Business

• U.K., EU Reach an Agreement on Brexit Divorce Terms (WSJ)
• What's in the Brexit divorce deal? (Reuters)
• China exports growth hits 8-month high, imports defy pollution curbs (Reuters)
• The Bitcoin Whales: 1,000 People Who Own 40 Percent of the Market (BBG)
• Senator’s Shaky Obamacare Deal Poses Tax Challenge (BBG)
• Oil edges up on Chinese demand, but weekly losses loom (Reuters)
• Stunning Bitcoin Swings Promise Stop-and-Start Futures Sessions (BBG)
• JPMorgan's Dimon taking customer pricing hints from Amazon (Reuters)

As we jokingly mocked the sterling-trading algos yesterday ahead of today's "big" Phase 1 Brexit announcement, the market had gotten too far ahead of itself in its exuberance that today's announcement was the final Brexit catalyst, when in reality it only sets the stage for the far more complex, trade-focused Phase II. As a result, and as we expected, GBP/USD had dropped 0.2% following a "sell the news" reversal which sent cable to multi-month highs. It then dropped even more, sliding 0.4% to 1.3420 after EU officials said it's not realistic to expect a trade deal with the U.K.

Authored by Dmitri Speck via Acting-Man.com,

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Every year a certain stock market phenomenon is said to recur, anticipated with excitement by investors: the Santa Claus rally. It is held that stock prices typically rise quite frequently and particularly strongly just before the turn of the year.

Unbeknown to many, Santa Claus paid a high price for enriching investors [PT]

Finally, An Honest Inflation Index – Guess What It Shows

Posted with permission and written by John Rubino, Dollar Collapse 

Central bankers keep lamenting the fact that record low interest rates and record high currency creation haven’t generated enough inflation (because remember, for these guys inflation is a good thing rather than a dangerous disease).

With unemployment in the US purportedly reaching its lowest level in 17 years (that is, according to the Department of Labor's flawed household survey) employees who once would've been too fearful to leave their jobs are now actively looking for opportunities. With that in mind, many have probably wondered what's the best company to work for where they live?

Well, HowMuch.com gathered data compiled by Forbes into an infographic to try and map out the best and largest employers in every country.