U.S. stocks nearly flat on Black Friday

Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:01:18 -0500
U.S. stocks nearly flat on Black Friday

Stocks trade little changed on Black Friday, the traditional start of
the U.S. holiday shopping season, with subdued prospects for retailers
apparently already factored in by investors.

BLACK FRIDAY SETS TONE FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON

At suburban Minneapolis' Mall of America, the biggest U.S. shopping
center, thousands line up outside of the 520-store complex for free
gifts and "door buster" specials before the mall's first full-store
opening at 6 a.m. Is that indicative of the Black Friday trend or an
abberation?

ASIA MARKETS: HONG KONG EXTENDS RALLY, MUMBAI TRADING VOLATILE

Most Asian markets advance Friday, with Hong Kong and South Korean
shares taking gains into a fourth straight session, paced by banks as
investors snap up beaten-down lenders such as Industrial Bank of Korea
and HSBC Holdings.

RESCUE EFFORTS ON AS INDIA-PAK OFFICIALS TRADE WORDS

Army commandos battle to flush out terrorists and rescue hostages in
Mumbai early Friday, while Indian newspapers claim the coordinated
attacks Wednesday night that left at least 119 people dead and 315
wounded were carried out by a terrorist group based in Pakistan.

NOV. EURO-ZONE INFLATION TUMBLES NEAR ECB TARGET

Economists say any lingering inflation worries for the euro zone were
likely put to rest Friday after preliminary data shows that consumer
prices rose at an annual rate of 2.1% in November.