Andrew Ackerman

Retail sales rose 1.3% in November, vastly surpassing economists’ expectations, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

WASHINGTON - Retail sales rose 1.3% in November, vastly surpassing economists’ expectations, the Commerce Department reported today.

WASHINGTON — The House is poised to approve a massive financial regulatory reform bill today, after considering a series of amendments late into last night.

WASHINGTON — The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board yesterday announced 11 market participants that have joined its issuer and investor advisory groups for two-year terms that end Sept. 30, 2011.

Initial jobless claims rose 17,000 to 474,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 5, the first uptick after five straight weeks of declines, the Labor Department reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON – Initial jobless claims rose 17,000 to 474,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 5, the first uptick after five straight weeks of declines, the Labor Department reported today.

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday that it has settled its civil litigation against Robert Bradbury, the former chairman and chief executive officer of the now defunct underwriting firm Dolphin & Bradbury Inc., and barred him from the securities markets.

The Justice Department must release details from 300 municipal reinvestment contracts that allegedly were rigged, as well as the identities of the alleged co-conspirators involved in those transactions, to attorneys representing CDR Financial Products and three individuals named in a federal indictment in late October, a judge in New York said Friday.

WASHINGTON — Dismissing criticism from market groups, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has moved forward with a proposal that would require muni securities dealers, as well as their finance professionals and political action committees, to disclose most contributions they make to bond ballot election campaigns.

The House Financial Services Committee yesterday approved the final two pieces of a package of legislation to reshape the financial regulatory system, paving the way for the full House to debate and vote on the measures as one omnibus bill next week.

A federal appeals court last week rejected an appeal filed by William A. ­DiBella, former majority leader of the Connecticut Senate, and his consulting firm, North Cove Ventures LLC, to overturn a 2007 jury verdict and judgement against them for their involvement in a fraudulent pay-to-play scheme in connection with the state’s pension fund.

The Securities and Exchange Commission last week released final rule changes designed to impose additional disclosure and conflict of interest requirements on rating agencies registered as nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. At the same time, it issued proposed new rules that would impose additional reporting requirements on the NRSROs.

WASHINGTON — Market participants are increasingly concerned about provisions in Senate and House regulatory reform bills that are designed to address the level of sophistication of states and localities that want to engage in over-the-counter derivatives transactions.

WASHINGTON — State securities regulators reached settlements in principle with Wells Fargo & Co. under which the firm will pay $1.9 million in penalties and buy back about $1.4 billion of illiquid auction-rate securities primarily held by its subsidiaries’ retail customers since early 2008 when the ARS market collapsed.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board yesterday filed proposed rule changes with the Securities and Exchange Commission that would dictate the priority of retail and other customer orders in primary offerings, as well as dealers’ related record-keeping responsibilities.

Groundbreaking for new U.S. home construction was down 10.6% in October to 529,000, while private housing permits fell 4.0% to 552,000, according to Commerce Department data released yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Groundbreaking for new U.S. home construction was down 10.6% in October to 529,000, while private housing permits fell 4.0% to 552,000, according to Commerce Department data released this morning.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration yesterday announced the formation of a multi-agency task force that will investigate and prosecute “significant” financial crimes and civil violations tied to the financial crisis and the government’s economic recovery programs.

Industrial production inched up just 0.1% in October, trailing economists’ expectations and monthly gains that averaged 0.9% over the previous three months, according to data released yesterday by the Federal Reserve.

WASHINGTON – Industrial production inched up just 0.1% in October, trailing economists' expectations and monthly gains that averaged 0.9% over the previous three months, according to data released this morning by the Federal Reserve.