Wall Street rises, but off highs after Obama's talk

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks advanced on Friday, but were well off session highs after comments by President Barack Obama and House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner left investors little hope that a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" was on the horizon.

Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq had risen 1 percent around midday following economic data showing consumer sentiment was at its highest level in more than five years and wholesale inventories jumped in September.

But the fiscal cliff and the euro zone's debt crisis remain the primary concerns for investors.

House Speaker Boehner had called on Obama to lead the efforts to avert the cliff, but stood by his opposition to any tax increases on the wealthy.

Obama later invited congressional leaders to the White House to start negotiating a deal, but again pushed for higher taxes for wealthier Americans, underscoring the divide in any bargaining.

"Investors were disappointed. There was an anticipation that there may be more willingness to compromise, but just like Boehner did earlier in the day, both camps stuck to their lines in the sand, so to speak," said Mohannad Aama, managing director of Beam Capital Management LLC in New York.

The S&P 500 fell 3.6 percent in the previous two sessions, its worst two-day performance in slightly over a year, following the U.S. election as investors shifted their focus back to the looming "fiscal cliff" and the euro zone's debt crisis.

The potential for higher tax rates in 2013 is pushing investors to sell both losing and winning stocks for the year, as they seek to decrease the tax impact from their positions this year and next.

The fiscal cliff, a combination of government spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect early next year unless Congress acts to change the law before then, could take an estimated $600 billion out of the U.S. economy and push it into recession.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 13.59 points, or 0.11 percent, to 12,824.91. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 5.34 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,382.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> added 17.75 points, or 0.61 percent, to 2,913.33.

Euro-zone concerns also linger for investors. Growth in Germany, Europe's largest economy, is likely to weaken in the next two quarters as companies postpone investments while France's central bank said it expected the euro zone's second-largest economy to slip into recession as 2012 ends.

Greece is fast running out of cash while it awaits the next tranche of its 130-billion-euro international bailout that is keeping it afloat, a deputy finance minister said.

The S&P 500 closed on Thursday below its 200-day moving average for the first time in five months, a bearish technical signal that could keep stocks under pressure.

Groupon Inc's shares sank 29.5 percent to $2.77 a day after the daily deal company's results fell short of Wall Street's expectations.

The stock of J.C. Penney fell 4.8 percent to $20.65 and ranked as the S&P 500's biggest decliner after the retailer reported a sharper-than-expected decline in quarterly sales at stores open at least a year.

According to Thomson Reuters data through Friday, of the 449 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings, 63.3 percent have topped analysts' expectations - slightly above the 62 percent average since 1994, but below the 67 percent beat rate over the past four quarters.

But revenue results remain disappointing, with only 38.2 percent of companies topping expectations - well below the 62 percent average since 2002, and the 55 percent beat rate over the past four quarters.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-flat-higher-open-101252143--finance.html

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What If Apple Created a Gaming Console? - Crowdsourcing ...

I realize this question has basically already been asked, but I think it's become a little bit more relevant. Now, I'm not an avid gamer. I enjoy doing it sometimes, but I don't make it my life. The only system I have is an old PS2. But, as I said, what if Apple made an entirely new gaming system? As some people have already said, yes, Apple has the iPod touch for a gaming system, but obviously that has its limits. I think if they put all of their effort into it, it would be an awesome system, and would become hugely successful. What do you guys think?

Why wouldn't Apple make one?

Why wouldn't people want to buy one?

Do you think Apple's products are getting a little stale, and they need something fresh like this?

Would it have to be priced reasonably for it to not become another excellent product that only rich people and fanboys buy? What would that price be?

Any other reasons not to, or to do this?

asked 22 hours ago

LukeS
1?9?12?15

Source: http://lockergnome.net/questions/198782/what-if-apple-created-a-gaming-console

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home improvement | add resale value to your home

If you are planning on selling your home, you will want to take on some simple home improvements before listing it in order increase its value and sell more quickly. Here are six tips to follow when trying to increase your home?s appeal to buyers.

