Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:      

• PBOC Signals Monetary Policy May Not Ease as Much as Some Hope. 

• Italy's Populists Win Key Vote on 2019 Budget in Parliament.

• Deutsche Bank Is Well-Positioned for Crisis, Chairman Tells FAS.

• 2018 in Graphics.

• The Year in Pictures.

• Bad Liquidity or Bad Markets? Traders Weigh in on Stock Tumult.  

• U.S. Options Volume Surged to Record in 2018.  

• Hedge Funds Bet on Oil Rally in 2019 After Wackiest Year-End in Decade.   

• ‘Completely Bizarre’ Stock Moves Leave Traders Scratching Heads.

• Treasury Yield Drops to 10-Month Low at the End of Volatile Week.

Wall Street Journal:

• U.S., China Fleshing Out Trade Deal.

• Volatile Stocks Test Investors’ Resolve.

• High-Tax State Exodus.

• Retail Report Card for 2018: From Walmart to Tiffany’s.

• An Epic Battle Over App Fees.

• Corporate Debt Is Reaching Record Levels.

Barron's:

• Had bullish commentary on (MPC), (TGT), (DIS) and (BBY).

MarketWatch.com

• Here’s why stock-market bulls are banking on January to steady the ship.

Fox News:

• House probe of FBI-DOJ’s anti-Trump, pro-Clinton bias ends with a whimper – and no report.

• Trump blames Dems’ immigration stance for deaths of kids at border.

CNBC:   

• Netflix(NFLX) says a third of its global subscriber base watched ‘Bird Box’ in the film’s first week

• Jim Paulsen is bullish on stocks again and says it’s time to ‘buy the dips’.

• Is the buyback surge over? Don’t bet on it.

• 
  Goldman Sachs cuts forecast for first half of 2019, says weaker growth needed to ‘land the plane’.
  

Zero Hedge:

• "Nude Selfie" In Russia Case Reveals How Deep Mueller's Probe Goes.

• "Election Meddling" Enters Bizarro World As MSM Ignores Democrat-Linked "Russian Bot" Scheme.

• "Fake News Journalists Come Down": Chanting Yellow Vests Protesters Gather Outside French TV Station.

• After "Long And Very Good" Call With Xi, Trump Says China Trade Deal "Moving Along Well"

• Two More Spiegel Employees Out After Fake News Scandal Expands.

• What Is Behind The Market's Record Liquidity Collapse.

• Opioid Crisis Leaves 700,000 Americans Dead: "Epidemic Continues To Worsen And Evolve". 

• Chinese Journalist Sentenced To 4 Years Over "Subversive" Retweets.

• Leveraged Loan Prices Collapse Amid Record-Breaking Outflows.

• A 'Goodwill Gesture': China Lifts Ban On US Rice Imports Ahead Of Trade Talks

• Outrage After Swedish TV Downplays Gruesome ISIS Beheadings, Threatens Prison For Sharing Video.

• Biggest Buy Order In History Hits, Spiking Stocks... But Is It The Pensions?

• Eddie Lampert Makes Last Minute $4.6 Billion Bid To Rescue Sears.

• Voters Blame Trump For Shutdown, Yet He Remains A Huge Online Betting Favorite To Win In 2020.

• Massive New Migrant Caravan To Leave Honduras; Overloaded El Paso Faces Imminent "Crisis". 

• Southern California Home Sales Plunge 12% In November As Prices Peak.

• CenturyLink System Failure Causes 911 Outages Across The US.

• Stocks Soar Then Slide Following Epic Pension Buying Fake Out.

Business Insider:

• Despite Trump's border wall and immigration rhetoric, a third of Latino voters still support GOP.

The Telegraph:

• EU planning to hit small businesses in UK with VAT bombshell after Brexit, MPs warn.