NYSE Euronext has bought a 5 per cent stake in India's largest commodities exchange, expanding its presence in the fast-growing economy.

Dollar - How Low Will The Fed Go?

Nevertheless, the yen may have an opportunity to gain this week, as risk aversion trends remain the primary driver of the low-yielding currency. As a result, traders should keep an eye on global stock markets, as a plummet in equities could push USDJPY back down towards 109.00. – TB Can Cable Hold Above Critical Support at 2.02? Last week we questioned whether the Bank of England would opt to cut rates in December, and indeed, they did. The BOE cut rates by 25bp to 5.50 percent for the first time in more than two years, in line with what futures markets were pricing in but against consensus estimates of economists polled by Bloomberg News. In the bank's policy statement, the MPC noted that signs had emerged that growth has started to slow, and that downside risks were mounting as "conditions in financial markets have deteriorated and a tightening in the supply of credit to household and businesses is in train." Meanwhile, the BOE judged that inflation would hold above target in the short-term, but that a slowing of demand growth would pull inflation "back to target in the medium term." The minutes of this meeting will be published on December 19, but with Cable bouncing from critical support at 2.02 following the decision, the markets have judged the BOE's statement as somewhat neutral as the MPC is not likely to continue easing monetary policy in January given inflation risks.

minazione e resistenza irakena

We can transform a necessity into virtue. We can pursue new and improved ways to produce, consume and discard. We can promote environmentally friendly industries that spur development and job creation even as they reduce emissions. We can usher in a new era of global partnership, one that helps lift all boats on the rising tide of climate-friendly development." UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon.

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Cotton plantings could be lowest since 1983

The National Cotton Council may project that U.S. farmers will plant the fewest acres with the fiber since 1983, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

"I expect farmers have been making decisions to reduce cotton acreage as we go along week by week," said Carl Anderson, professor emeritus at the agriculture department of Texas A&M University in College Station.

Movers: MBIA, Ambac, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Yahoo, Baker Hughes

Bond insurers MBIA (MBI) and Ambac Financial (ABK) fall sharply following statements from CNBC reporters that ratings downgrades may come today. Separately, S&P reiterates sell.

Cost of corn pinches plants

High corn prices have created a cash-flow problem for a South Dakota ethanol plant.

Poet Biorefining in Chancellor has borrowed $6.3 million from its partner, Poet, in response to an increase in the price of corn futures that shows little sign of abating.

On Jan. 14, the Chancellor ethanol company and Poet agreed to a short-term loan to be repaid Feb. 13, including interest at an annual rate of 9.25 percent. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the money was needed to cover margin calls triggered by a price increase in the corn futures market at the Chicago Board of Trade.

"We did not have the necessary funds from operations to cover the margin calls," General Manager Rick Serie wrote in the filing.

The plant, which produced about 51 million gallons of ethanol last year, was securing grain with plans to distill 100 million gallons this year.

Keeping the wage monster at bay presages interest rate pain

Wage inflation, the monster lurking beneath the bed of every central banker, is creeping higher.

If you hold the figures at arm's length and squint you can convince yourself the trend is actually flat.

But it isn't.

The 1.1 per cent seasonally adjusted rise in the bellwether measure, the index of total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses, was little different from the previous four quarterly moves of either 1.0 or 1.1per cent.

Even so, annual growth of 4.3 per cent was still the highest for the series, which started in 1997.

There is no clear trend for employees in the public sector, where annual growth of 4.2 per cent was near the previous five years' average of 4.3 per cent.

But the trend in the private sector, where the forces of supply and demand pack more punch, is clearly upward.

JAMIE SAMUELSEN'S BLOG: The Lions shouldn't be interested in Al Wilson

Im not all that interested in a player that missed an entire season with a neck injury. Its not that Wilson cant come back. Maybe he can. Maybe he can be one hundred percent by training camp. But where the Lions are now, Im not willing to take the chance.

Doesnt it seem like its always a bunch of question marks? Why cant we ever get an exclamation point? A dominant pass-rusher or a stud offensive lineman. Instead its always a guy coming off injury or a guy playing out of position or a guy who has always been a back-up finally getting his starting shot in Detroit.

How many absolute known commodities are there on this team right now? Five or six? And maybe thats being generous. Why then would you want to spend money on another unknown commodity just to add to the mix? The Lions will have to take some chances to get this thing headed in the right direction, but this isnt one of them.

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Angelo, Gordon Advisors LLC is an SEC-registered investment advisor that offers absolute-return-oriented investment partnerships for equities, municipal bonds and hedge funds. It is part of Angelo, Gordon & Co LP, an alternative investment firm founded in 1988 that manages $10 billion in assets.

Prior to Angelo, Gordon Advisors, Wasso-Jonikas most recently served more than five years as a Managing Director and Head of Alternative Investments for all private clients at Morgan Stanley. From 1993 to 1999, she was President and Chief Operating Officer of Graystone Partners, a consulting firm specializing in alternative investments she co-founded and that was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 1999. She also worked at both Bessemer Trust and the Northern Trust, covering some of their largest private clients and family offices throughout the US and abroad.