Stocks Rise On Lower Volume

1 Stocks jumped into the Thanksgiving holiday week on a positive note, helped by a weaker dollar and surprisingly strong housing data. The NYSE composite, Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 all climbed 1.4%. The Dow gained 1.3% to a 52-week high. Turnover fell across the board. 95% of IBD's 197 industry groups rose.

Gold Roars As Dollar Dives Lower

2 The dollar slumped vs. higher yielding currencies, launching commodities higher early Mon. But oil backtracked, ending only slightly higher after nearing the $80 a barrel mark. Gold punched to yet another record, with spot prices ending at $1,173.75 a troy ounce. Cotton prices rose to a 16-month high. Coffee gained ground.

Existing-Home Sales Jump 10.1%

3 Oct.'s surprisingly strong gain pushed sales to a 6.1 mil annual rate, the best in 21/2 years. The data reflect deal signings in Aug. or Sept. as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an $8,000 home tax credit. Set to expire Nov. 30, the credit has been extended to next spring, with $6,500 offered to current homeowners. Housing inventory is shrinking.

Dem Vows Health Bill Will Pass

4 Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said his party will push through a $959 bil overhaul of U.S. health care with or without GOP support because the "system is broken." But even some Senate Dems are critical of the bill in its current form. Also, public support for a health care overhaul hit a new low, with only 38% in favor and 56% opposed, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports.

Peet's Coffee Ups Diedrich Bid

5 The coffee chain hiked its cash-and-stock offer to $32 a share, or $265 mil, after Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (NasdaqGS:GMCR - News) bid $30 a pop, trumping Peet's (NasdaqGS:PEET - News) Nov. 2 $26 deal. Peet's shares fell 13%, cutting the new offer's value to $30.41. Diedrich Coffee (NasdaqCM:DDRX - News) makes K-Cup refills for Green Mountain's single-cup Keurig brewer system. Diedrich shot up 29.5% to 33.65, a sign investors expect more.

S&P: Most Banks Low On Capital

6 Most of the world's top financial firms lacked recommended capital levels to offset their heavy debts as of June 30, found an S&P study of 45 big banks. Citi (NYSE:C - News), UBS (NYSE:UBS - News) and Japan's Mizuho Fin'l were rated the worst, with capital ratios more than two-thirds below average. Also low were Bank of America (NYSE:BAC - News), Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB - News) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC - News).

Economists See Net Hiring In Q2

7 The U.S. economy should grow at a solid 2.9% annual rate while employment bottoms in Q1, according to a survey by the Nat'l Assoc. for Business Economics. A month earlier, when the NABE first declared the recession over, economists expected 2.6% GDP growth in '10. Job growth is key to a sustainable consumer and housing recovery.

Bullard: Continue Fed MBS Buys

8 The central bank should keep buying some mortgage-backed securities and agency bonds when the current $1.425 tril program ends in Q1 to provide policymakers some flexibility. The Fed's mortgage buys have helped keep home loan rates near record lows. There is concern that ending the purchases -- along with other support -- could cut short housing's recovery.

China Warns Against Risky Loans

9 The gov't cautioned the nation's banks to avoid risky loans, warning them that they could be barred from branch increases and business expansion if they fail to meet capital requirements, state media said. China's top regulator denied foreign media reports that it was imposing stricter lending limits and higher capital requirements, which investors fear could curb growth.

Filipinos Die In Political Slayings

10 Gunmen killed at least 21 people on their way to file paperwork for a provincial governor's race. Philippine elections are violent in the south due to the presence of armed groups, including Muslim rebels fighting for self-rule in the mostly Roman Catholic nation, and warlords who maintain private armies. Officials said the massacre was unequaled in recent history.