QE is not over. Instead, in the United States, the process has simply morphed from being predominantly executed by the Federal Reserve (Fed) to being executed by its major private bank members.

December E-mini S&Ps (ESZ14 -0.35%) this morning are down -0.33% and European stocks are down -0.44% as Amazon.com dropped 10% in pre-market trading after lowering Q4 revenue guidance .

The Orderly Liquidation Authority created by the Dodd-Frank Act retains many of the flaws of ad-hoc pre-crisis practices and does little to improve creditors’ incentives to monitor risk-taking.

This report shows how well Consumer Staples ETFs and mutual fund managers pick stocks. We juxtapose our Portfolio Management rating on funds, which grades managers based on the quality of the stocks they choose, with the number of good stocks available in the sector.

Several dampening factors – asset-quality troubles, mortgage liabilities and tighter regulations – will decide the fate of the U.S. banks in the quarters ahead.

This Boston, MA-based major regional bank remains focused on improving its top line. Nevertheless, rising operating expenses CONTINUE to weigh on the bank’s financials.