Pending home sales index plunges 16%

Date: Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:01:06 -0500

PENDING HOME SALES INDEX PLUNGES 16%
Pending home sales plunge a seasonally adjusted 16% in November as a
highly popular tax credit for first-time buyers was set to expire on
Nov. 30, the National Association of Realtors reports.

FACTORY ORDERS JUMP 1.1% IN NOV.
In a further sign that the U.S. factory sector is emerging from
recession, businesses stepped up their demand in November for capital
equipment to expand production, the Commerce Department reported
Tuesday.

CHINA CENTRAL BANKER: MUST KEEP STRONG REGULATION
China's top central banker says nation needs to keep tight control
over its financial system, including making sure banks monitor their
balance sheets after last year's lending spree.

GERMAN UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT MONTH
The number of unemployed German workers falls a seasonally adjusted
3,000 in December as a result of one-time effects, government data
show. While it marks the sixth consecutive month of declines in
Europe's largest economy, some economists expect joblessness to tick
back up later this year.

U.S. STOCKS RETREAT FROM RECENT HIGHS
U.S. stocks slip as pending-home sales fall more than expected, but a
larger-than-anticipated rise in U.S. factory orders help to limit
declines.