Wall Street Roundup: Good domestic data, bank bookkeeping

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Good signs on the home front -- While shaky conditions persist in Europe, there is more good data about the American economy. Orders for durable goods are up more than expected, as are new home sales (thanks to government tax credits).

OECD not scared -- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its economic outlook Wednesday and rather than scaling back projections because of Europe’s troubles, the group has actually revised its forecasts for economic growth upward.

Playing with the books -- Bank of America and Citigroup lead the way among banks in playing with their books to obscure the amount of risk they are carrying, according to Wall Street Journal analysis.

-- Nathaniel Popper