for the entire year the nikkei advanced 23%. this is the first time in three years that the key index has climbed above the previous year's closing level. >> we got a boost on february 14th, valentine's day when the bank of japan set in motion asset easing. that weakened the yen and pushed the nikkei to its initial year high at the end of march. greek debt worries and overall eurozone debt issues really began to come to nature in early april, gradually cutting into earlier gains and pushing the nikkei to its year low on june 4th. the nikkei was also hit by concerns over the u.s. fiscal cliff in early november and it plunged nearly 400 points, it was down for seven trading sessions in a row. still another turn for the nikkei this time positive. when prime minister noda dissolved lower house of parliament in mid-november and then the possibility of a victory for the ldp led by shinzo abe really gave a boost to the markets because of his pledge to seek strong monetary easing measures and we did see the yen actually shed a lot of it

the nikkei just barely above the positive and the topix just marginally in the negative.we did see some profit taking on monday, that wasn't such a surprise, and we should really expect a narrow range today as well. now, given the fact that we had a 300-point gain on friday, and also given the jump in the n nikkei since parliament was divided on monday, profits are minimal. we might trade in a narrow range so far today. ai? >> those were some real gains we saw, especially last week. nevertheless, ramin, what about people in the markets? i would imagine they would still be feeling a bit worried whether or not there is enough resolve on part of the abe administration to deliver on their promises since, after all, we've seen past governments trying to battle deflation and then backing out. >> exactly. crucial facts and very good point, ai. this time around is really one of the major reasons why abe and his government officials have tried to be in lock step or in line also with the bank of japan, rell, to in order sustain that 2% inflation target instead of the previous 1%. t

the nikkei ended at 10,688 on friday. it hit the highest closing level since just before the march 2011 disaster. share price on the tokyo stock exchange have been on the rise since november of last year. the major challenge for the new stock exchange whether it can attract mid and long term investments from inside and outside japan. they seem to realize the full vitality of the markets and increase number of new listings. >>> let's go ahead and get a look at the markets. we want to start with currencies this hour because we've been seeing some pretty big moves with dollar/yen. it's climbed above the 88 yen level for the first time in 29 months. right now you got dollar/yen at 88.30. analysts say investors are becoming a bit more willing to take risks due to the nikkei's gains and it led to selling of the yen which is seen as a safe-haven. the dollar buying is bolstered by the minutes of the fed's policy making minute last month. it signaled that the u.s. central bank may put an end to its easing policy earlier than expec

the nikkei gained 1.4% today. and very much the index is up for the ninth straight week, its longest winning streak since late 1988. sharp shares jumped nearly 13% today on reports of additional lows from two lenders. but the higher than expected cpi data from china put new pressure on the shanghai composite ending lower by 1.8%. property counters were among the big losers on fears there would be more -- to take housing prices. meanwhile, weakness in mainland blue chips dropped the hang seng lower by .4%. it did lend support after the banks said that the plan to sell its stake in ping an insurance to thailand's citi group was on tract. south korean automakers were on reverse after the korean won finished 17-month highs. in australia, miners lost ground as a cyclone affected their operations. the asx 300 finished down .3%. its first weekly loss in eight weeks. the index sen sense finished marginally in the red. but shares of infosys soared about 17% after the software services company posted q3 earnings and based i

the nikkei has reached its highest levels. tokyo shares are much higher. yen weakness is prompting traders to buy a wide range of stocks including export related ones. the nikkei gained on expectations that it will take further action to pull out of prolonged inflation. the dollar is trading at a two and a half year low amid 89 yen. at 89.55 to 59. market participants say it's due to stronger expectations that japan central bank will take full action in coming months. let's take a look at the euro because earlier this tokyo it hit the highest level. let's take a look at other markets in the asia pacific. the kospi is trading down at 1,998. australia is trading higher at 4,728. u.s. president barack obama says republicans have to do what he calls the right thing on raising the debt ceiling. he says if they don't the u.s. faces a federal default and confusion in financial markets. >> the republicans can act responsibly and pay america's bills or put america through another economic crisis. >> obama says raising the debt limit is necessary for the government

the nikkei 10,948. it actually hit 11,000 at one point, and that's the first time since april 30, 2010. we're going to see if we can close above 11,000. that's the crucial factor today. the topix at 919 to 1920. after a little selloff that we saw monday and wednesday of last week, we see the yens continue to weaken and that should support key exporters and we should see that momentum. as i mentioned, some of the earnings we're going to be covering, caterpillar of the u.s. will be out with earnings, and it's going to be interesting to see how that plays the game. japan's competitors in japan, namely komutsu and construction machinery. as i said, we're going to start getting erjz out of japan, and kddi, japan's second biggest mobile cell phone user, which carries apple's iphone and ipad as well as softbank as well. ai? >> since the bank of japan decided to deliver mormon taer easing last week, a lot of focus has been on currencies. how are we trading today? >> currencies, we did see quite a bit of volatil

