Consumer Confidence Leaps; Hong Kong Injects More Stimulus; Virgin Atlantic Sees Cloudy Skies; South Africa Enters Recession; Experts: Supreme Court Nominee Neutral on Business; Hedge Funds Bet Big on Commodities; GM Gets Labor Concessions in Canada; Russian Firm Takes $200 Million Stake in Facebook

U.S. stocks and oil prices turned south on Friday as investors questioned recent rallies in the face of economic data that still shows a mixed picture of when economies will rise from a deep global recession.

From its high of $147 a barrel last July, West Texas Intermediate Crude oil prices have crashed a cumulative 74%. That ranks as one of the worst absolute declines for any asset since the onset of deflation last July as investors dump most commodities, except gold, silver and several other soft commodities.

In an interview with the Financial Times yesterday (Monday), Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said his government is ready to expand on the $586 billion (2 trillion yuan) stimulus package it unveiled late last year.

Gold hit two historic milestones in 2008. First, in early March, the “yellow metal” hit its all-time high of $1,030 an ounce. Just three months later, the price of gold for December delivery had plummeted to $681 an ounce, a 21-month low and 33.9% drop from its record high. Most gold bugs were equal parts puzzled and broken-hearted.

Gloomy economic picture fuels risk aversion… Financials, energy, retailers among top drags… Dow off 4.3 pct, S&P 500 off 5 pct, Nasdaq off 5.3 pct

U.S. stocks open slightly lower in thin holiday trade… Retailers fall on worry about weak “Black Friday” sales… Energy shares pressured as oil prices slip below $53

The commodity “supercycle” isn’t dead, says Justice Litle. Global demand has flat-lined for now, but the fundamental story of emerging market growth has not changed. And low prices are forcing many mines to shut down operations. This means that when demand recovers, it will do so faster than new supplies can reach the market. And that’s when gold will soar past $1,200 an ounce.

Thank goodness for MoneyWeek, that’s all I can say. Because, aside from a couple of noble souls at the Daily Telegraph, nobody else in the mainstream media gets it.