Market soars on tech, banks, Wal-Mart and oil
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks snapped a four-day losing streak on Tuesday with Nasdaq notching its biggest gain in more than four years after news that Apple Inc was in talks to offer iPhones in China sent investors bargain hunting among battered technology stocks.

The Oil Bubble Loses Some Air
After weeks of setting records near $100 per barrel, oil prices retreat. Analysts wonder whether this is the start of a bigger tumble

Retail Sales in U.S. Probably Rose at Slower Pace as Fuel Costs Climbed
Retail sales in the U.S. probably increased at a slower pace in October as rising fuel prices and falling property values left shoppers with little extra cash to spend, economists said before a government report today.

Home loan demand at 1-year high as rates stay low
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Mortgage applications rose last week, with demand hitting its highest level in nearly a year as interest rates hovered near recent lows, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Foreclosure filings up in metro areas
LOS ANGELES – Homeowners across the U.S. are increasingly having trouble making their mortgage payments on time, but borrowers in metro areas of California, Florida and other once-booming housing markets are accounting for the biggest spikes in foreclosure filings, according to a mortgage research company.

AT&T to Sell Equipment to Monitor Workplaces
“It is Big Brother, but in this day and age, you need these type of tools” for theft protection, weeding out false accident claims and other risks, said Beaux Roby, owner of a chain of five Mama’s Café restaurants and two banquet halls in Texas. Mr. Roby has been using the system for nine weeks as part of a pilot program. “You have fraudulent claims from customers that trip and fall and things like that,” he said.