On Wednesday, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, held a meeting with senior executives from China's big commercial banks the major underwriters and buyers of Chinese bonds to discuss how to enhance banks' internal risk controls in bond trading, according to the people.

WSJ: China Probe Focuses on Trading of Bonds

While chairing a committee with a diverse set of views, Mr. Bernanke has been able to push through his policy particularly a second round of bond purchases even with internal dissent by a minority.

WSJ: Dissenters at Fed Will Gain Clout

What is not in question is the formidable force of personality and political skill that enabled him to unite and hold together a broad leftist alliance always bubbling below the surface with ideological idiosyncrasies and internal divisions, and of the deeply personal bond of loyalty that Chavez commanded among the millions who made up his red T-shirted chavista power base.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

That might be good for Fidelity, which has a huge internal market for shares and an investment in alternative trading systems, but not for small investors: in the bond market, which is electronic, they are routinely stuffed.

ECONOMIST: American stock exchanges