Futures Climb Ahead of Retail Sales

Wall Street JournalU.S. stock futures tracked overseas gains Friday ahead of key retail-sales data, as investors took heart from a strong report on China’s output.Less than two hours before the start of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 46 points higher at 10448. The S&P 500 futures advanced 5.8 points to 1103 and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 7.5 points to 1805.5. Changes in… Read more

China’s Consumer Prices Rise 0.6% Amid Recovery

Wall Street JournalBEIJING — China is moving out of deflation after nearly a year of falling consumer prices, a turnaround driven in part by changes in government policies that kept costs of oil, water and electricity artificially low.China’s consumer price index climbed 0.6% from a year earlier in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday, after declining every month since… Read more

KAR Auction IPO raises less than hoped

ForbesKAR Auction Services Inc. shares will make their trading debut Friday, but the auctioneer of used and salvaged vehicles raised less than it had hoped in its initial public offering. The company’s IPO priced well below its expected range at a time of deep uncertainty in the auto industry.Vehicle sales in the U.S. have been at historic lows this year as the recession weighed on consumers’… Read more

Variety to start charging for website access

Los Angeles TimesIn a move that will be watched carefully by newspapers struggling to find a viable financial model in the digital age, entertainment industry publication Variety today will begin charging readers for access to the news and information on its website.The return to erecting a “pay wall,” though anticipated, nonetheless could be risky because several online competitors — including… Read more

Drugmakers, Hospitals, Insurers Fight Changes to Health Bill

BloombergDec. 10 (Bloomberg) — Drugmakers, hospitals and insurers are ramping up their opposition to provisions targeting their industries in health-care legislation as senators try to squeeze more savings out of the companies.The U.S. Senate today may vote on an amendment that would allow the importation of cheaper medicines from Canada and other countries. The plan, from lawmakers led by North… Read more