Diamond set
President Obama will renominate Nobel laure ate Peter Diamond, 70, to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, while the Senate is on holiday, hoping to cir cumvent member oppo nents. Two other Fed picks, Janet Yellen and Sarah Raskin, were re cently approved, leaving one opening.
GE mortgages
General Electric will sell its mortgage unit in Mexico to Banco San tander for $162 million, creating that country’s second-largest home lender.
It’s BRICS
South Africa has been formally invited to join the BRIC group — Brazil, Russia, India and China, which would add the plu ral “S” to the emerging markets block of nations.
Oil parlay
OPEC plans to meet early in 2011 to make sure crude oil prices remain in the $100-a-barrel range. Iraq has said it wants to meet as soon as possible.
Lisbon lower
Portugal’s debt rating was lowered one notch by Fitch Ratings, due to its “deteriorating” eco nomic outlook, spread ing new alarms sur rounding the euro’s health.