Noteworthy Financial Stories for December 8

Banking
A Banking Butterfly Effect
http://www.portfolio.com/industry-news/banking-finance/2009/12/08/community-bank-failures-have-ripple-effect-on-developers/?ana=e_pft

How banks fail at foreclosure auctions
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2009/12/08/how-banks-fail-at-foreclosure-auctions/

Despite troubled RE market, multi-family interest surges
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/othercities/boston/stories/2009/12/07/story9.html?b=1260162000^2542771&s=industry&i=banking_financial_services

Crisis in sovereign, commercial debt seen
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B64B920091207

Credit booms go wrong
http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/4349

Economy
Consumer Credit in U.S. Declined Less Than Forecast
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=af7H1B.73URs&pos=2

Small Business Owners’ Optimism in the Tank; Index Falls Again
http://www.nfib.com/nfib-on-the-move/nfib-on-the-move-item/cmsid/50299/

More Complaints on Nonfarm Payrolls
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2009/12/08/87601/more-us-non-farm-payroll-questions/

Obama to Cite Public Works, Energy for Jobs Growth
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJPbwhVL0gq8&pos=9

Japan – And we thought US had it bad
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstPhotos/index.php?photoid=41361


Sentiment
The Next Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Books About the Financial Crisis
http://paul.kedrosky.com/archives/2009/12/the_next_bubble_1.html

Fed
NY Fed President Dudley: Still More Lessons from the Crisis
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/12/ny-fed-president-dudley-still-
more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CalculatedRisk+(Calculated+Risk)

Lessons Lost
http://www.portfolio.com/industry-news/banking-finance/2009/12/08/enron-lessons-lost-as-regulations-like-sarbanes-oxley-are-attacked/?ana=e_pft

Moody’s Says U.K., U.S. Aaa Ratings Relatively Weaker
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=av16pDNNrMig&pos=7

Debt Raters Avoid Overhaul After Crisis
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/08ratings.html?_r=1


Stock Market

TD Ameritrade CEO Tomczyk Sees Less Trading of Stocks in 2010
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20603037&sid=a1.ZDoTPfbDw

Dollar Rally Imperils S&P 500, Bartels Says: Technical Analysis
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20603037&sid=amQWSg18l504

Outlook 2010: How will analysts fare? Citi’s Analysis
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2009/12/08/87636/how-will-analysts-fare/

BofA Merrill Lynch Bullish on European Equities
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2009/12/08/87611/thundering-herd-bullish-on-euro-equities/

The Rally Apologista’s Handbook
http://thereformedbroker.com/2009/12/07/the-rally-apologistas-handbook/

Market Caps of the Fab Five
http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-top-five-companies-by-market-cap-for-the-decade-
2009-12

Ten Investment Themes For 2010
http://www.marketfolly.com/2009/12/ten-investment-themes-for-2010.html

Options
Mark Wolfinger: From Ph.D. to the Trading Floor, the Story Behind His Journey
http://www.behindthespread.com/mark-wolfinger/