In today's FT: US stocks set record as Fed steps back, Europe agree...

To view this email as a webpage, click here     Thursday December 19 2013     UK Homepage   US stocks set record as Fed steps back   The US central bank reinforces forward guidance of low interest rates with a statement that interest rates are likely to stay close to zero       Europe agrees to pool control of bank wind-ups     UK losing 'courageous instinct', warns general         Video   To coin a craze   Bitcoin's rise has been one of the great investment stories of 2013. But prices plunged after China stopped exchanges which trade the virtual currency from taking new deposits. Lex's Vincent Boland and Joseph Cotterill discuss whether the Bitcoin bubble is deflating.   US homepage   Oracle ends bad run as hardware losses pared   Figures helped by reduction in losses from hardware sales, which have been a drag on results since acquisition of Sun Microsystems four years ago       DOJ victory in SAC insider trading trial     Baucus tipped as US envoy to China   Europe homepage   NSA panel looks for surveillance overhaul   Private entities should hold call records rather than government       Venezuelans in €1bn deal with Spain's NCG Banco     West had been ready to loan Ukraine €20bn   Asia homepage   Citi picks AIA for Asia distribution deal   Agreement will give broader reach to AIA, unlocking access to Citi's more than 560 branches in the region and boosting sales in fast-growing markets       NSA fallout sees Brazil snub Boeing     EM downgrades outnumber promotions   World News   Nato chief calls for EU action on defence   Nato secretary general warns that Europe has become 'introverted' and 'preoccupied' by its own internal economic crises       Yellen Fed appointment may hit snag     Russia approves prisoner amnesty     Athens cuts state funding to Golden Dawn     Egypt's Morsi faces new set of charges   Companies News   GE predicts sales growth and cash returns   Strengthening US economy should drive double-digit growth in earnings from industrial operations and offset declining profits from GE Capital       Ex-BP engineer guilty of obstruction     New Jersey sues Credit Suisse     Calls for more scrutiny of data brokers     Deloitte faces grilling over RSA   Markets   Asia rallies after Fed opts to taper   Equities advance, taking Federal Reserve's decision to start paring back its economic stimulus measures as a signal the US economy is returning to health       US share buybacks highest since 2008     End of QE will test diversification faith     IPO optimism seen accelerating in 2014     Ultra-rich fear inflation, but love London   Comment   Doctors should prescribe not promote   As they trim sales forces in mature markets, drugs groups could be tempted to reproduce murky practices in vulnerable emerging markets       Six events that shook Asia     Consumption is not just for Christmas     Diplomacy always trumps military victory     India's parties unite in outrage at US   Management   Dilbert's creator on life beyond the cubicle   Scott Adams, the court jester of corporate bureaucracy, is also a determined and rational man with ambitious ideas he thinks could change the world       Non-business books for managers     Time & Motion         Manage email    Forward this email   Feedback    Manage portfolio Subscribe to the FT Follow the FT   Unsubscribe | My Account | RSS | Privacy Policy | About Us | Help   © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2013 You have received this email because you have signed up from the NBE preference page. This email was sent by a company owned by Pearson plc, registered office at 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL. Registered in England and Wales with company number 53723.