- Some people would like Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke more if he were weighing in on fiscal matters like the Bush tax cuts and stimulus spending. Much to their dismay, Bernanke seems to view himself more as a central banker than a bloviating pundit. [NYT]
- Yes, yes, General Motors (GM) is preparing for an initial public offering next month, that much is true. But is it also true that the bailed-out automaker is no longer a crappy company? [WSJ]
- How much did the economy grow in the third quarter? At a 2-percent annual rate, say experts. The official estimate from the Department of Commerce comes out this morning. [Bloomberg]
- AIG (AIG)’s AIA Asian life insurance unit took off like a rocket following its initial public offering today. The 17 percent increase in share price is a healthy sign for otherwise bedridden AIG, which continues its effort to repay a massive government bailout. [FT]
- Big software company Microsoft (MSFT) announced a 51 percent increase in third-quarter profit and said that all the Apple (AAPL) fanboys can suck an egg, because that silly little iPad couldn’t make a dent in Microsoft’s PC business. [Reuters]
mtaylor [at] observer.com | @mbrookstaylor
