VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Bankers responsible for floating companies and selling new shares into the market will enjoy a well-earned rest this Christmas after their busiest year since 2007, having notched up business worth almost $865 billion in the last 12 months.

Shoppers filled up malls and department stores on the last weekend before Christmas, as the weather cooperated to help raise the prospect of a solid finish to a holiday season that has so far produced mixed results.

If you still have Disney's Frozen Castle and Ice Palace Playset on your holiday gift list this year, you may already be out of luck. With Christmas approaching, the $119 toy - made by Mattel Inc - is sold out. Of course, you can find it at resellers for about $225 and even as high as $700 on eBay.

Amazon.com Inc has installed more than 15,000 robots across 10 U.S. warehouses, a move that promises to cut operating costs by one-fifth and get packages out the door more quickly in the run-up to Christmas.

Most U.S. retailers reported strong sales in October, a sign American consumers were spending with more gusto and could help keep the economy growing at a brisk pace.

Determined not to repeat a holiday season that left millions of packages delivered too late and customers seething, United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) and FedEx Corp (FDX.N) are investing heavily in new infrastructure - but the continued dynamic growth of e-commerce will test those efforts.

Australia-based boutique funds management company Paradice Investment Management has acquired a 5.14% stake in electronics retailer Dick Smith, according to a document filed with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

It's the final countdown for retailers who have done their best to whet U.S. consumers' appetites for Christmas shopping deals, and the stores may show whether they have made the best of a truncated shopping season

Online shopping website Amazon is set to dominate this holiday season, rising above other ecommerce rivals and traditional retailers and hitting a 54% increase in its stock this year.

According to tech giant Sony, the company sold over 1 million PlayStation 4 game consoles, its first game system in seven years, just 24 hours it went on sale last Friday.

Walmart decided to offer its holiday deals early in anticipation for holiday shopping season.