In a further sign of business confidence, the November reading on capital spending plans was revised higher to show a 3 percent gain, up from the 2.6 percent rise reported a month ago.
But July factory orders were revised to a 1.7% gain, up from the 1.3% gain originally reported.
After adjusting for taxes and non-controlling interests, investment losses and derivatives gains represent a net $1.5 billion gain, up from $610 million a year earlier.
That would take the top rate on ordinary income, such as salary and interest, up to 39.6 from 35% now and the top rate on long-term capital gains up to 20%, from the current 15%.
For investors, the fiscal cliff includes a tax increase on dividends (making them the equivalent of ordinary income, on which rates could rise to as high as 39.6 percent) and capital gains (up to 20 percent from 15 percent).
Its share slid 11 per cent in the 12 weeks to January 3, while Aldi and Lidl saw combined gains up 8.3 per cent from last year to 9.7 per cent.
Though the government revised the January retail sales gain up to 0.7 percent from 0.3 percent previously, most economists have trimmed forecasts for consumer spending and economic growth for the first quarter.
Drawing on research that aims to separate the effects of different kinds of capital, they calculate that the gain up to now from even the limited access to international capital these countries have enjoyed might be about the same.If the gains from (incomplete) capital-market integration really are as big as that, they would be worth the price of a financial crisis or two.
The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR --which broadEPSCoR --whichphic distribution of fEPSCoR --whichc research and development funding--got the broadensgain, up 3.5%, from $93.7 the$97.0 million.
That's because for 2003 there are seven different long-term cap gains rates, up from five in 2002.
That's a lot better than handing over 20% in long-term capital gains tax (up from today's 15%), as President Obama is proposing.
