- Spain may again revise 2011 deficit upward: AP May 18, 2012LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Spain says it may have to again revise its 2011 budget deficit upward, the Associated Press reported late Friday. Spending by four regional governments within Spain -- Madrid, Valencia, Andalusia and Castilla-Leon -- exceeded forecasts, driving up the national deficit for a second time. AP said the government now projects a possible deficit that is equal to 8.9% of GDP, nearly three times the recommended maximum for nations using the euro. The government said it still expects to hit a 5.3% budget deficit this year.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Alabama Trust is year's 24th U.S. bank failure May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Federal regulators shut the Alabama Trust Bank in Sylacauga, Ala., the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said late Friday. Closure of the single-branch bank marks the 24th failure of a U.S. bank in 2012. The FDIC said Southern States Bank has agreed to buy the bank's $51.6 million in assets and $45.1 million in deposits. The FDIC estimates the cost to its deposit-insurance fund at $8.9 million. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Facebook drives up market volume to 2012 high May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- A huge amount of shares traded in Facebook Inc.'s market debut Friday helped drive up U.S. stocks volume to the highest level of the year, according to the Wall Street Journal's data group. Total market volume was 8.79 billion shares, the largest daily volume since Nov. 30 and above this month's average of 7.16 billion. Volume of shares listed on the Nasdaq OMX Group's Nasdaq Stock Market was 2.68 billion, the largest since Oct. 27 and above the year-to-date average of 1.77 billion. Facebook's volume of 574 million was 21% of the Nasdaq's listed share volume. Facebook volume hit 216 million in the first half-hour of trading. For stocks listed on NYSE Euronext's New York Stock Exchange, it was the fourth day in a row of more than 4 billion shares traded.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- SEC to review Nasdaq Facebook IPO trading problems May 18, 2012WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The Securities and Exchange Commission staff plans to examine problems at the start of trading of shares of Facebook Inc. on Nasdaq to determine its cause and steps that will be taken to address it, a spokesman for the agency said Friday. Facebook trading was delayed by roughly a half hour at the start on Friday. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Bets oil will go higher lowest since Sept. 2010 May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Money managers trimmed more of their bets oil prices will go higher, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed Friday. The data, pertaining to the week up to Tuesday, showed the category emcompassing fund managers and speculative money trimming "long" bets by nearly 10,500 contracts for a net long position close to 140,000 contracts. The positions betting on higher prices is the lowest since September 2010, but the flow of selling slowed down compared to the prior week, said Tim Evans, an analyst with Citigroup. Oil ended 1.2% lower on Friday at $91.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its lowest settlement since late October.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Nasdaq benchmarks slide into technical correction May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 indexes, both benchmarks for tech stocks, slipped into a correction as of Friday's close. A correction typically refers to a 10% publlback from recent highs. The Nasdaq Composite ended down 34.90, or 1.2%, at 2,778.79, off 11% from its 52-week closing high of 3,122.57 reached on March 26. The Nasdaq 100 , the benchmark for the PowerShares QQQ tracker, closed down 11% from its 52-week closing high. On Friday, the broad market sank over concerns about a Greek exit from the euro-zone and after Facebook Inc.'s shares traded near flat in a highly-anticipated, $16 billion initial public offering.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Longest weekly down streak of 2012 for Dow, S&P May 18, 2012NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks declined Friday, with the Dow and S&P falling for a third week, on concern about Europe's debt troubles and prospects for global growth. "The problems in Europe are not getting any better. We still have more downside to go here," said Randy Frederick, managing director of active trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 73.11 points, or 0.6%, to 12,369.38. The S&P 500 Index fell 9.64 points, or 0.7%, to 1,295.22. The Nasdaq Composite shed 34.9 points, or 1.2%, to 2,778.79. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- J.P. Morgan returns $168 mln to MF Global trustee May 18, 2012WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. agreed to return about $168 million in cash to a trustee for the holding company for bankrupt MF Global Inc., according to a release from the trustee representing MF Global clients. According to the statement, the $168 million represents the proceeds of "excess collateral" that J.P. Morgan held at the beginning of MF Global's liquidation. The trustee, Louis Freeh, added in the release that the recovery will assist him in recovering MF Global property. New York-based MF Global filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 31 after disclosing sizable exposure to derivatives and other investments related to billions of dollars in European sovereign debt and leading to millions of dollars in missing customer funds. