The  SEC will try to make market traders less reliant on ratings agencies. (Reuters)

GM (NYSE: GM) will set up a profit-sharing plan for workers. (WSJ)

S&P warned Japan on its credit rating. (Reuters)

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) began production of its new iPad. (WSJ)

The UK’s LSE will buy the Toronto Stock Exchange. (Reuters)

The spread between Brent crude and US futures hit a record. (Reuters)

Facebook moved to larger offices and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) may set up office in Los Angeles. (Reuters)

The FCC will set new rules to aid the expansion of broadband. (Reuters)

Javelin Strategy & Research reported ID theft dropped 28% in the US last year. (Reuters)

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) will launch new tablets and updated PCs. (Reuters)

The world’s largest McDonald’s (NASDAQ: MCD) franchisee will have an IPO. (Reuters)

Moody’s Analytics said home prices hit pre-bubble levels. (WSJ)

The S&P has nearly doubled from its low in 2009. (WSJ)

Concerns about inflation cause China to raise rates again. (WSJ)

A  US investigation said that driver error and not electrical problems cause most sudden acceleration errors. (WSJ)

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it would begin to attack Wall St. abuses. (WSJ)

The IRS announced an offshore amnesty. (WSJ)

The Administration will recommend the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will disappear over time and federal support for housing will drop. (WSJ)

Hawks in the Federal Reserve want  QE2 cut back. (WSJ)

The UN said there is a large risk to the size of wheat crops in China. (WSJ)

ArcelorMittal said US steel demand would rise 10% this year.

Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) profits rose 54%.

The Federal Reserve is looking at which large financial firms may be as risky as big banks in a credit crisis. (WSJ)

Commercial property lending is up. (WSJ)

State that borrow from the federal government to pay unemployment taxes and benefits may get an extension to repay these loans. (NYT)

US company share buybacks are reaching post crisis highs according to Trim Tabs. (FT)

Firms that supported large LBOs have started to get returns as the IPO market recovers. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre

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