links for 2010-01-11

China's surging demand for steel this year is expected to dominate the landscape of the steel industry as never before. Already the world's largest producer by far, the country is expected to rev up production by nearly 10%. But the higher output likely won't exceed demand, pushing prices higher world-wide for steel, its raw materials and even coal.

The beleaguered US commercial real estate sector has been attracting a new wave of money from sources including foreign banks, US private equity firms, and a leading Chinese sovereign wealth fund.

James S. Chanos built one of the largest fortunes on Wall Street by foreseeing the collapse of Enron and other highflying companies whose stories were too good to be true. Now Mr. Chanos, a wealthy hedge fund investor, is working to bust the myth of the biggest conglomerate of all: China Inc.

The bank bonus season, that annual rite of big money and bigger egos, begins in earnest this week, and it looks as if it will be one of the largest and most controversial blowouts the industry has ever seen