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Facebook closes with fractional gain following IPO May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Facebook Inc. saw its shares close with a fractional gain Friday on its first session of trading following its initial public offering. By the closing bell, Facebook shares were up 23 cents, or 0.6%, at $38.23. The company sold 421.2 million shares in its IPO, with trading volume at the end of the session reaching about 567 million, according to early figures from FactSet Research. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Trading of Facebook shares exceeds 488 mln May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- More than 488 million shares of Facebook Inc. changed hands on Friday following its debut on the market, helping to swell the volume of Nasdaq-listed shares to about 2 billion, above its 30-day average. Facebook sold more than 421.2 million shares after pricing its initial public offering at $38 a share to raise in excess of $18.4 billion. Underwriters have also been granted over-allotments options of up 63.2 million shares. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- GM won't advertise in next Super Bowl: WSJ May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- General Motors Co. will not advertise in the next Super Bowl as it has become too expensive, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday on its website. Advertising during American football's biggest media event of the year is effective but not enough to justify the cost, Joel Ewanick, GM's marketing chief, told the newspaper in an interview. Earlier this week, the Journal reported that GM will stop advertising on Facebook as ads on the social networking site are having little impact on consumers. Shares of GM were down 1.4% to $21.25 a share in recent activity. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Oil ends the week nearly 5% lower May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Crude-oil futures ended the week nearly 5% lower on concerns about global growth and diminished demand for oil amid plentiful supplies. Oil for June delivery settled Friday $1.08 lower, or 1.2%, at $91.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas outpaced most commodities, with the June contract up 5.7% at $2.74 per million British thermal units.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Watchdog group warns on nutraceutical stock scams May 18, 2012BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority warned Wednesday that investors should be on the lookout for "pump and dump" stock scams involving companies in the so-called nutraceutical business. Examples of nutraceuticals include alternative medications, energy-boosting drinks, and fortified foods. "The con artists behind nutraceutical stock scams may try to lure in investors with optimistic and potentially false and misleading information that in turn creates unwarranted demand for shares of small, thinly-traded companies that often have little or no history of financial success," FINRA said in a statement. FINRA advised investors to check to out the legitimacy of a potential investment using the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR online database. Investors can also confirm whether a stock's promoter is duly licensed by using FINRA's BrokerCheck database.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Gold ends 1.1% higher, inches forward on week May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures continued their rebound Friday, edging up 0.5% on the week after two straight weeks of losses, according to FactSet Research. Gold for June delivery advanced $17, or 1.1%, to $1,591.90 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Obama: G-8 to focus on managing euro zone crisis May 18, 2012WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The Group of Eight leaders will focus on managing the euro zone crisis at their talks over the weekend, President Barack Obama said Friday. Obama's comments came after a meeting with newly-elected French President Francois Hollande at the White House. The two leaders agreed that the crisis is important to the world economy, Obama said. The G-8 meeting will start this evening at the Camp David presidential mountain retreat, with discussions on the European debt crisis to take place Saturday morning. Hollande, a French Socialist, met earlier in the week with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. After their meeting on Tuesday, Merkel and Hollande stressed their desire to keep the euro zone together. But tension exists because Germany has been focused on strict fiscal austerity measures, while Hollande won his election with a message of additional stimulus. White House officials have welcomed the new emphasis on growth and said Obama would seek to build a consensus between Merkel and Hollande. After the White House meeting, Hollande said that he and Obama share the same conviction that Greece should remain in the euro zone, according to AFP. