INFLATION

Asian stocks rose more than 1 percent and U.S. index futures also gained on Friday, as signs of a strengthening economy in the United States encouraged a year-end bounce for riskier assets.

Sigh. A lot of people are predicting more of the same for 2012: Another year of stock market volatility, high unemployment, banking industry upheaval, weak housing and more talk about Facebook, mobile commerce, 401 plans and taxes.

The fact is everyone in the financial services or wealth management business has thought about what they feel the markets will do next year. Following are the 10 market predictions for 2012 from Oliver Pursche, co-portfolio manager of GMG Defensive Beta Fund.

India's food inflation eased sharply in the year to December 10 on lower prices of rice, cereals and vegetables and benefiting from a higher statistical base a year ago, indicating sticky headline inflation could be moderating.

Controlling inflation remains an overriding priority, Sonia Gandhi, the head of the ruling Congress party said on Wednesday, indicating inflation, which has refused to budge from above 9 percent for a year now, is a matter of grave concern.

At a time of daily stock-market seizures, weekly bank and sovereign debt downgrades and monthly central bank interventions, most people are seeing the glass half empty, and have forecasted bearish -- if not downright abysmal -- market conditions for next year. A look at some of the more salient predictions.

Ron Paul's has emerged as the new GOP frontrunner in Iowa with a not-Mitt tag. But political pundits and voters should pay greater heed to his sudden rise. The anyone but Romney title downplays Paul's emergence, writing him off as just the latest in a string of candidates-du-jour. But Ron Paul is more than a fling.

Americans are making progress in working down their heavy debt burden, but they are struggling to break out of another funk holding back the economy: their deep pessimism.

China's November housing inflation eased to its lowest level in the year, a victory for Beijing's campaign to ward off property bubbles as it steadily loosens monetary policy to ensure a soft landing in the world's second-largest economy.

China's November housing inflation eased to its lowest level in the year, a victory for Beijing's campaign to ward off property bubbles as it steadily loosens monetary policy to ensure a soft landing in the world's second-largest economy.

Average house price inflation in China's 70 major cities eased to 2.2 percent in November from October's 2.8 percent, according to Reuters calculations using official data published Sunday.

With less than two weeks left before the end of the year, all kinds of market participants, from economists at multinational banks to stock bloggers in their bedrooms, have begun to give their predictions for 2012. Here is a lucky set of seven predictions that could benefit investors next year.

Europe's debt crisis threatens to throw a strengthening economy off track, but more monetary accommodation from the U.S. Federal Reserve is not the answer, a top Fed official known for his hawkish views on inflation said on Friday.

Consumer prices were flat in November as Americans paid less for cars and gasoline, a further sign of a cooldown in inflation that could give the Federal Reserve more room to help a still weak economy.

Inflation at the consumer level remains moderate -- and that should give the U.S Federal Reserve more time to stimulate the U.S. economy -- something that's good news for investors and job seekers alike.

Consumer prices were flat in November as Americans paid less for cars and gasoline, a further sign of a cooldown in inflation that could give the Federal Reserve more room to help a still-weak economy.

European shares were slightly higher on Friday at mid-day amid thin trading as miners tracked rising metal prices, offset by lingering concerns over the Eurozone debt crisis and reservations ahead of U.S. inflation data.

Stock index futures rose on Friday in thin volume as key euro zone bond yields eased ahead of the release of U.S. inflation data.

Despite unprecedented quantitative easing by the Fed, and $1 trillion-level U.S. budget deficits, the dollar continues to hold its own against a basket of the world's other, major currencies.

India's food inflation eased to 4.35 percent in the year to December 3 - its lowest reading since late February 2008 -- from an annual 6.60 percent rise in the previous week, government data showed on Thursday.

U.S. chief executives' view of the economy was little changed in the fourth quarter, though they are growing concerned about the risk of inflation in raw material prices, according to a survey released on Wednesday.