Citigroup, Inc. (C) could have done better. Revenue from bond trading took a big hit. John Gerspach, Chief Financial Officer acknowledged that fixed income was weak and needs fixing.

Citi's profit was $1.3 billion compared with the year earlier loss of $7.6 billion. Revenue more than tripled to $18.4 billion from $5.4 billion a year ago. However it fell 11% from the third quarter. Citi has been aggressive in hiring more bankers causing expenses to rise. Earnings per share were four cents compared with a loss of 33 cents a year ago, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

It's a story for the record books. You could not have made this stuff up, it's so incredible.

The story deals with the behind the scenes activities of the Federal Reserve during the financial meltdown. The data revealed by the Fed and chronicled in the Wall Street Journal tell of the multi-trillion dollar loans the Fed made to financial institutions here in the US and abroad. In all, the Fed set up 10 different programs and lent some $3.3 trillion of credit.

Short and sweet -- General Electric (GE) reported higher profits on slower sales with a positive outlook.

The company reported earnings of $3.2 billion, with EPS of 29 cents, up 32% from the third quarter of 2009. This is the second quarter (oh boy, a streak!) GE increased orders, displaying continuing-earnings growth. Revenue was $35.9 billion for the quarter, down 5% on lower equipment sales and reduced GE Capital assets. GE expects fourth-quarter 2010 Industrial revenues to grow sequentially from third quarter and to be about flat with the year-ago period.

In a complex set of arrangements, the federal government has stepped in to stabilize the credit union industry, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The bailout involves wholesale credit unions. They invest money for retail credit unions and provide them with check-clearing services.

During the housing bubble, these wholesale credit unions invested in subprime mortgages, and guess what? They lost a bundle of money for their clients, who are retail credit unions.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its statement indicating again that interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time and that proceeds of Treasury securities will be continue to be re-invested into additional Treasury securities. There was no additional mention of quantitative easing. Thomas Hoenig again dissented against the FOMC statement.

Although the FOMC mentioned the economic improvement continuing, it indicated increasing concern with high unemployment and depressed housing. It also mentioned that "bank lending has continued to contract."

Top central bankers and regulators from 27 countries have agreed on new rules for central banking, according to The New York Times.

Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, said, "The agreements reached today are a fundamental strengthening of global capital markets." The agreement requires banks to raise the amount of common equity they hold to 7% of assets from 2%. Often known as Basel III, the group set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2013 for member nations to implement the rules.

Investors are running scared again and that always means that stock bargains are not far behind. Apple Inc. (AAPL) dropped another $5.87 Tuesday, landing at $239.93, and another 8 cents was lost after-hours. For most of the year I have felt that Apple was not cheap and was not going to hit $300 per share, contrary to almost anyone else with a voice. Now I feel it is worth watching as things might get silly to the downside.

Apple rose to a high of $279.01 before pulling back 14%. That is not enough of a margin of safety for me, but it has become interesting again. It clearly has earned a spot on my watch list.

Over a year ago, two Bloomberg reporters filed under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information from the Federal Reserve on their bailout activities during the market crash of 2008-09. The Federal Reserve has blocked their attempts maintaining that disclosure would harm the financial institutions involved. The latest attempt at blockage was at the U.S. Court Appeals Court.

Speaking to state legislators, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke detailed specific areas in the economy that are still weak and holding back full recovery.

Among them are:

• Topping the list is high unemployment and a weak housing market. Speaking to this point Bernanke said: "We have a considerable way to go to achieve full recovery in our economy, and many Americans are still grappling with unemployment, foreclosure and lost savings."