PRESS DIGEST - Wall Street Journal - Dec 29

Dec 29 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in The Wall Street Journal on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* The financial crisis that began with the collapse of Lehman Brothers (LEHMQ.PK: Cotización) marked sharp change by Wall Street bosses from banding together to every man for himself.

* Wealthy investors in Latin America appear to be among big losers in the Ponzi scheme allegedly orchestrated by Bernard Madoff.

* Kuwait scuttled a multibillion-dollar joint-venture deal with Dow Chemical Co (DOW.N: Cotización), potentially complicating the chemical giant's efforts to complete a huge acquisition.

* Online sales held up better than the rest of the retail market during the dismal holiday period, but the season is still likely to go down as one of the worst on record.

* New York private-equity firm Dune Capital Management has emerged as a potential buyer of the failed mortgage lender IndyMac Bank (IDMCQ.PK: Cotización).

* Strong holiday box-office results at the movies bucked the recession, giving a solid boost to two studios with a lot riding on expensive new films. Total grosses for the year stand at $9.55 billion, down 0.9 percent from last year, according to Media By Numbers.

* Steady expansion for pipeline companies is grinding to a halt as tight credit makes it harder to raise construction money, potentially limiting their ability to bring new supplies of natural gas to market.

* A report on home prices out Tuesday is likely to give the incoming Obama administration ammunition to push for additional relief for the housing sector. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of home prices is expected to reflect the continuing toll exacted by the deflating housing bubble.