Canadian stocks drop on shortened trading day

Canadian stocks ended lower on Monday as concerns about stalled talks over the U.S. federal budget continued to capture investor's attention ahead of the Christmas holiday.

China stocks close mixed

Chinese shares closed Monday trading with mixed performance.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.27 percent, or 5.74 points, to end at 2,159.05 points. The Shenzhen Component Index finished at 8,631.37 points, down 0.31 percent, or 26.98 points.

Gold price opens higher in Hong Kong

The gold price in Hong Kong went up 50 HK dollars to open at 15,350 HK dollars per tael on Monday, according to the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society.
The price is equivalent to 1,662.59 U.S. dollars a troy ounce, up 5.42 U.S. dollars at the latest exchange rate of 1 U.S. dollar against 7.75 HK dollars.

Stocks plummet as Republicans call off budget talks

Investors sent Washington a reminder yesterday that Wall Street is a power player in talks to avoid the "fiscal cliff."
Stocks fell sharply after House Republicans called off a vote on tax rates and left federal budget talks in disarray 10 days before sweeping tax increases and government spending cuts are scheduled to take effect.

China's pork prices rise amid cold weather

Increasingly lower temperatures in the past month has led to rising pork prices, according to Xinhua News Agency's price system on national farm produce.
Pork prices were up 5.2 percent on Saturday from Nov. 20, the price system showed.

U.S. stocks slide amid "fiscal cliff" anxiety

The U.S. stocks traded lower on Friday as a setback for the ongoing "fiscal cliff" talks in Washington aroused worries about the country's economic prospects.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner failed to get enough support for his "Plan B," which proposes tax hikes for American households earning over 1 million U.S. dollars a year. The news tempered hope that a budget deal would be reached quickly.

MNI index shows China business expanding in Dec

Business conditions in China continued to improve in December, though at a slower pace than the previous month, a preliminary reading of a business sentiment indicator showed today.