. >>> business leaders have seen the nikkei go over the 10,000 level while the japanese currency touched the 88 yen level against the dollar for the fist time in 2 1/2 years. >> translator: stock markets around the world have probably bottomed out. i'm hopeful that the nikkei could reach 13,000. >> translator: the dollar needs to trade steadily around 90 yen and rise to 100 yen. if this doesn't happen, the japanese auto industry won't be able to make cars in the country. >> while the challenging economic environment remains, abe vowed that his once again newly installed administration will do all in its power to pull the nation out of deflation. corporate officials want the government to swiftly put the necessary measures into motion. >> translator: wist and swift and infecti ieffective measures needed. the government must keep an eye on the fiscal situation and achieve economic growth at the same time. >> translator: it's important to enable people to have hope for their future. the prime minister should take the leadership to implement the measures he has promised. >>> malaysia was one

the nikkei snapped a losing streak ending .7% higher. talk is that the boj is set to ease its monetary policy this month and double its inflation target to 2%. after a brief pause yesterday the yen weakened against the u.s. dollar again today, fueling automakers and exporter stocks. >>> elsewhere, the shanghai composite finished flat. investors remained cautious ahead of trade and cpi data you do out. >>> cement makers were the losers following reports that more property curbs will be needed to tame rising housing prices. but agricultural stocks surged on expectations that beijing's urban growth plan will support food production. >>> in hong kong, the hang sane rebounded about half a percent held by strength in mainly banks. mgm china soared 7% on news that it has received approval from the government to build a new casino in the kotai strip. concerns over earnings sent the cosby lower .3. the fifth dee of losses for south korean shares. elsewhere, i.t. stocks rallied pushing the asx higher by .4%. lastly, india's sensex just shut shop,

nikkei up 23%. equity players, it's been a good year. >> yes, and -- and that was driven primarily not because of the attractive not of the global economy. it wasn't driven through upgrades to profits, earnings, anything like that. it was driven through the shared ugliness of the fixed income or the main fixed income alternatives. as we move into this year, that ugliness continues. so -- which will be supportive of equities. you then look below the bond and say which is going to be by sectors, by style, which is going to perform. it's more defensive, the bonds that people buy into, they don't like realties or treasuries because of the negative yield. >> that remains. stick around, we'll remind you, we talked about it briefly, we'll remind you of the agenda in the united states. yes, we've got the december ism manufacturing index due out at 10:00 eastern. analysts looking for a reading of 50.5, up from november. also at 10:00, november construction spending. forecast to rise .7%. i mentioned it, the

the nikkei pulled back ahead of the boj announcement tomorrow. investors are expecting bull easing, including a 2% inflation target. but after hit ago new low, the yen has paired back some of its weakness against the greenback. exporters were broadly weaker on profit taking. in china, the shanghai composite ended higher by .5%. b shares also poured a hope for programs at a premium. elsewhere, the hang seng finished a touch weaker. bp shares fell over 1% today after the country's largest profitmaker issued a warning. also a flat session for south korea's kospi ending .05%. and down under, australia ended marginally in the green. shares of national australia bank rose nearly 2% today after reports that it may get an offer to offload its loss make uk wrench. india's sensex is now trading higher by about .25%. kelly. >> thanks very much for that. we'll have more on trading in india elsewhere in just a little bit. u.s. republicans indicated on friday, some willingness to vote in favorite of federal borrowing authority by three months. meanwhile, speak

