U.S. News » OPINION Op-Ed Contributor Safety First in Mexico By ALAN RIDING The priority for Mexico's incoming president is to reduce drug- related violence. Op-Ed Contributor Time for Impatience in Congo By WILLET WEEKS Something must be done quickly, or a series of brutal and inconclusive battles is likely to ensue. Op-Ed Columnist My Secretary of State By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Here's a case for making Arne Duncan the secretary of state in President Obama's second term. It actually makes sense when you think about it. Columnist Page More Opinion »