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Merkel suggests Greek referendum on euro May 18, 2012WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has suggested to the Greek president that Greece hold a referendum on continued use of the euro when it votes next month, press reports cited the Greek government spokesman as saying. Speculation about Greece's use of the euro has roiled financial markets this week. Merkel is due to join other world leaders in Camp David as the Group of Eight meets. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Pfizer recalls Advil bottles from distributors May 18, 2012BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Pfizer Inc. has recalled about 650,000 bottles of its popular Advil Liqui-Gel pain reliever from its retail-distribution centers over concerns that they carry an unusual odor, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. None of the bottles had yet been made available to consumers. The recalled product was manufactured by Argentinian contract manufacturer, Catalent Argentina S.A.I.C. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Zynga halted after FB debut, 13% drop May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Shares of Zynga Inc. were halted in morning trades on Friday after the stock fell by more than 13%. Trading was halted after Facebook Inc. began trading in its much-awaited initial public offering. Other social networking shares were also down in morning trades. LinkedIn was trading down more than 5%, while Groupon was off 7.5% and Yelp Inc. tumbled more than 6%. Also in the red were shares of Renren Inc. , the China-based social networking company, which were down more than 12%. The social media shares sharply added to losses after Facebook's trading debut. Shares of Facebook were trading mostly flat at $38. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Posen to leave BOE, head Peterson Institute May 18, 2012FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Adam Posen will leave his post when his three-year term expires on Aug. 31, the Bank of England said Friday. Posen, a U.S. economist, has been named to serve as the next president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington, D.C. think tank, beginning Jan. 1. Posen was a strong advocate of the bank's quantitative easing strategy. In April, he surprisingly refrained from a call to boost the size of the bank's asset purchase program. But in an interview published by newswire MNSI earlier Friday, Posen said he may have been premature in thinking the bank's QE efforts had been enough to avert a Japan-type downturn, Reuters reported.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Facebook shares rise, then slip, in IPO May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Facebook Inc. saw its shares rise more than 12% in its opening trades on the Nasdaq Friday morning, the slip back quickly in the first few minutes of trading following the social network's $16 billion initial public offering. Facebook shares opened trading Friday at $43, but slipped down to $40.55 within 5 minutes, making for a gain of about 6% from the IPO price of $38 per share. The company priced its offering of 421.2 million shares on Thursday afternoon, making for the largest technology IPO ever. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- ECB, EU draw up Greek exit plans: trade chief May 18, 2012FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- The European Commission and the European Central Bank are working on contingency plans in the event Greece exits the euro, Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said in an interview with a Belgian newspaper published Friday, news reports said. The ECB and the commission, which is the executive arm of the European Union, are "working on emergency scenarios in case Greece does not make it," De Gucht was quoted as saying. A commission spokeswoman denied any contingency plans for a Greek exit were being prepared, while an ECB spokesman said the bank doesn't "engage in any speculations about any emergency plans or possible scenarios" and would therefore not comment on the statement, Dow Jones Newswires reported.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Canada shares gain as gold stocks extend rally May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Canadian stock market rose as gold company shares extended gains on Friday. Investors also kept an eye on the Nasdaq for the debut of Facebook which priced its initial public offering at $38 a share. The S&P/TSX Composite Index added 68.69 points, or 0.6%, to 11,399.37. The S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index climbed 2.3%, following a 3.7% jump on Thursday. Gold for June delivery rose $18.20, or 1.2%, to $1,593.30 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange as the U.S. dollar lost some of its recent strength against other major currencies. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Winnebago up 12%, discloses buyout offer May 18, 2012NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Winnebago Industries Inc. rose 12% to $9.50 a share on Friday. The company said it received a buyout offer of $11 a share from North Street Capital LP, a Greenwich, Conn.-based private equity and hedge fund advisory firm. The Forest City, Iowa, maker of recreational vehicles said it has "not received sufficient information to deem the offer as credible." Winnebago said it'll review any additional information related to the North Street letter and "respond in due course." Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Salesforce shares climb more than 10% May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Salesforce.com Inc. climbed by $13.50 a share, or more than 10% Friday, to $147.21 on upbeat reaction to the software company's quarterly results. Late Thursday, Salesforce reported first-quarter earnings and sales that beat Wall Street analysts' forecasts and the company also gave a better-than-expected second-quarter outlook. CLSA Markets analyst Ed Maguire raised his price target on Salesforce's stock to $180 a share from $160.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- R.R. Donnelley shares among S&P 500 top advancers May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of commercial printer R.R. Donnelley & Sons were among the top S&P 500 gainers early Friday, advancing 5% to $10.52. R.R. Donnelley's traditional printing business has struggled as magazines have dwindled and more content moves online. Shares hit a fresh 52-week low earlier this month and the stock is down 26% since Jan. 1. This week, Fitch said it believes R.R. Donnelley can meet its pension funding requirements and reduce its debt. Meanwhile, investors are betting against future gains for the stock. Close to 32% of R.R. Donnelley's outstanding shares are sold short, making its the No. 2 most shorted stock on the S&P 500 based on shares outstanding. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Autodesk shares fall 17% as forecast disappoints May 18, 2012SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Autodesk Inc. shares tumbled by as much as 17%, falling to $28.90 Friday, as investors were displeased with the company's second-quarter forecast. Late Thursday, the design-software company reported upbeat first-quarter results, but said it expects its second-quarter sales would likely fall below analysts' forecasts. Autodesk now expects second-quarter revenue between $580 million and $600 million, while analysts estimated Autodesk's sales at $600.7 million. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Foot Locker, Brown Shoe up; Gap down on view May 18, 2012NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Foot Locker Inc.'s better-than-expected first-quarter result sent shares of the athletic-gear shoe retailer up 11% in early trading. Rival Finish Line Inc. shares also headed up 7.6%. Famous Footwear parent Brown Shoe Co. rose 12% on a better-than-expected adjusted first-quarter result. Teen retailer Aeropostale Inc. shares also rose 4.3%. Its first-quarter profit beat the average analyst estimate by 3 cents a share, according to FactSet. Women's clothing retailer Ann Inc. shares rose 2.5% after its first-quarter profit topped Wall Street estimates by 7 cents a share, FactSet data showed. Gap Inc. shares fell 2.4%. The parent of Old Navy and Banana Republic raised its full-year profit outlook, but that missed Wall Street expectations. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- U.S. stock indexes try to bounce back at the start May 18, 2012NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks opened with limited gains Friday as the market attempted to bounce back from its week of losses, with shares of Facebook Inc. to begin trading on the Nasdaq in about an hour. The Dow industrials rose 7.42 points to 12,449.9. The S&P 500 added 2.06 points to 1,306.92. The Nasdaq Composite fell 5.52 points to 2,808.17. "There's just the fascination with this stock as a homegrown company that started as a dream. We haven't had that sort of patriotic pride in this sort of entrepreneurship in a while," Randy Frederick, managing director of active trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- Chesapeake, Southwestern up as energy stocks gain May 18, 2012NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Chesapeake Corp. rose 3.5% as the leading gainer among energy stocks in the S&P 500 in early trades on Friday. Also moving up, Southwestern Energy Co. rose 2.4%. National Oilwell Varco rose 2% and Baker Hughes Inc. rose 1.8%.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
- CME, Morgan Stanley outpace broad financial sector May 18, 2012NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - U.S. financial stocks mostly fell on Friday with modest losses, but a few shares, like CME Group Holdings Inc. and Morgan Stanley bucked the trend to move higher. More broadly, the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF , which tracks the financials in the S&P 500 , added 0.1%. In the Dow, Bank of America Corp ,J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. , American Express Co. and Travelers Cos. Inc. all fell.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
About Me

Richard Suder, CFA, CFP®
As the founder of Auri Elan Financial Group, I am an experienced independent financial advisor and insurance agent specializing in providing comprehensive and objective investment consultation, financial and insurance planning to individual investors, companies, select group of affluent families and entrepreneurs. Please contact me for a complimentary Portfolio Review. You deserve nothing less than a CFP and a CFA Charterholder for your finance! Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial. A Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.Web: http://aurielan.comPolls
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