Aubrey McClendon, 53, endured a trying year running the second-largest natural gas producer in the United States, Chesapeake Energy Corp. But as corporate, state and federal probes into McClendon and the company continue, 2013 isn't looking much easier.
WASHINGTON, Dec 27- U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected in December, hitting a four-month low as a looming fiscal crisis sapped what had been a growing sense of optimism about the economy. Gauges of business sentiment have weakened recently on worries about $600 billion in tax hikes and government spending cuts scheduled for early January.
SINGAPORE, Dec 26- Shanghai copper rose to a one-week high on Wednesday on a brighter outlook for demand in China, although concerns about a potential fiscal crisis in the United States kept gains in check. The market is focusing on the recovery of China's economy, "said Liu Xu, an analyst at China International Futures in the southern city of Shenzhen."
*Raises $16.8 bln in loans to buy out BP stake in TNK-BP. *Rosneft's $55 bln takeover of TNK-BP is Russia's biggest.
*Delay comes a week after SEC gave green light to JPM. Dec 24- U.S. regulators have delayed by two months a ruling on BlackRock Inc's controversial plan to launch a copper exchange-traded fund backed by physical metal a week after giving the go-ahead to a similar product proposed by JPMorgan Chase& Co.. That decision was seen as a benchmark for BlackRock's product.
MOSCOW, Dec 24- Rosneft, seeking to wrap up Russia's largest-ever takeover deal, has raised $16.8 billion in bank loans and signed long-term supply deals with two leading oil traders that could be worth as much as $50 billion.
*Delay comes after SEC gave green light to JPMorgan. Dec 24- U.S. regulators have delayed by two months a ruling on BlackRock Inc's plan to launch a copper exchange-traded fund backed by physical metal, a week after giving the go-ahead to a similar product proposed by JPMorgan Chase& Co..
Dec 21- Wells Fargo& Co customers on Friday had trouble accessing the bank's Web site for a fourth day, as a federal regulator reiterated the need for banks to have systems in place to ward off cyber attacks.
LONDON, Dec 21- Investors will be looking for banks that can cut costs, pay dividends and stay out of trouble next year as 2012' s across-the-board rally wanes.
An early indication of the possible cost to the banking industry came hours after UBS was fined when the U.S. federal watchdog estimated mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which had to be bailed out during the 2007/ 08 financial crisis, could have lost more than $3 billion as a result of Libor manipulation.
-USA FISCAL/BOEHNER, by Richard Cowan, 800 words). LONDON- Global investors are betting Washington will overcome its budget deadlock despite an apparently serious setback.
*JPMorgan tops global fee rankings, Deutsche top in Europe. Economic woes, particularly in the euro zone, have hurt dealmaking and dragged worldwide investment banking income down 7 percent to $69.4 billion so far this year, data from Thomson Reuters and Freeman Consulting showed.
Dec 21- Credit Suisse Group AG was the top underwriter for U.S. initial public offerings this year for the first time, bolstered by its role in helping large private equity backed companies go public. Credit Suisse was ranked eighth last year in the U.S.
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley retained their positions as the No. 1 and 2 M&A advisers globally, respectively, this year.
NEW YORK, Dec 20- JPMorgan Chase& Co, one of the biggest card issuers and transaction processors, said it has bought Silicon Valley firm Bloomspot Inc to expand its consumer marketing programs for merchants.
*Takeover values NYSE Euronext at $8.2 bln. NEW YORK/ LONDON, Dec 20- IntercontinentalExchange struck an $8.2 billion deal to buy NYSE Euronext, a combination that will propel the commodities market powerhouse into European financial futures but threaten to further reduce the clout of the New York Stock Exchange.