the nikkei is reporting that the u.s. auto giant, a former shareholder of eye sue zisuzu w to restore their relationship. isuzu wants to cut supplied diesels. while the domestic market conditions to shrink, more japanese automakers too could be looking into such international alliances. that's all for me.back to you. >> thank you so much for that. as i mentioned earlier, the yen is at near 2 1/2 year lows against the dollar. currently at 88.48. in your contrary view, right? >> yes. i think the yen will stop weakening. every single year, the market looks for the yen to weaken and every single year practically they're wrong. and on this, they've found something new and dramatic going on in japan. and i don't deny that. but i don't believe they'll be able to achieve the goals they're setting for themselves. the 1% goal and they've basically had that for years. they've lived in deflation. that means they're going to have a 2% target and the question is how are they going to achieve na? well, they're going to change -- there's

overseas, the nikkei rose 74 points while the hang seng rose 75. today, we'll see how investors react to the latest data, weekly jobless claims, holiday soils and oil from chevron. >>> meanwhile, apple closed above 700 while facebook was spiraling fast. well, now, facebook is the nasdaq 100s best-performing stock up 70% from september. while apple down 22% is at its worst. >>> bailed out insurer aig is nw suing. >> five years after the government collapsed the wall dog is laying down borrows to promote assets. 700 have reportedly been let go in the wake of the $40 million settlement. >>> meanwhile, layoffs are looming at morgan stanley for 1600 jobs. boeing is playing down a string of mishaps saying it has extreme confidence in its new dreamliner 787. >>> paerngtly starbucks cups are a hit. a new survey finds 1 in 4 people have purchased one. >> folks in georgia have camped outside a chick-fil-a for the chance for one free sandwich a year. overseas bargain hunters scrambled. meanwhile, shoppers in paris stripped down for a free outfit offered to cu

some investors are locking in profits after the nikkei index rose above the key 11,000 level on wednesdayothers are buying as they anticipate a further decline in the yen. trading down by half a percent, 11,052 at the moment. the dollar is little changed against the yen. they're wanting u.s. economic trends following that decline in the gdp. they are focused on the u.s. jobs data which is due out friday. the dollar against the yen 91.02 to 04. the euro is trading at a 33 month high against the yen. that's because worries over euro debt issues are receding. looking at other markets in the asia pacific region. south korea's kospi is down 19,019 19,057. toyota motor has announced another global recall. the problem this time is defective air bags and windows. toyota says it's calling in 1.3 million cars worldwide. they include corolla compact sedans between 2001 and 2004. the lexus luxury model between 2005 and 2011 at 385,000 units. the air bags may not inflate properly in reaction to electric signals from other signals and in the lexus, the front window wipers may not be properly secured an

nikkei at 10,828. a gain of over 2% from thursday's close. buying was prompted by more optimistic views about the u.s. economic recovery following strong housing data. let's look at other markets open in the asia pacific. over in australia the benchmark index is trading hie ining high. positive moves so far. tokyo is leading >> on japan clearly that sort of recently announced fiscal and monetary package is intended to create growth in the short term. we don't think that if not associated with a midterm solid anchoring that would actually indicate the determination to change the debt trajectory, reduce the deficit. >> lagarde gave her view on thursday. she supported a 2% inflation target which abe asked the bank of japan to set. she said it's a good idea if the central bank can maintain its independence. more business news next hour. here is a check on markets once again. >>> japanese prime minister has conveyed his concern. the two leaders met in the thai capital of bangkok. abe touched on the issue of the senkaku islands in the east china se

the nikkei average is at 106,872 106,872. market participants say the yen's pull back prompted investors to buy up export related issues. taking a look at other markets. south korea's kospi trading higher up 1,979. in australia the benchmark is trading higher by three-fourths of a percent. the euro zone credit crisis is taking a heavy toll for passenger cars. car sales plunged to a 17 year low. new car saechles stood at 12 million units. it's the lowest since germany saw a decline of 3%. all u.s. european and japanese makers suffered declines. germany's volkswagen lost 1.6%. south korean makers were strong. kia motors saw a jump of 14%. that's the latest in business for this hour. here is a check on other markets. >>> japanese prime minister says he opposes any use. he's visiting vietnam on his first tour aboard. abe prime minister discussed territory disputes. they have disputes with china. the peace and stability in the south china sea is of global concern. he added the rule of law is essential. he understands and supports

