Reuters Money: Retailers hope late Christmas shoppers bring good cheer

	Click to View in Browser 12/26/2012 Retailers hope late Christmas shoppers bring good cheer CHICAGO/WHITE PLAINS, New York (Reuters) - Retailers limped into Christmas with last-minute blowout deals on everything from TVs to celebrity-branded clothing, after a disappointing few weeks of sales led many analysts to lower their expectations for the holiday season. Home prices rose in October: S&P NEW YORK (Reuters) - Single-family home prices rose in October, reinforcing the view the domestic real estate market is improving and should bolster the economy in 2013, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday. Why you need to gauge your human capital CHICAGO (Reuters) - The end of the year is a good time to illuminate your personal financial situation in a different way. Instead of focusing exclusively on financial capital - how much money you have accumulated - look at your human capital. The sinking of "Plan B"; the U.S. "fiscal cliff" disaster of John Boehner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Had there been a vote on Republican House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" to avert the so-called U.S. fiscal cliff on Thursday night, it would not have been close. He was probably 40 to 50 votes short of the number he needed to avoid a humiliating defeat at the hands of his own party, according to rough estimates from Republican members of Congress and staff members. Considering divorce? Good reasons to wait for January (Reuters) - Going through a divorce during the holidays can be emotionally wrenching, which is why many people don't do it - they put it off until January. Investors shun bonds and seek stock ETFs despite fiscal worry NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors finally soured toward bond funds and favored riskier stock exchange-traded funds in the latest week despite gridlock over negotiations to avert the nearing "fiscal cliff" and a typically cautious year-end trading period. Showrooming little threat to clothiers in ho-hum holidays Chicago (Reuters) - In retail, showrooming has not hit shirts yet. Analysis: Apple's swoon exposes risk lurking in mutual funds NEW YORK (Reuters) - The nearly 28 percent decline in shares of Apple Inc since mid-September isn't just painful to individual shareholders. It's also being felt by investors who chased hot mutual funds that loaded up on Apple as the stock raced to a record $705 per share. Bank investors seek well behaved cost-cutters LONDON (Reuters) - Investors will be looking for banks that can cut costs, pay dividends and stay out of trouble next year as 2012's across-the-board rally wanes. Wells Fargo agrees to proposed settlement on shareholder actions (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co would pay up to $2.5 million in attorneys' fees and implement certain corporate governance changes under a proposed settlement of lawsuits brought by shareholders on behalf of the company, according to a securities filing by Wells on Friday. Related Video "Cliff" notes on investing Home stocks on shaky foundation Business News Wall Street inches up as Obama to return to "cliff'"debate Home prices rose in October: S&P The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend