• The German economy, Europe’s largest, declined about .25% in the fourth quarter according to the Federal Statistics Office. Annual growth slowed to 3% for all of 2011, from 3.7% in 2010. With the euro zone debt crisis far from over it will be difficult for the German economy to avoid recession. From Bloomberg News.
• Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire primary election Tuesday by a wide margin. With Romney’s momentum building, the next primary in South Carolina is almost do or die for many of the other contenders in the field. From the Wall Street Journal.
• After generally poor performance in 2011, hedge funds have failed to capture the latest up move in equities in the U.S. According to data from the International Strategy & Investment Group, net exposure to equities is close to its lowest point since June 2008 for funds. From Bloomberg News.
• A car bomb killed an Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran today. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan was killed by the blast. He was the deputy head of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran is blaming Israel and the U.S. for his death. Tensions in the region continue to boil over Iran’s nuclear program. From The Financial Times.