Media Digest 12/1/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NY Times, FT, Bloomberg

Reuters:   A $25 billion debt plan for Dubai World helped calm markets.

Reuters:   GE (NASDAQ:GE) and Vivendi agreed to value NBCU at a price which gives the French company $5.8 billion for its 20% share.

Reuters:   The unemployed face higher healthcare premiums.

Reuters:   White House financial adviser Summers said unemployment will stay high.

Reuters:   November sales will shed more light on the holiday season.

Reuters:   The Treasury is pressuring mortgage companies to provide home loan relief.

Reuters:   Car company Geely will get $1.8 billion from Chinese banks to buy Volvo.

Reuters:   Black Friday sales disappointed investors.

Reuters:   The Treasury gave guidance that should speed “short sales” of homes.

WSJ:   As the stimulus money for highway construction drops the industry will layoff workers.

WSJ:   A federal judge is questioning an SEC deal to settle an insider trading of shares in Nova Chemicals.

WSJ:   “Cyber Monday” sales were helped by discounts.

WSJ:   GM directors will decide the fate of Saab at their upcoming meeting.

WSJ:   Nokia (NYSE:NOK) sued Asian LCD makers.

WSJ:   The CBO says the stimulus package sustained 600,000 to 1.6 million jobs in Q3.

WSJ:   DeBeers said shareholders will put $1 billion into the company.

WSJ:   US steel companies are shutting plants.

WSJ:   India’s growth is pressuring its central bank to raise rates.

WSJ:   Blockbuster (NYSE:BBI) plans kiosks to compete with Redbox.

WSJ:   Charter Communications came out of bankruptcy.

NYT:   Oil companies are making big investment in Iraq.

NYT:   Experts are trying to predict the next blow-up after Dubai.

NYT:   Sanford C. Bernstein said AIG’s (NYSE:AIG) P&C business has a $11.9 billion shortfall in reserves to pay claims.

NYT:   The Fed is beginning to test the effect of moving out of its securities support effort.

NYT:   Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) bought a manufacturer in South Korea.

FT:   The CBO expects little savings on insurance premiums from the healthcare program.

FT:   US commercial real estate default rates hit 3.4% in the third quarter.

FT:   BP (NYSE:BP) faces a new probe over an Alaska pipeline spill.

FT:   Carlyle was sued by Kuwait over its management of funds.

FT:   US manufacturers said they need relief from environmental laws.

Bloomberg:   China manufacturing rose again last month.

Bloomberg:   GM may sell some assets of Saab to Beijing Auto and close the brand.

Douglas A. McIntyre