Good morning traders!

In the US last night, the Dow lost 105 points at 15,739, the Nasdaq fell 6 points to
3,998 and the S&P500 dropped 6 points to 1,776.

In Asia today, the Nikkei was recently up 153 points at 15,494 and the Hang Seng
ahead 21 points at 23,239.

WTI crude oil traded at $97.50 a barrel and Brent crude at $108.67.

Gold settled at $1,226 an ounce.

Happy Friday!

G.

Bloomberg Top Headlines

Marketwatch

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South China Morning Post

China Daily

Moscow Times





FTSE / DOW

Two-year budget deal sails through U.S. House vote

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers took a step away from the confrontational politics and brinkmanship that has roiled the economy in recent years, as the House on Thursday passed a budget bill designed to avoid a government shutdown next month and relax spending limits in the next two years.

The bill passed with a wide bipartisan margin, on a vote of 332-94. Voting for the measure were 169 Republicans and 163 Democrats, while 62 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted against.

Approval of the bill, which is expected to pass the Senate next week, clears the way for a less-glamorous stage of budgeting as lawmakers set out to make line-by-line spending decisions before current funding runs out Jan. 15.

Dollar scales 5-yr peak against yen as markets brace for Fed meeting

(Reuters) - The U.S. dollar clambered to a 5-year peak against the yen in Asia on Friday, after upbeat U.S. retail sales data stoked expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve could start scaling back its massive bond buying stimulus as early as next week.

The Fed will hold its last policy meeting of 2013 on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with traders bracing for what could be a close call on the tapering decision. Data released on Thursday showed U.S. retail sales rose solidly in November and the past month was revised higher.

Morning all.

Midday Market Overview

USD PPI m/m -0.1% 0.0% -0.2%

Re - Brokers. In hindsight GF I am guilty as you say of using them if I'm trading a stock, but they rarely get it right. If you stay in a trade long enough then perhaps they will. But then a stopped clock is right at least twice a day. Last example for instance is ADN if you go back through the posts you were apopletic when (can't be arsed to check which broker) downgraded them. Sure enough they went down, then soared back up again, didn't see the upgrade. All I'm saying is I don't rely on them. Cheers.

Oops above should be on TCG thread, just woken up on nights, sorry.

End-of-day Market Ovedrview

Have a great weekend all!

G.