MARKET ROUNDUP (Source Bloomberg)

U.S. Stocks Erase Gain as Optimism About Fed Plan Fades; as optimism about Federal Reserve plans to buy more bonds faded, with investor focus returning to the budget deadlock in Washington. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose less than 0.1 percent to 1,428.48 in New York, erasing an earlier rally of as much as 0.8 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 2.99 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 13,245.45. More than 6.6 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, or 6.3 percent above the three-month average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

European Stocks Are Little Changed as Fed Decision Looms; as investors waited for the Federal Reserve to announce its decisions on interest rates and economic stimulus, while American lawmakers continued talks on a new budget. The Federal Open Market Committee, which began a two-day meeting yesterday, will announce its interest-rate decision at 12.30 p.m. in Washington,followed by forecasts on economic growth, unemployment and inflation. The Fed will expand economic stimulus by announcing $45 billion in monthly Treasury purchases, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.4 percent, while France's CAC 40 was little changed. Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent.

Oil Rises on Fed Move as IEA Boosts Demand Forecast; after the Federal Reserve unveiled a new round of measures to bolster the U.S. economy and as the International Energy Agency increased its demand forecast. Futures rose for a second day after the Fed said it will buy $45 billion a month in Treasury securities to help boost economic growth. The IEA raised fourth quarter and 2013
consumption estimates on signs of a demand rebound in China, the second-biggest oil user after the U.S.Crude for January delivery rose 98 cents, or 1.1 percent, to settle at $86.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices are down 12 percent this year. They are heading for the first annual decrease since 2008. The Federal Open Market Committee for the first time linked the outlook for its main interest rate to unemployment and inflation.

Source:Jupiter Securities Research - 13 December 2012