SpendingPulse reports online retail sales are up 15.4% (Reuters)

Global stocks had their best December performance in a decade. (Reuters)

Skype is still not working for 20% of its customers. (Reuters)

Samsung will make system chips for Toshiba. (Reuters)

Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) has made a large investment in the largest online seller of electronics and communication equipment in China–360buy. (Reuters)

Bentana Gold rejected a buyout offer from Batista. (Reuters)

Municipalities have started to raise property taxes to cover the retirement costs of their employees. (WSJ)

Some large US companies have begun to hire again. (WSJ)

Apollo Management will buy $2.8 billion in distressed commercial real estate loans from Credit Suisse for $1.2 billion. (WSJ)

Online specialty stores are leading e-commerce sales higher. (WSJ)

Boeing (NYSE: BA) begun new test flights of its 787 Dreamliner. (WSJ)

Ireland will nationalize Allied Irish Banks. (WSJ)

Administration officials cannot agree on the futures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and how they might play a larger role in the economic recovery (WSJ)

GE will take a Q4 charge to finish its cleanup of the Hudson River. (WSJ)

Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) has added to its natural gas holdings (WSJ)

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has moved aggressively into local advertising. (WSJ)

Sales of Blu-ray products have helped overall DVD sales. (WSJ)

Leonard Green will take Jo-Ann Stores private. (WSJ)

Leslie Seidman was made head of the FASB. (WSJ)

The activation of e-readers may help increase holiday online sales. (NYT)

Sales of jewelry have aided the recovery of retail sales. (NYT)

The value of Facebook and Twitter have soared based on the market which trades small investments in the companies. (FT)

Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) has tied more of its compensation to long-term goals. (FT)

France’s AAA rating was confirmed by S&P. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre