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LONDON European shares and Italian bonds edged lower on Tuesday as political turmoil in Italy weighed on confidence, but moves were subdued as investors waited for German confidence data later and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s end of year meeting. Following some disappointing euro zone data this month, the ZEW survey of German business sentiment will be released at 4 a.m. EST, with investors hoping for signs of a pick up in confidence. Markets were rattled on Monday by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s announcement he would step down early, and the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 share index <.FTEU3> dipped 0.1 percent [...]

NEW YORK Investors typically sell stocks to cut their losses at year end. But worries about the “fiscal cliff” – and the possibility of higher taxes in 2013 – may act as the greatest incentive to sell both winners and losers by December 31. The $ 600 billion of automatic tax increases and spending cuts scheduled for the beginning of next year includes higher rates for capital gains, making tax-loss selling even more appealing than usual. Tax-related selling may be behind the weaker trend in the shares of market leader Apple , analysts said. The stock is down 20 percent [...]

Oracle (ORCL) announced plans late Monday to accelerate its second, third and fourth quarter dividends so that all three are payable in December, becoming the latest in a slew of companies to move dividends forward ahead of the looming fiscal cliff deadline. The Redwood Shores, Calif.-based software maker said the move will results in a cash dividend totaling 18 cents a share, payable on Dec. 21 to stockholders of record on Dec. 14. Oracle becomes the latest company to either accelerate a dividend or declare a special dividend this month, as the failure of the U.S. to resolve fiscal issues [...]

NEW YORK In normal times, next week’s slew of U.S. economic data could be a springboard for a December rally in the stock market. December is historically a strong month for markets. The S&P 500 has risen 16 times in the past 20 years during the month. But the market hasn’t been operating under normal circumstances since November 7 when a day after the U.S. election, investors’ focus shifted squarely to the looming “fiscal cliff.” Investors are increasingly nervous about the ability of lawmakers to undo the $ 600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that are set to [...]

CHICAGO Three top Federal Reserve officials on Saturday offered sharply different takes on the U.S. central bank’s unprecedented efforts to push down long-term borrowing costs, highlighting what may be some key themes at the Fed’s upcoming policy-setting meeting. Charles Evans, the dovish president of the Chicago Fed, made no bones about his view that more policy accommodation is needed, repeating his call for keeping rates low until unemployment falls to at least 6.5 percent, as long as inflation does not threaten to rise above 2.5 percent. “We are in a period where having low policy rates for a very long [...]

Several manufacturing reports and some key housing data highlight next week’s economic calendar. Regional surveys of manufacturing data will be released beginning on Monday with the Dallas Fed report, followed by Richmond’s on Tuesday and Kansas City’s on Thursday. Investors will be looking for growth in these regions, hoping manufacturing picked up which would indicate growing demand for goods by consumers. Manufacturing wasn’t as hard hit as the housing market during the recent economic downturn.  On the housing front, the S&P Case Shiller home price index is out Tuesday. It tracks home prices in 20 large metropolitan areas and the [...]

SAN FRANCISCO Groupon Inc. shares surged by more than 20% Wednesday, reaching $ 4.08 and climbing above the $ 4-a-share level for the first time since Nov. 6. Earlier this week, hedge fund Tiger Global disclosed it had acquired a 9.9% stake in the online daily deal company. Groupon’s stock has climbed 37% this week.

LOS ANGELES Japanese stocks opened to small gains Tuesday, following overnight rallies in the U.S. and Europe, with financials trading mostly higher ahead of the Bank of Japan’s policy decision due later in the day. The Nikkei Stock Average advanced 0.2% to 9,166.77, with the Topix rising 0.3%, as the dollar held well above the 81-yen level, adding support for exporters. Major gains among the banks included a 1% rise for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. , a 0.9% climb for Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. , and a 1.6% improvement for Shinsei Bank Ltd. , while among insurers, Dai-ichi [...]

NEW YORK Eye-catching quarterly results by Target, Home Depot and other big U.S. consumer names were among the bright spots in a third quarter that was disappointing for many other companies. Major sellers of discretionary goods posted upside earnings surprises at the tail-end of the earnings season. This helped the S&P 500 stock index end the quarter about even from a year earlier. Analysts had expected companies in the index to post the first quarterly earnings decline in three years. Consumer discretionary stocks show signs of strength that much of the S&P 500 does not – double-digit year-over-year growth, a [...]