* Federal Reserve expected to move closer to rate hike in today’s announcement
* Investments in US inflation-protected Treasuries surged in 2021
* China’s economic activity slowed in November
* Germany is on brink of recession due to coronavirus
* UK inflation reaches 10-year high in November
* US producer-price inflation accelerated in November to highest on record
* Congress votes to raise US debt ceiling
* Small US business optimism ticked up slightly in November
* US financial stress is below average but rising fast through early December: