Business

If it wasn't for America's war machine, the economy would be deep in recession. Defense spending (aircraft and parts) soared 148% in the last 3 months - biggest such rise since 2007 managing to squeeze Durable Goods Orders overall to unchanged in Nov (vs -0.6% exp). That's the good news. Everywhere else you look... terrible. Core Capex fell 1.93% YoY - the 10th consecutive YoY drop - something not seen before outside of recession.

The US Economy Works for the Mega-Banks that Financial Deregulation Permitted and for the
One Percent but for No One Else

http://www.globalresearch.ca/37-facts-about-how-cruel-this-economy-has-been-to-millions-of-desperate-american-families/5309938

The post The US Economy Works for the Mega-Banks that Financial Deregulation Permitted and for the One Percent but for No One Else appeared first on PaulCraigRoberts.org.

In OPEC's latest annual World Oil Outlook released on Wednesday, the now defunct cartel (courtesy of Saudi Arabia's insistence on vetoing any production limit) said that demand for its crude will slide to 2020, as rival supplies continue to grow. On the supply side, OPEC said it would need to pump 30.7 million barrels a day by the end of the decade, which is 1.7 million barrels more than it projected a year ago but well below, or some 1 million barrels less than the group pumped in November.

• Oil up after U.S. crude stocks drop, still close to 11-year lows (Reuters)
• Global Stocks Rally; Mining, Metals Shares Lead Gains (WSJ)
• OPEC Sees Demand for Its Crude Oil Falling for Rest of Decade (BBG)
• The Trouble With Sovereign-Wealth Funds (WSJ)
• U.S. Calls for 256% Tariff on Imports of Steel From China (BBG)
• Iraqi troops expected to drive ISIS from Ramadi in days (Reuters)
• The Distressed-Debt Trades That Obliterated Bonus Checks in 2015 (BBG)
• China to Extend Yuan’s Trading Hours, Widening Currency’s Appeal (WSJ)

With memories of last week's high-volume, post-Fed, quad-witching selloff fading fast, overnight the Santa rally defined as no volume, no breadth levitation, has continued for a third day and moments ago European stocks rose to their best level of the day, with the Stoxx Europe 600 Index headed for its biggest advance in a week, while US equity futures ramped on the European open as they traditionally do, and then again hit session highs minutes ago, as holiday volumes are in meltdown mode, and oddlots can move the E-mini by 1 point.