1. Avoid Accruing Debt ? You will want to make sure that your home improvements are cost effective and do not require financing. It is important that the money you put into repairs or improvements can be recouped in the sale. For example, instead of completely gutting and renovating a bathroom, a more cost effective improvement would be to invest in sink, counter or bathtub refinishing. Tub refinishing can update the space without all the disruption and major investment of a complete bathroom remodeling.

2. Curb Appeal ? Let?s be honest, in the competitive world of real estate, first impressions always count. An unkempt front entry or yard can turn buyers away from your home before they?ve even stepped foot inside. Cleaning and sprucing up your lawn, flowerbeds and walkways is an easy and inexpensive way to make your home more inviting.

3. Urgent Repairs ? If there are any urgent repairs such as leaky pipes or faulty electrical wiring, these should be prioritized. A home inspection will likely uncover these types of problems anyway and buyers would make an offer accordingly so you may as well get it taken care of before the house is listed.

4. Neutralize and Paint - Just because you love chartreuse in the powder room, doesn?t mean everyone will! Neutral colors and uncluttered spaces make the house seem larger and make it easier for people to envision their own furnishings in the home. Besides that, a new coat of paint on the walls and trim can freshen up the look of any room.

5. Cosmetic Upgrades ? If time and budget permit, you can consider additional remodeling projects to update your home. According to realtors and decorators, the most important areas to update are the kitchen, bath and flooring.

6. Stage It - It is time to clean, declutter, organize and stage your home. A clean and organized house gives the impression that the home has been well cared for and will be easy to maintain. If your closets or storage areas are bursting at the seams, you may want to move some of the clutter out of the house before the showings. Too much clutter and disorganization makes buyers think the home isn?t big enough to accommodate all of their things.

If you are considering making improvements to your house before selling it, talk to your realtor or local home improvement expert to see what areas of your home they recommend targeting.

Resources: Freshome Design and Architecture and Houselogic

Tagged as: add value to your home, Bathtub Refinishing, bathtub refinishing Cleveland, bathtub refinishing Pittsburgh, curb appeal, for sale, Home Improvement, home improvements, stage your home, Tub Refinishing, tub refinishing Cleveland, tub refinishing Pittsburgh

Source: http://www.my-home-improvement.com/2012/11/09/for-sale-six-tips-to-add-value-to-your-home/

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Jim Letten names Fred Harper acting No. 2 in wake of commenting ...

In the wake of a second online-commenting scandal in his office, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has promoted veteran prosecutor Fred Harper to acting First Assistant U.S. Attorney and chief of the office's criminal division, Letten said Friday morning.

Letten announced Thursday that his longtime First Assistant, Jan Mann, had been demoted after landfill magnate Fred Heebe filed a defamation lawsuit claiming Mann had tarred him in pseudonymous online comments posted at NOLA.com.

Harper had served deputy chief of the criminal division under Mann, who has been Letten's top lieutenant since he was appointed acting U.S. Attorney 2001.

Heebe claimed Mann had used the alias "eweman" to post dozens of critical comments, including a handful about Heebe, who is at the center of a sweeping federal probe. In a terse statement Thursday, Letten said Mann had admitted posting comments at NOLA.com, but did not say whether those comments were penned by "eweman."

In March, Heebe made similar claims of defamation about longtime federal prosecutor Sal Perricone, who savaged him repeatedly under the nom de plume "Henry L. Mencken1951." Perricone had been part of the prosecution team looking into the business dealings of Heebe's River Birch landfill. He admitted using the handle and resigned a week later.

A month later, Letten announced his office was recusing itself from the River Birch probe and several related inquiries. Those are now being overseen by a team of prosecutors from Washington, D.C.

Harper will likely receive a pay raise for assuming the additional duties. The Times-Picayune has requested the current and former salaries of both Mann and Harper, but Letten's office was not able to immediately provide those figures.

Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/11/jim_letten_names_fred_harper_a.html

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Obama to hold news conference on Wed. (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/261833159?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Telus profit lifted by wireless; dividend raised

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/telus-profit-rises-postpaid-subscriber-additions-175539941--sector.html

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