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Boom redux? Shares in internet search engine Google Inc.(NASDAQ:GOOG) hit a record $513 during trading this past week. Google's shares were bolstered by strong growth and expectations that it will continue to steal share in the on-line and traditional advertising markets. Google also benefited from problems at rival, Yahoo, which has suffered from a downturn in financial and car advertising, both of which contributed to a 38% fall in its most recent quarterly profits.

Happy Feet: The James Bond film "Casino Royale" was beaten at the U.S. box office by the animated comedy about a penguin with a talent for tap-dancing. "Happy Feet" took in $42.3 million in its first three days of release. "Casino Royale" -- the much-anticipated Bond flick, made $40.6 million over the same period -- though it did play on almost 400 fewer screens than its dancing penguin rival.

Consumer Watch: U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected as the housing market continued to weaken. These figures -- published by the University of Michigan -- on the eve of Thanksgiving added to fears of a downturn. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of economic growth, and the entire economy could suffer if the weakening of consumer sentiment translates into lower sales at Christmas. In the housing market, the number of new homes being built dropped to a six-year low of 1.48 million -- a 14% slump from the month before and 27 % lower than last year.

Cutting Ties: Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian will significantly cut his stake in General Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM). Mr. Kerkorian will cut his holding in GM from 9.9% to 7.4% by selling 14 million shares (at $33 each) in a private transaction. By throwing in the towel, Mr. Kirkorian may hurt the carmaker's long-term prospects, and shares which fell close to 5% on the news. Last month Mr. Kerkorian dropped plans to buy more GM shares due to his displeasure at GM's ending alliance talks with Renault and Nissan.

Merck Rising: Vioxx class action claim refused. Judge Eldon Fallon refused a request to combine 7,000 lawsuits against drug firm Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) mainly because of the "unique circumstances of each case." A mass of lawsuits targeted Merck after a study found Vioxx may double the risk of heart attack or stroke. The anti-inflammatory drug was withdrawn from the market in 2004. About 20 million people took Vioxx -- launched in 1999 and used mainly for arthritis pain. The litigation liabilities could top $5 billion.

Oil Prices Fall. The so-far mild winter and an increase in stockpiles of crude oil and gasoline has triggered a drop in oil prices. The Energy Department said crude oil inventories rose by 5.1 million barrels to 341.1 million last week, 6.6% higher than at the same time last year. U.S. light sweet crude fell to $59.24 a barrel and has held at about $60 a barrel. Sticks have continued to rise on this heartening news, which translates into lower input costs across most industries.

Adios Greenback: The U.S. Mint is planning to reintroduce dollar coins to get Americans to give up the dollar bill. Each coin will feature the image of a former president, starting in February with George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. The change could save the Treasury an estimated $500 million a year because coins last up to 40 years, compared with just 18 months for bills. There are no plans to completely eliminate paper dollars.

Urge to Merge: The value of mergers and acquisitions this year has already set a new record. Deals valued at more than $3.4 trillion surpassed the high set during the dot.com bubble of 2000. The big transactions include the $39.5 billion takeover of French steel firm Arcelor by rival Mittal Steel, Spanish utility Endesa receiving a bid from Germanany's E.ON and that has now risen to $66 billion and AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) agreeing to acquire rival BellSouth in a deal worth $83.4 billion. Last week, $75 billion worth of deals took place in a 24-hour period.

Hilary Kramer is a financial editor and money coach for AOL and an authority on investing. Visit her at www.hilarykramer.com