Morning Money Memo…

Five years after the financial crisis that led to the recession, federal regulators are set to usher in a new era of banking reform. The changes put new requirements in place for financial firms that trade securities on behalf of their clients. Five US financial agencies are expected to approve the new regulations, which would ban banks from making bets with their own money. The Volker Rule is considered a key test on strength of the complex Dodd-Frank legislation.

In more fallout from the recession and financial crisis, the US government lost $10.5 billion on the General Motors bailout, but it says the alternative would have been far worse. The Treasury Department has sold its final GM shares Monday, recovering $39 billion of the $49.5 billion it spent to save the automaker five years ago. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says that without the bailout, the US would have lost more than a million jobs, and the economy could have slipped from recession into a depression. Research by the Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research says the bailout saved 1.2 million jobs.

More than ever American homeowners are putting up solar panels on their roofs. A new report from the Solar Energy Industry Association and GTM Research says during the third quarter the number of solar panels installed on residential homes rose by 49 percent from the year earlier.

Germany's express delivery and mail company Deutsche Post DHL is testing a drone that could be used to deliver urgently needed goods to hard-to-reach places. The small pilotless helicopter flew a package of medicine today from a pharmacy in Bonn to the company's headquarters on the other side of the Rhine River. The company has no plans to start actual drone deliveries. Amazon is also working on a drone to deliver goods to customers despite legal obstacles in the U.S.

A big deal in the food industry and hopes for progress on the federal government budget nudged stocks back into record territory yesterday. Futures are up slightly today. Food distributor Sysco jumped 12 percent after announcing an agreement to buy rival US Foods for more than $8 billion. Stocks extended a rally from Friday that was driven by a report of solid job gains. Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management Group, says stocks were supported by reports that members of Congress are moving closer to reaching a longer-term budget deal.

Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesnow