At midday: Stocks fall as crude oil tumbles + MORE Dec 30th

TORONTO – Paying down debt remains the top financial priority of Canadians, but it’s a goal many appear to be having difficulty meeting, according to a new poll conducted for CIBC (TSX:CM).
The poll found that 26 per cent of respondents named debt reduction as their key financial goal for 2016, the sixth straight year it has topped the list.
Keeping up with bills/getting by came in second, cited as the main priority of 18 per cent of respondents.
Got extra cash? Your mortgage can wait »
CIBC executive vice-president Christina Kramer says the fact debt reduction has remained atop the list for so long, coupled with studies showing household debt remains at record highs, indicates many Canadians are not making the headway they desire.
“It’s not just first-time homebuyers, younger Canadians, or those impacted by shifts in the economy, such as a downturn in the oilpatch, who are focused on cutting down their debt,” Kramer said.
“Canadians across the country are telling us that reducing the burden of debt, along with keeping up with their bills, is what they are focused on…

HONOLULU, Hawaii – The White House says President Barack Obama will travel to Germany in late April to attend the world’s largest trade show for industrial technology.
Obama will also meet with Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel in what will be his fifth trip to that nation.
The White House is describing the trip as a chance for Obama to highlight the U.S. as a prime investment destination for the 6,500 exhibitors who attend the Hannover Messe. He will be the first sitting president to attend the trade show.
The White House says Obama will also use the trip to discuss negotiations on a trade pact with European Union members. The launch of those negotiations was announced in June 2013.
The White House announced the trip during Obama’s holiday vacation to Hawaii.
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WASHINGTON – Fewer people signed contracts to purchase homes in November, as the real estate market appears to have cooled after sales gains for much of 2015.
The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index fell 0.9 per cent to 106.9 last month. It was the lowest reading in 10 months. Still, the index has risen 2.7 per cent from a year ago.
Steady hiring and low mortgage rates lifted home sales for much of this year. But the pace of buying slowed after the end of the summer, with inventories tight and home values rising faster than incomes. Signed contracts last month fell in the Northeast and West market, while rising slightly in the Midwest and South.
Pending sales are a barometer of future purchases. A lag of a month or two usually exists between a contract and a completed sale.
The decline in contracts occurred as finalized sales are slowing.
The Realtors said last week that sales of existing homes tumbled 10.5 per cent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4…

A roundup of what The Globe and Mail’s market strategist Scott Barlow is reading this morning on the Web

Gold prices also weigh on TSX