Revue de presse / a la une financiere us du 18/01/2012

Presse française boursière et financière du mercredi 18 janvier 2012. Au menu de la presse française ce matin : Financial Times - Chinese GDP growth rate falls .China?s economy expanded 8.9% in fourth quarter of 2012, a slight drop from 9.1 per cent in the third quarter, with signs of slower growth ahead. - China outlook boosts stocks .Equities rise after China?s slower economic growth fuels speculation Beijing will ease monetary policies to boost slowing economy - Markets offer eurozone some respite .European borrowing costs fall, equities climb and the euro strengthens offering some respite to the eurozone despite fresh warnings over Greece - Investors expect global economy to grow .Fund managers begin 2012 more optimistically, with a greater appetite for risk, according to a survey by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch - US frets at Cuba oil exploration .Prospect of significant oil discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico could alter Havana?s economic future and its relations with Washington - EU sets deadline for Iran oil embargo .European Union member states coalesce around a July 1 deadline to fully implement a ban that would align the bloc with the US?s planned restrictions - Austria clarifies plan to curb eastward lending .The move had sparked market fears that western banks active in eastern Europe might accelerate moves to reduce exposure in the region - Central banks increase gold lending .First rise in bullion borrowing for decade as commercial banks turn to the yellow metal amid the squeeze in dollar liquidity - King holds fast on Bank supervision .Bank of England comes out against recommendation for powerful supervisory board to strengthen accountability and governance structures .

The Wall Street Journal - Stocks Post Gains .U.S. stocks advanced after better-than-expected economic data. Financials slumped. - Bond Market Weighs on Citi Results .Citi`s fourth-quarter profit fell from a year earlier as choppy capital markets overshadowed the bank`s loan growth globally. - SEC's Inspector General to Leave .The Securities and Exchange Commission`s internal watchdog, David Kotz, plans to leave the agency at the end of the month, after a tenure marked by aggressive pursuit of inefficiency and misdeed. - Europe Debt Sales Ease Ratings Heat .Closely scrutinized European bond issuers?including the EFSF?provided markets with a positive set of auction results, brushing aside the spate of recent ratings downgrades. - Carnival Options See Contrarian Plays .U.S. options traders signaled glimmers of optimism that Carnival can rebound after the wreck of a cruise ship off Italy`s Tuscan coast sent the cruise operator`s shares tumbling. - ECB Seeks Plan B .The European Central Bank is looking for a possible alternative to its current bond-buying program, Governing Council Member Ewald Nowotny said. - Brookfield Cancels Deal for Atlantis Resort .Brookfield Asset Management canceled a deal to take control of the huge Atlantis resort in the Bahamas and two other resorts from Kerzner International Holdings after other creditors obtained a court ruling delaying the deal. - Foreigners Snap Up Swiss Property .With average house prices nearing 800,000 francs, the Swiss residential real-estate market continues to boom. Market participants say there is no end in sight as cash-rich Europeans and Russians keen to protect their assets fuel demand. - FDIC Proposes Bank 'Stress Tests' .U.S. banks with more than $10 billion in assets would have to perform their own tests of whether they have enough cushion to withstand losses under an FDIC proposal. - Japan's Banks Chase Growth .Japanese banks may be ready to overcome their traditional caution and snap up noncore assets being sold by European lenders forced to slim down by the region`s debt crisis. - EU Competition Chief Shares His View on Exchange Tie-Up .The head of the European Union`s competition watchdog said Tuesday that competition among financial exchanges is necessary as the EU prepares to deliver a decision on the proposed merger NYSE and Deutsche Börse. - High Court Declines to Consider Finra's Immunity .The Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal that questioned whether the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and other so-called self-regulatory organizations are immune from private lawsuits. - U.S. Steps Up S&P Inquiry .Federal prosecutors are stepping up their investigation of Standard & Poor`s ratings of troubled mortgage securities during the financial crisis, according to former analysts questioned by prosecutors. - MF Global Probe Focuses on Back Office .Investigators on the hunt for an estimated $1.2 billion in missing customer money are zeroing in on the securities firm`s back-office operations in Chicago. - Funds Rethink Bond Habits .In building their European government-bond portfolios, big investors are increasingly looking for alternatives to widely used bond indexes that include large portions of debt from fiscally troubled countries. - Private-Equity Bashing Misses the Real Soft Spots .A more robust critique of the industry would focus on the industry`s overreliance on risky debt, or leverage, questionable practices and tax treatment. - As Consumers Get Relief, Firms Are Squeezed .Decelerating inflation is good news for bargain-focused consumers. But companies` costs remain elevated from a prior jump in commodity prices, and that could pinch profits, writes Kelly Evans. .