SG: US Housing: Home prices dipped again in August

■ Home prices moved lower in 20 US cities during August (B. Jones)

S&P/Case-Shiller (SPCS) reported that home prices in the 20 US cities that they track fell by 0.05% in August, after a downward revised 0.15% decline in July. The August print marked the fourth consecutive monthly slide and was weaker than the median Street expectation for a 0.1% rise. Since April, home prices have fallen by 0.3%, erasing three quarters of the rise posted in that month. The reported August dip left the index 3.8% below its year-to-year level the smallest 12-month decline since April.

Reuters: U.S. throws lifeline to underwater homeowners

U.S. throws lifeline to underwater homeowners
By Margaret Chadbourn
WASHINGTON | Mon Oct 24, 2011 8:53pm EDT

(Reuters) - U.S. homeowners who owe more than their properties are worth got new help on Monday with the government's expansion of a refinancing program in a step that could help up to 1 million borrowers.

Reuters: Fed Focus: Fed activists loudly signal low bar to easing

Fed Focus: Fed activists loudly signal low bar to easing
By Mark Felsenthal
WASHINGTON | Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:11pm EDT

(Reuters) - Pro-growth activists at the Federal Reserve have gotten noisier, a sign the central bank won't back off aggressive efforts to spur a stronger recovery despite the objections of critics.

CNNMoney: GDP forecast: Growing faster, but not for long

RECOVERY AT RISK
GDP forecast: Growing faster, but not for long
By Chris Isidore @CNNMoney October 24, 2011: 4:18 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Economists are a little more optimistic about the nation's economic health, but they don't think the sputtering U.S. recovery is out of the woods.

Bloomberg: Fed Wants to Ensure Housing Affordability, Dudley Says

Fed Wants to Ensure Housing Affordability, Dudley Says
By Caroline Salas Gage - 2011.10.24 12:26 PM

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William C. Dudley said the central bank wants to keep mortgage interest rates from rising too much and may do more to hold down borrowing costs.

S&P: What's Behind The Recent Rating Actions On The Five Largest French Banks?

What's Behind The Recent Rating Actions On The Five Largest French Banks? (00:06:48 min)

In light of more challenging economic and funding market conditions, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services took various rating actions on the five largest banks in France. Additionally, Standard & Poor's has also revised the Banking Industry Country Risk Assessment (BICRA) on France to Group 2 from the lower-risk Group 1. In this CreditMatters TV segment, Elisabeth Grandin, one of our senior analysts for European Banks, discusses the report related to these rating actions, which was published Oct. 14, 2011.

S&P: Shedding Light On The Global Power Industry

Shedding Light On The Global Power Industry (00:09:51 min)

Low natural gas prices and weak power demand have driven down electricity prices, stressing ratings on generators at a time when environmental compliance costs continue to rise. Utilities in rate-regulated markets to a large extent have maintained credit quality as regulators have generally allowed cost pass-through for everything from smokestack scrubbers to nuclear plant upgrades. In this CreditMatters TV segment, Lead Analytical Managers Steve Dreyer (Utilities & Infrastructure, U.S.), Peter Tuving (Utilities & Infrastructure, Europe/Middle East/Africa), and Andrew Palmer (Utilities & Infrastructure, Asia-Pacific) examine the trends shaping the global power industry. Topics include the impact of Europe’s struggling economies on utility ratings and how the Fukushima earthquake and Tokyo Electric Power have affected Asia-Pacific's utility sector.

CNNMoney: Fed's Dudley calls for housing aid

EYES ON THE FED
Fed's Dudley calls for housing aid
By Annalyn Censky @CNNMoney October 24, 2011: 9:44 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- A top Federal Reserve official is pushing for an "urgent effort" to prop up the housing market, and support the overall U.S. economy.

Bloomberg: Jobs Outlook in U.S. Worst Since 2010: Survey

Jobs Outlook in U.S. Worst Since 2010: Survey
By Shobhana Chandra - 2011.10.23 09:01 PM

U.S. companies’ hiring plans reflect the worst employment outlook since January 2010 as demand slows in the world’s largest economy, a private survey showed.

Reuters: U.S. rating likely to be downgraded again: Merrill

U.S. rating likely to be downgraded again: Merrill
By Walter Brandimarte
NEW YORK | Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:20pm EDT

(Reuters) - The United States will likely suffer the loss of its triple-A credit rating from another major rating agency by the end of this year due to concerns over the deficit, Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecasts.