Hope you are all having a great Christmas holiday. See you Tuesday for the
quietest week of the year.....

Morning all. Christmas Eve's market reports:

Telegraph
The Independent
This is Money

Friday

Retailers are reporting a last-minute surge in sales today, as an estimated 13 million shoppers are expected to hit the high street to finish their Christmas shopping.
Last-minute shoppers surge on to the high street

Saturday

Yukio Hatoyama, the new Japanese Prime Minister, has stunned a nation already mired in huge public debt by unveiling the countrys biggest ever postwar budget: a 92.3 trillion yen (630 billion) spending spree aimed at saving peoples lives.
Debt-laden Japan shocked by 630bn spree to save lives

In each case, a recession during one's impressionable years had a significant effect on political and economic attitudes. People with such an experience were more committed to redistribution, more inclined to attribute success to luck, and less likely to trust public institutions.
The psychological effects of recession

Sunday

China has almost certainly overtaken Japan to become the world's second-biggest economy after state officials dramatically upgraded their estimates for the country's growth last year.
Chinese economy overtakes Japan

Our global correspondents reveal how the world's financial leaders will dictate the economic agenda next year.
The US, India, China and Russia: economic heavyweights shape up for 2010

A GROUP of leading economists has attacked the government for its irresponsible failure to set out even the rudiments of a convincing plan to reduce Britains 178 billion budget deficit and warns of alarming complacency in the face of the countrys fiscal challenges.
Pounding for Gordon Brown over UK debt crisis

RETAILERS are expected to reveal they enjoyed an unexpected Christmas bonanza when they deliver trading statements over the next few weeks. Analysts and industry sources say some quoted retailers are expected to say trading was 15% better than last year, a boom that should drive shares in the sector higher.
Retailers revel in unexpected Christmas spree

Thousands of bargain hunters descended on high streets and shopping centres around the country yesterday for what were thought to be the biggest Boxing Day sales ever.
Shoppers ignore recession as Boxing Day sales skyrocket

Households must brace themselves for a painful period of stagflation-lite in the opening months of 2010 as the VAT cut comes to an end and squeezes incomes across the country, experts have warned.
VAT rise will mean months of stagflation

Shami Ahmed, the founder of Joe Bloggs and fashion tycoon whose baggy jeans became the uniform of Madchester's rave scene, has been forced into personal bankruptcy by spread betting firms chasing him for millions of pounds owed in gambling debts.
King of Madchester clothing is bankrupt

Monday

Economists have warned that the pound is on the brink of sinking below parity with the euro due to the Governments unconvincing plans to tackle Britains 178 billion budget deficit.
Pound may fall below parity with euro, economists warn

Experts are warning that the Christmas cheer for retailers may be short-lived. Despite strong festive trading, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said that companies "overwhelmingly believe 2010 will continue to be tough".
Retailers face bleak 2010 warns BRC

The traditional post-Christmas sales rush brought Britons to the high streets in their millions, with the number of Boxing Day shoppers up by nearly a fifth on last year and people queueing from 4am. The surge has brought relief to retailers after disappointing pre-Christmas figures.
Retailers buoyed by record numbers of Boxing Day shoppers

Rising unemployment, strained household incomes and a fragile economic backdrop are likely to push house prices lower in the coming year, according to the property research group Hometrack's latest housing market outlook.
House prices predicted to fall in 2010

Tuesday

London stockmarkets look set to resume their rally when they open up after the Christmas break tomorrow morning, with many market experts predicting the FTSE 100 could rise to 6,000 in the coming year.
Buoyant London stockmarkets expected to shrug off economic fears

The price of oil inched closer to its highest level in more than a month as traders bet that figures to be released this week would show demand was rising in the US.
Further oil price rises predicted on US demand

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

KOSPI	SENSEX
VIX	GOLD	NYMEX CRUDE

Good morning traders!

In the US lst night, the Dow added 27 points at 10,547, the Nasdaq gained 5 points
at 2,291 and the S&P500 was up 1 point at 1,128.

In Asia today, the Nikkei was up 5.61 points at 10,639.84, while the Hang Seng
ended the morning down 12.99 points at 21,467.23.

Crude oil traded at $78.50 a barrel on Nymex.

Happy Tuesday!

G.

End-of-day Market Overview