A few Quick Reads.

Here's a few quick link reads for you today. 

1. Hedge funds end 2011 with a wimper. {Wall Street Journal-Subscription required}.  According to the Journal all seven trading strategies tracked by the Dow Jones Credit Suisse "Core Hedge Fund Index" are showing losses as of Wednesday, Dec. 14, with the entire index dropping nearly 8%. 

2.  A Boom in Shale Gas? Credit the Fed {Washington Post}

3. Investors continue to lose faith in stocks. {CNBC} Just over a week ago, equity mutual funds globally had the second-biggest one-day outflow of money in 2011, capping four straight weeks of net redemptions, according to data from EPFR Global.

Worldwide, investors have yanked $34 billion out of equity funds this year and put $75 billion into bonds.  {This for what it's worth I think has the ability to be a bigger picture story in 2012.  So much money has left the markets and is essentially earning nothing on the sidelines that any little spark could really ignite a rally if investors decide that they're willing to take on a bit more risk next year.}