MARKET ROUNDUP (Source Bloomberg)

U.S. Stocks Rise on China Amid American Budget Talks; as economic data in China beat estimates and investors watched the latest developments in American budget talks. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1 percent to 1,418.55 at 4 p.m. New York time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 14.75 points, or 0.1 percent, to 13,169.88. About 5.3 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, or 15 percent below the three- month average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In the U.S., lawmakers from both parties are leaving rhetorical room for a split-the-difference agreement with President Barack Obama on a U.S. budget deal. The president and House Speaker John Boehner met one-on-one yesterday at the White House, with representatives for the two leaders offering no details of the negotiations yet issuing identical statements afterward that 'the lines of communication remain open.

European Stocks Close Little Changed at 18-Month High; as China's industrial output and retail sales exceeded forecasts, offsetting concern a leadership change in Italy will disrupt efforts to reduce debt. Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 added 0.2 percent, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 (UKX) rose 0.1 percent.

Oil Trades Near Three-Week Low as Gasoline Supplies Seen Rising; before a government report that may show gasoline stockpiles rose to the most in eight months in the U.S., the world's largest crude user. Crude for January delivery was at $85.63 a barrel, up 7 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:26 a.m. Sydney time. The contract slid 37 cents to $85.56 yesterday, the lowest close since Nov. 15. Prices are down 13 percent this year.

Source:Jupiter Securities Research, 11 December 2012