nikkei shot up 270 points while the hang seng climbed 156. it's a busy morning on wall street. we'll see if amazon stock continues to rise. also keep an eye on chesapeake today the energy company got news, aubreay mcclendon is stepping down and will leave the april 1st. >> lots of eyes will be on research in motion when the blackberry 10 is released at 10:00 this morning. >>> investors could be digesting some grim economic news today. investors believed economic growth went sharply to 1.3% down from 3.2 in the first quarter. >>> for the first time microsoft is rolling out a subscription service. office 365 will be available. >>> and the boeing batteries before the fleet was grounded the 787s. officials at nippon said they had to relays ten batteries in their planes. no flights were canceled. >>> a u.s. judge in new orleans has accepted a 403 billion agreement for the disaster. >>> how about a beer wash down your twinkie the owners of apollo global are reportedly close to a $400 million deal. for hostess and other cakes. >>> congratulations to manchester united, a $3 billion val

the nikkei average is trading at a higher%. let's see what's happening on the currency market. yen is little changed against other major currencies with investors refraining from aggressive betting. the against the yen is changing at 89.74 to 75. meanwhile euro against the yen is at 119.38 to 42. mark players say all eyes are on what kind of bold measures the central bank can come up with if it's two achieve the 2% inflation market. investors expect trading to be volatile following the government and boj announcement. south korea's kospi flat pretty much. 19 1,9 1,986. we'll see where trading takes us. global unemployments on the rise. the international labor organization says the number of jobless people increased for the first time in three years as european credit woes continue to weigh on the global economy. officials announce on tuesday that nearly 200 million people worldwide were jobless in 2012. that's an increase of more than 4 million from the previous year. officials say unemployment grew not only in western countries but also in east asia and the middle east. nay sa

there will be another system dropping down, a nikkei one and i see it and next week after this cold it does look sunny and warmer, pam. >>> a bizarre twist, it ended and the plot police say ended with a dramatic scene. >>> the reason his signature has been the topic of consideration on social media. >> good morning, it looks good between the tunnel and oakland. we will have more on your morning commute. stay tuned. start streaming six ways to sunday. you'd get knocked off. and sometimes, it took a minute to download a song. that's sixty seconds, for crying out loud. we know how long a minute is! sitting, waiting for an album to download. i still have back problems. you're only 14 and a half. he doesn't have back problems. you kids have got it too good if you ask me. [ male announcer ] now u-verse high speed internet has more speed options, reliability and ways to connect. rethink possible. . >>> well, it is getting colder and there is a lot of shower activity and some of that is producing snow. inland is tougher but it will be colder, upper 40s very low 50s. >>> we are now hearing pres

overseas, the nikkei soared 202 points but the nasdaq dropped 87. >>> one thing sure to heat up this cold january day, go daddy is said to announce their go gaed girl. supermodel raphael la bar relly will be announced this is air spokes model. >>> and criminal conduct in the settlement over the deep water horizon oil disaster. bp who paid a $4.4 billion settlement back in december. >>> and former vice president al gore personally will pocket about $100 billion from the sale of this personal tv channel to al jazeera. he will serve on the board but will not be paid. >>> if you have a smartphone, listen up, that glass that covers your device is about to get a whole lot stronger. the glass covering is already a 975 android and apple devices. >>> and if you'd like to own a little piece of barack obama history, the museum is open. shot glass and $15 tube socks and $7500 cold and silver medallions of course made in america. >>> straight ahead on "early today" an update on that school board member who hit a student with her car. >>> plus, an unusual gathering of sharks causes these u.s. beac

overseas, the nikkei rose 42 points but the hang seng lost 16. stocks tooth a breather from another bull run. after the closing bell, shares of yahoo! surged as investors cheered better than expected earnings and a slight uptick in revenue. coming up before the bell, we'll get a broader snapshot of companies, including forbes, sizer pharmaceuticals and a.k. steel. and we'll see if amazon weathered the crucial shopping season. >>> speculation is the central bank will keep interest rates near record lows. >>> on the street monday, bargain hunters scooped up apple stock after it tumbled 14% last week, putting apple back into the most valuable spot ahead of exxonmobil. >>> also back on top, toyota, the automaker retook the title as the world's largest automaker thanks to a 20% surge in global sales last year. general motors announced it's spending millions for a plant in kansas city where it produces the malibu and the lacrosse. meanwhile, calling out the pay czar for executive pay including gm, insurer aig and allied financial. >>> and we've all hea

