Wall Street Roundup: Dudley’s days. IPO ripoff.

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Gold: Trading now at $1,405 per ounce, down 0.6% from Wednesday. Dow Jones industrial average: Trading now at 11,560.86, down 0.2% from Wednesday.

Good omens. Lots of good data heading into the new year: Claims for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level since 2008, while home sales and business activity picked up.

Dudley’s days. The president of the New York Federal Reserve released his daily schedules for the last few years, which show him meeting at a pub with old colleagues from Goldman Sachs and sitting down for breakfast with Wall Street CEOs.

IPO ripoff. A British study suggests that American banks are charging much higher rates to help companies go public than European banks, potentially costing American companies $1 billion last year.

Trading for students. An increasing number of business schools are trying to lure students by installing mock trading floors.

Send off. A comic take on the end-of-year investor letter.

-- Nathaniel Popper