Quick Overview

• Obama has a new proposal that would force institutions to choose between commercial banking and proprietary trading, while seeking to limit the size of megabanks.
  

• The stock market fell amid ongoing fears about tighter monetary policy in China and uncertainty over Obama's plans to rein in risky bank activities.
  

• US jobless claims rose 36,000 to 482,000 -- more than expected.
  

• U.S. leading indicators rose1.1% in December
  

• The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's index of regional manufacturing fell from 22.5 to 15.2
  

• The UK posted a budget deficit of 15.7 billion pounds in December
  

• Canada’s wholesale sales rose 2.5% in November
  

• The World Bank increased its estimate of 2010 global growth to 2.7% from 2.0%.
  

• The lineup of vessels expected to load sugar at Brazilian ports in the days ahead rose by one to 31 ships in the week ended Wednesday, Jan. 20.
• The sugar crisis deepened on Thursday after Indonesia, one of the world’s leading importers, failed to buy a single pound of the sweetener in its latest tender.
  
  

• The International Grains Council said world wheat production is expected to fall 1.7% to 674 million tons in the 2009-10
  
  

• Colombian coffee production in calendar year 2009 ended down 32% at 7.8 million 60-kilogram bags
  

• The U.S. Department of Energy said:
  Supplies of crude oil fell 400,000 barrels to 330.6 million barrels.
  Supplies of gasoline rose 3.9 million barrels
  Supplies of heating oil fell 1.1 million barrels.
  Refinery use fell from 81.3% to 78.4% last week.
  Gasoline demand fell 0.2% YoY
  Distillate demand fell 6.8% YoY.