overseas, the nikkei shot up 305 points but the hang seng fell 18. >>> turning to business headlines. today, investors are going to want to keep a close eye on a few things. united airlines is going to chop about 600 jobs through buyouts. net to netflix, shares jumped 42%. with strong quarterly earnings. after peaking in the $37 range, apple is down 36%. the question everyone is asking, how low will they go. next to new home sales which some estimate to be at 400,000 for december. if that number is accurate, it would be a very good sign for the economy. and i'm sure you've seen the frenzy over subway's one-inch short controversy. sandwich lovers are happy. and some filed class lawsuits. suitcase customers are opened a refund for the portion of the sandwich that they've not been receiving. subway as declined to comment on the lawsuit. a spokesman said the restaurant chain has redoubled the levels to ensure consistency in every sandwich we have. >>> straight ahead, a super size controversy surrounding the super bowl's superdome. >>> plus, what is this, is it a bird, a plane, a man? we'l

. >>> over assess, the nikkei was closed for holiday, but the hang seng rose 86. moody's investor services warned that a viable plan to shrink our deficit in the next few months, the government's credit rating could be at risk. >>> al jazeera could be coming to a tv near you. al gore plans to use existing distribution to broadcast. one interesting note, as soon as the deal was announced time warner cable said they would drop the channel from their 12 million subscribers. >>> developing a new business plan. the company will be opening several retail shops called photo bars where people can come in the store to download pictures. >>> if you build it, they will buy it, the famous iowa baseball diamond from the iconic movie "field of dreams" has been sold for $3.4 million. the new owners plan to transform the land mark into 24 youth baseball fields. >>> water levels have dropped ten feet in the last six months along america's shipping superhighway. if parts of the mississippi river don't rise soon, shipping could come to a halt along with 8,000 jobs for the month of j

some investors are taking profits while others are buying as the nikkei has fallen be kospi is trading lower by .4 a percent. apple's net profit from october to december rose only 0.1% from the same quarter earlier. this highlights the slowdown in the company's earnings. the quarterly figure stood at $13.1 billion. the sales of smart phones and tablet computers marked a record high on a quarterly basis. analysts say that rising production costs for new models pushed down profits. they say the poor results are due to strong demand for old models whose prices were cut following the release of new ones. officials at the international monetary fund say global growth will strengthen gradually in 2013. that's as economic activity start to ease this year. the imf release an update of its world economic outlook report on wednesday. if forecast global economic growth will reach 3.5% this year. that's up from 3.2% in 2012. the imf says the euro zone economy will recover more slowly than previously expected. the imf's growth forecast for the united states is 2%. that's as long as the country cont

overseas the nikkei dropped 102, but the hang seng rose 91. >>> one week until the big game, bow wall street it is the super bowl of data. this morning, caterpillar kicks things off with earnings before the bill. exxon mobil is also on deck. investors will be looking for clues for how long apple will hold on by largest company by market cap. and more on yahoo!'s turnaround after market close today. >>> a slew of economic data out this week will help determine whether the s&p stays above the 1,500 milestone for the first time since 2007. >>> later this week, we'll see how many americans landed new jobs last month and whether the unemployment rate dips below the current 7.8%. >>> you may be hearing buzz about new credit card fees at the cash register thanks to a class action settlement between credit card companies and merchants. don't pack panic, experts don't think many retailers plan to impose that charge. >>> at the pump, gas prices have jumped two cents in the last weeks to $3.34 on average for a gallon of regular. >>> also on the rise, a first-class postage stamp up a penny to 46

as investors are keeping an eye on currency moves, the nikkei is trading flat at 10,831. some investors are trading shares to lock in gain. the dollar is slightly losing ground against the yen. the dollar against the yen is changing hands at 90.47 to 50. the euro/yen is also lower. that pair at 121.71 to 74. many market players are on the sidelines waiting for the release of u.s. gdp and jobs data later in the week. the kospi trading higher by .4 of a%. 1,948 and in australia the benchmark index is trading higher 4,873 this tuesday morning. the u.s. agriculture chief has welcomed japan's easing of impact restrictions on its country's beef. it gives u.s. cow farmers a bigger steake in the market. they decided to allow imports of meat from american cattle aged 30 months or younger. the current limit is 20 months or younger and was set seven years ago to provent risks of bsc or mad cow disease. the u.s. will continue working on eliminating trade bar yours for high quality and safe u.s. food and agriculture products. the u.s. will keep trying to expend its exports. ron kirk c

