Here’s what’s shaking:
Stocks:
Global stock markets drifted lower on Monday as some investors sought to lock in profits from last week’s strong gains.
Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.3 percent to 6,071.53 while Germany’s DAX was down nearly 0.5 percent to 7,738.63. France’s CAC-40 lost 0.6 percent to 3,707.68.
Wall Street appeared headed for losses ahead of the opening bell. Dow Jones futures fell 0.1 percent to 13,330 while S&P 500 futures lost 0.1 percent to 1,456.10.
The one bright spot was the banking sector, where stocks were up after global regulators eased new rules obliging lenders to set capital aside. The so-called Basel III rules are a set of new international standards to make sure banks don’t fall back into the sort of trouble that caused the 2008 financial crash. On Sunday, the officials setting those rules delayed the date by which certain amounts of cash had to be readily available.
The subdued mood in the broader markets was also seen earlier in Asia. The Nikkei in Tokyo fell 0.8 percent to close at 10,599.01.
The Hong Kong Hang Seng was nearly unchanged at 23,329.75. South Korea’s Kospi lost less than 0.1 percent to 2,011.25. Benchmarks in Singapore and Taiwan fell while mainland Chinese shares rose.
Oil:
The price of oil fell Monday, hit by uncertainty about what the U.S. Federal Reserve might do with its bond purchase program and data showing the U.S. unemployment rate unchanged.
By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for February delivery was down 44 cents to $92.65 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the Nymex contract closed up 17 cents at $93.09 a barrel after the U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration reported that the nation’s crude supplies fell by 11.1 million barrels during the last week of 2012, much more than analysts expected.
The impact of last week’s release of a transcript of the Federal Reserve’s December meeting showing that policymakers disagreed over how long to keep up its easing programs was still being felt on the market.
Analysts expect the Nymex contract, which finished 2012 around 7 percent lower on the year, its first annual fall since 2008, to continue trading near its current range in the near term.
INTL FCStone in New York forecast an average price of $92 a barrel for the Nymex contract during 2013.
Brent crude, used to price international varieties of oil, was down 44 cents to $110.87 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.
Markets:
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Front page photo courtesy Getty Images.


















































































































Armyduderetired
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:40amThe only volume in the stock market is from the government controlled banks and the one %’ers that don’t pay to play. Everyone else is preparing for the coming collapse of the whole government ponsie scheme. Who knows how long the cow will keep giving milk? We quit only have GM cows now. When the milk stops flowing so will there phony market place stop. Be ready.
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:23amThe markets are being set up for a massive fall, of which only Soros will gain in the long run. This current run will see the inevitable crash come hard and fast, and then Obama will demand legislation he will use to crush the last of the free market and impose absolute Federal dominance across the board.
Remember, he did declare he wants to nationalize the businesses of the nation once and for all…
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T-2
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:28amhow old is Soros and why do vilians live so long?
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Alaskasfreedom
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:13amYes he did Snow!!! Here we go!!!
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Cavallo
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:21amFascism is usually profitable in the short term. Bobo the wonder marxist can’t even do that. Then again, he doesn’t really care. We’ve already seen the US populace doesn’t really care about the economy either.
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hauschild
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:27amTrue, dat.
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dirtypolitics
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:19amManufactured stuffs don’t last long.
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IMCHRISTIAN
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:17amEverything and everyone that think they are higher and better then God will eventually fall.
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barber2
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:10amThe Chicago radicals hate capitalism. There will be no improvement in our economy. They are on to their next battle : character assassinating all conservatives; dividing the Republican Party ; dividing the American public; and ” changing” America by brainwashing our naive youth. That is the Obama Chicago radicals’ ” jihad.”
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gyro
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:18amthats not a bad point the statment =That is the Obama Chicago radicals’ ” jihad.”
fits a lot of things
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