Thursday Morning Links

MUST READS
Europe Demands More Greek Budget Controls – Bloomberg
Contagion fears back on Greek bailout uncertainty – Globe & Mail
Negotiators reach deal on $150B economic package – Washington Post
Moody’s places more than 100 banks on review – MarketWatch
Italian Bonds Drop After Spain’s Borrowing Costs Climb – Bloomberg
Growth Slow, but Fed Says More Easing Is Not Likely – NY Times
Fed officials open to stimulus action, minutes show – Washington Post
Gold Demand Hits New Record Highs as Europeans Stockpile – CNBC
MFGlobal Reveals You Are A Bank Counter-Party – The Big Picture
Counterfeiting and American Monetary History – Uneasy Money
The Grand Failure of the Econometric Model – of two minds
Bad Week for Freedom – The Burning Platform

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil Hovers Below $102 as Iran Tensions Bubble – AP
Gold retreats as worries over Greece hurt euro – Reuters
One Apple Analyst Says ‘Sell’ as Stock Keeps Climbing – Bloomberg
What Does Declining Gasoline Consumption Mean?/ – The Big Picture
Risks to Global Oil Supply Rival Late 1970s: Report – CNBC
PIMCO, Texas Teacher Retirement System, Soros Buy GLD; Paulson Sells – GoldCore
India gold imports down 42% in Q4 2011, top importer of the year – Commodity Online
China to Surpass India as Biggest Gold Market This Year, Council Predicts – Bloomberg
Gold miners’ results move in opposite directions – Globe & Mail
Is Gold Really An Inflation Hedge? – Capital Spectator

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
Our prolonged employment gap – MarketWatch
Consumers not fooled by government stats – NY Post
Manufacturing, housing data flag underlying strength – Reuters
The renminbi’s prospects as a global reserve currency – voxeu
China Now Owns Slightly Less than a Ton of Treasuries – EconPicData
Gov’t Economist: China May Set Lowest Growth Target Since 2004 – Bloomberg
Rep. Issa to question Mozilo on Countrywide VIP program – Housing Wire
RealtyTrac Reports Foreclosures on the Rise Again – CNBC
FHA defaults up for ninth straight month – Housing Wire
Investors hammer SoCal home prices – O.C. Register
Fed’s Tarullo Abstains on Vote to Back Statement of Principles – WSJ
Fed minutes show few supporters for QE3 – MarketWatch