the nikkei shot down 222 while the hang seng fell 23. to wall street where apple's earnings will be front and center today. after losing its shine in recent weeks, traders will be looking for any good news to offset any talks of dwindling iphone demand which could help the tech-heavy nasdaq, one index that hasn't joined the rally. google was up after a better than expected fourth quarter report. also after hours, ibm beat estimates thanks to emerging markets. microsoft has reportedly helped finance a buyout of struggling pc maker dell. with insiders saying a deal could come within a week. >>> more fuel for the housing recovery, the national association of realtors said sales of existing homes fell to the record high. car dealers are saying mortgage rates are boosting their sales, and financing is 4% for used cars and less than 2% for new vehicles. >>> in the wake of recent tarmac troubles, the u.s. senate said it will review faa's decisions to let boeing use highly flamable lie ti up batteries in the new 787 dream liners. >>> a surprisin

they spend a lot of time -- >> a great day for japan and my bet on nikkei, by wait. >> a weaker yen.f you see the nikkei. >> i was chugging sake on the break. >> the fed handed them a gift. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> one thing to think about. >> let's bring in louise cooper. what do you think about the implications globery, louise? >> i add very interesting lunch just before christmas. and we were talking about the end of qe in the uk. currently, about 375 billion pounds of british government bonds have been augbought out ar total of about a trillion. how much can be bought? i've chatted to a number of members of the monitor committee and they recommend about half. so in the uk, that far away from the end of the qe, and when that happens, that is going to be very negative for guilts. we have seen the guilt market sell off already, rising over 2% today, up from 1.4% lows. i think the end of qe is a very worrying thing for both economies and for -- and for the government bond market. >> louise, louise, louise, you lost me a little bit at guilt. i know the world according to that guy

tokyo's nikkei dropped 1% while hong kong's hang seng gained half a percent. investors are getting ready for more fourth quarter earnings on wall street. caterpillar and ya lhoo! releas their finances. the dow closed at 13,895, its highest close sin october 31st of 2007. the nasdaq gained 19 points. >>> exxonmobil has once again topped apple as the world's most valuable company. last week apple's stock tumbled more than 14% after the tech giant posted a disappointing profit report. apple first surpassed exxon in the summer of 2011. >>> watch out at checkout if you're using a credit card. some retailers can charge 3% more with credit card purchases. this follows a lawsuit filed in 2005 against mastercard, visa, and other financial institutions. ten states have logged banning to check out fees. >>> maxi foods will reportedly pay up to $30,000 to buy devil dogs, funnybones. hostess announced they were shutting down its business. >>> and han sell & gretel witch hunters cooked up a hot spot. the r-rated action fill raked in $30,000. they plame the cold weather. the

the nikkei dropped on the day. >> it is a dispute that has been literally brewing for years. a top european court has decided the u.s. company anheuser-busch is the only company allowed to market under "bud" in europe. >> cesky budvar can use teh long form of the name. novak djokovic going to the semifinals in the australian open. he beat the czech in the quarter finals. >> just over an hour until she will play her fellow russian. >> can you imagine sitting down for a bit of tennis right now? a brat and a budweiser? [laughter] >> keep watching dw. >> we will see you soon.

overseas the nikkei gained 77 points but the hang sell fell 31. nas dam and s&p slipped monday thanks to worries apple has gone sour. shares of the tech titan dipped below $500 for the first time in one year after reports the company cut orders for iphone parts due to weak demand. after the bell ben bernanke praised washington's fiscal cliff deal which he said probably would have caused a recession this year but cautioned, quote, we are not out of the woods yet. >>> a troubling new report finds more than one in four workers are dipping into retirement funds to keep up with their current bills. apparently folks in their 40s are most likely to do this. >>> some good news on the housing front. new numbers show home prices rose 7.5% in 2012. that's the most in six years, thanks to improving demand and fear of foreclosures. >>> swatch scooping up henry winston's line of watches for $1 billion. >>> toyota sold just under 10 million vehicles last year. >>> coca-cola is taking heat for its new ad campaign, meanwhile, encouraging people to come together to

