Business Today: Futures higher, point to positive start for 2015

		Click to View in Browser 01/2/2015 Futures higher, point to positive start for 2015 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on Friday as equities looked to rebound from a sharp decline in the previous session, though moves and volume were likely to remain tepid as the holiday week draws to a close. Oil hits new post-2009 low below $56 as supply glut prevails LONDON (Reuters) - Brent crude reversed early gains on Friday to fall to a fresh post-2009 low below $56 a barrel, as a glut of oil that has halved prices since June outweighed investors positioning at the start of the year for a possible eventual recovery. Free delivery creates holiday boon for U.S. consumers at high cost SAN FRANCISCO/CHICAGO (Reuters) - For top U.S. retailers, free delivery is now the norm. That is good news for shoppers, but not so much for investors. Weak factory reports from Asia, Europe suggest more central bank action LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - The global economy ended 2014 in a fragile state as factories struggled to maintain growth across Europe and Asia, business surveys showed, adding to pressure on central banks to implement more stimulus. Merkel ally urges ECB not to buy struggling states' bonds BERLIN (Reuters) - A senior member of Angela Merkel's party warned the European Central Bank not to pour money into Greece and other struggling euro zone states through bond purchases, saying this would reduce pressure on them to enact much-needed reforms. Russia oil output hits post-Soviet high, small firms help MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's 2014 oil output hit a post-Soviet record high average of 10.58 million barrels per day (bpd), rising by 0.7 percent helped by small non-state producers, Energy Ministry data showed on Friday. China factory slowdown a force for disinflation, Asia faces softer demand SYDNEY (Reuters) - China's growth engine looks to have ended last year on a flat note as its massive factory sector sputtered in December, though ebbing price pressures also offered scope for more policy stimulus from Beijing and across much of Asia. General Motors issues three new recalls, cites ignition systems NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Motors Co began the new year by announcing three new vehicle recalls on Thursday, as the ignition switch crisis continued to dog the automaker after millions of vehicles were recalled in 2014. Hyundai-Kia see 2015 sales growth weakest in 12 years SEOUL (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia Motors Corp forecast sales this year to grow at the slowest pace since 2003, hampered by capacity constraints and a weaker yen that is likely to give Japanese rivals an edge in key markets. Ambac sues Bank of America over Countrywide mortgage bonds NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ambac Assurance Corp sued Bank of America Corp to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars of losses from insuring roughly $1.68 billion of securities backed at least in part by risky mortgages from the bank's Countrywide Home Loans unit. Related Video UK: probability rising for EU exit? Brazil's Rousseff sworn into second four-year term Economic News Wall St. pulls back from record; utilities slump U.S. consumer confidence rises in December A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend