The American bankers Association on Monday said it would mount a legal challenge to the "Volcker rule" unless U.S. banking regulators softened a provision of the rule that restricts bank ownership of certain investments.

In spite of the steep price cuts offered, consumers in the US did not do a lot of shopping in brick-and-mortar stores on the weekend before Christmas, Reuters reported.

During the financial crisis when the deal markets were quiet, banks parted ways with their senior investment bankers. Now that business has slowly revived, lenders are seeing that they are left with junior bankers that are a little wet behind the ears.

There are no sellers even as Scandinavian phone companies believe that mergers would benefit not only the region but corporate earnings as wel.

For hedge funds that made money this year there was only one strategy that really mattered - latching onto the stockmarket rally.

Investors have received billions of euros from European companies so cautious about the economic outlook they could find nothing better to do with spare cash, but many now want boards to snap up rivals instead - and are rewarding them when they do.

Two foreign investments in Chinese financial institutions this month suggest China will not turn away cash from countries it has taken diplomatic or trade measures against after blaming them for interference in its domestic affairs.

As the hype about the Bitcoin dies, a PCWorld report asks if the well for venture funding for the digital currency has come to an end.

Retailers are going to be ramping up efforts to lure buyers on the final weekend leading up to Christmas but shoppers intend to spend less, Reuters reported.

Venture capital investors and startup CEOs are feeling optimistic and confident about the venture ecosystem next year, according to a survey from National Venture Capital Association and Dow Jone VentureSource.