overseas the nikkei rose 74. >>> earnings optimism returned to the street wednesday.we'll see how investors react to the latest data. holiday retail sales and earnings from oil giant chevron. appled closed above 700 while facebook was spiraling fast. now facebook is nasdaq's best performing stock while apple is down. >>> aig is now thanking america instead of suing it. opting not to join the suit over the terms of its rescue package. >>> after the housing market collapsed, they're laying down new rules for lending practices. >>> meanwhile, layoffs are looming at morgan stanley for some 1600 jobs. boeing is plague down a string of mishaps this week, saying quote, it has extreatment confidence in its dreamliner. >>> starbucks' survey found that 1 in 4 have purchased the new cups. >>> overseas bargain hunters climbed into french stores hunting for sales. >>> it's an end of an era for one of monopoly token. >>> finally, an organic nonalcoholic drink for dogs. >>> mark cuban slapped by the nba, the lion dog that sparked calls to 911 and jimmy beats dave. >>> the latest on

the nikkei shot up 247 points while the hang seng climbed 166 to fin injury today. it's a busy day ahead on wall street. this morning we'll see if amazon stock don't rise. i want shot up after the bell thanks to strong quarterly profits. also keep an eye on chesapeake today the energy company got a late news on embattled ceo is stepping down and will leave the company april 1st. also new this morning toyota is recalling more than 1 million vehicles for to separate issues one dealing with potential airbag issues in some 2003 and 2004 corollas. others involved windshield wipers. lots of buzz on research and motion when the long awaited blackberry 10 is released at 10:00 a.m. eastern this morning. the first two models include an all touch screen version and a hybrid width keyboard. the "new york times" is reporting boeing was aware of problems with its dreamliner batteries before recent fires grounded its recent fleet of 787s. officials at nip upon airway said they had to replace ten batteries in their planes but safety regulators were not informed because no flights w

overseas the nikkei gained 70 points today while the hang seng rose 107 on a wednesday. last night alcoa delivered it's unofficial kick-off for the fourth quarter earning season. the aluminum maker was up after late trading thanks time proving global demand. oil dipped below $93 a barrel this morning on news that the euro zone unemployment is at its highest level since 1999. satellite tv provider dish network made a bid for clearwire despite the current deal to sell it self to sprint. speculation is swirling that a new cheeper version of apple's iphone may be in the works as the company struggle tolls regain ground in the smartphone wars. the "wall street journal" reports a plastic shell could replace a pricier aluminum casing that it has right now. 14% of world wide smartphone shipments came from apple compared to samsung's 31%. fisher price is recalling about 800,000 rock and play sleepers due to the risk of mold exposure. early birds will have to wait for their tax returns this year. the irs announced it will not begin taking 2012 filings until january 30th, more than

overseas today the nikkei fell 9 points while the hang seng lost one points. as washington gears up for its next nerve-racking budget battle wall street will be all about the corporate bottom line. fourth quarter earnings season that kicks off on tuesday and as always aluminum maker alcoa is the dow's first heavy hitter on deck followed by wells fargo and monsan monsanto. a settlement on floirk by a dozen lenders is expected to be announced today. the money will be drieded by americans in 2009 and 2010 and homeowners in danger of losing their homes. bill richardson and eric schmidt touched down in korea hours ago. last week the obama administration discourage this trip which the pair call a private humanitarian mission. >>> so, how much dough will hostess make on its bread brands? the "wall street journal" is reporting flower's food and another one are in talks to buy wonderer bread and nature's pride for an estimated $350 million. a lot of dough. >>> starting this month washington is the first state to charge electric vehicle owners $100 a year to pay for wea

overseas the nikkei soared 292 points but the hang seng dropped 67. >>> investors will look to 28:30 a.m. jobs report to determine just how stocks will ride out the first friday the year. one thing sure to heat up this cold january day, go daddy is set to unveil their 2013 go daddy girl. supermodel bar refaeli will be announced this is their spokesmodel. she'll pair up with race car driver danica patrick in a 30-second spot. >> transocean will pay $1.4 billion in addition to admission of criminal conduct. bp paid $4.5 billion settlement in november leased the platform from transocean which built and staffed the deepwater horizon. >>> and former vice president al gore personally will pocket about $100 million from the sale of this personal tv channel to al jazeera. he will serve on the board but will not be paid. >>> if you have a smartphone, listen up, that glass that covers your device is about to get a whole lot stronger. corning will unveil gorilla three glass next week. the glass covering is already in 975 android and apple devices. >>> and if you'd like to own a little piece of