Despite an annual growth figure (2.4%) that matched 2014, 2015’s anemic Q4 economic figures (a mere .7% growth) is adding yet more fuel to the fire of those concerned about the ability of the US economy to withstand global financial troubles – NYTimes

Barclays and Credit Suisse have decided to pay a combined $154.3 million to resolve allegations by the NY AG’s office and SEC that they misrepresented their private stock trading services—better known as “dark pools.” Barclays, which was facing charges, will admit in the settlement that “it misled customers and violated securities laws” (in part by telling clients that it monitored for high-speed trading but not doing so and by favoring those high speed traders) – NYTimes and WSJ and Law360

Some follow-up on the big Xerox news from last week, including company CEO Ursula Burns’ insistence that Carl Icahn’s pressure didn’t drive the decision to split as well as Breakingviews’ take that Burns’ move in taking her own future out of the equation when it came to the split was a “shareholders-first approach . . . that other corporate chiefs could emulate” – NYTimes

Still, for all the talk of Icahn’s role in the move (valid or not), the Journal picks up on a theme the Times explored last week and suggests that activists’ struggling funds is likely to impact the future influence of the Icahns and Ackmans of the world – WSJ

Despite months of “protest from lawmakers and industry groups,” the Department of Labor’s new rules that would expand the fiduciary duty standard for retirement advisors are officially on their way to the President for approval – Law360

Gretchen Morgenson focuses this week’s Fair Game column on an easy-to-miss SEC enforcement action against Goldman Sachs for advising “its clients that it had performed crucial services for them when it often had not.” Goldman quickly resolved the matter for $15 million—a drop in the bucket compared to the $5 billion faulty MBS settlement announced the same day—but its actions, says Morgenson, are important for understanding how big brokerage firms often place clients in the unknowing position of illegal naked shorting – NYTimes

China’s leaders are facing a new front in their war to guide the country’s economy to a soft landing: Wall Street—in particular, the hedge funds who are betting huge on major devaluation for the renminbi – WSJ

Meanwhile, somewhat incredibly (given their history), Argentina’s going back to the Wall Street well for a shot of cash (a mere $5 billion this time around) – Bloomberg

How millennials’ focus on experiences over “stuff” is driving change in the stock market – Bloomberg

Who says there’s no innovation at Microsoft these days?  After all, underwater data centers (that harvest energy from the movement of seawater and are cooled by that same water) aren’t exactly “in the box” thinking – NYTimes