Financial Coffee

(Please click on the Newspaper link to read the full article)   INDIAN ECONOMY IMF CUTS GROWTH FORECAST Global Consumer Confidence Dips, Indians Still Most Optimistic Economy to grow slower at 5.6% in 2012-13: NCAER Policy changes key to our ratings review: Fitch INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY Fed Says Banks Forecast Improved Lending Outlook for 2013 Housing Packs Punch for U.S. Growth in 2013 and Beyond Obama’s Fiscal 2014 Spending Plan Said to Be Delayed Until March Australia’s Trade Deficit Narrows on Coal, Iron Ore Export Surge  EQUITY MARKET Banking, fin services stocks drop on weak Q3 earnings Sensex ends at 3-week low sentiment still weak FMCG volumes decline, but margins hold fort in third quarter India Inc sought debt restructuring for 126 cases in 2012 India on track to become steel powerhouse: E&Y Global M&A in healthcare IT grows $7 b in 2012  DEBT MARKET Short-term Paper Yields Fall Below Bank Base Rates Bond yields tread water on Monday Call rates edge tad higher in second half of reporting fortnight Spanish, Italian Bonds Slide Amid Signs of Political Risk China Five-Year Swaps Climb to Two-Week High as Economy Improves Brazil’s Swap Rates Drop on Outlook for Currency; Real Declines COMMODITIES Gold remains firm, silver falls, Platinum Rises to 17-Week High; Palladium, Gold Advances Platinum Supply Falls to 13-Year Low as Mines Close: Commodities Oil Trades Near One-Week Low on Iran Talks Offer, Europe Crisis  FOREX Rupee settles at 53.28 against dollar Euro May Hit 3-Week Low, Credit Suisse Says: Technical Analysis Euro to Weaken to 10-Week Lows Over Next Year, Wells Fargo Says Pound Rises Versus Euro Even as Construction Contracts  MUTUAL FUNDS Gilt assets jump 10 times in first 3 quarters of FY13 Budget may offer tax sops on pension products by mutual funds MFs sport 'RGESS' tag to tap tax-saving investment  INSURANCE Irda to Stop Schemes that Guarantee Highest NAV IRDA likely to finalise norms for traditional life insurance policies soon REAL ESTATE Need to relax land use norms to boost low-cost housing: Maken Discounts through real estate group buys OPINION Sukumar Mukhopadhyay: GST - 'Paradise lost' from fractured design Abheek Barua: Post-policy blues Britain drifts away from EU KNOWLEDGE CENTER Tax-savings Bonds are  Best option before Rates Fall Park money in a contingency fund Look beyond Section 80 C for tax-saving instruments Guarding against a weak rupee How the rupee’s movements can wreck your portfolio