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CorEnergy Declares Fourth Quarter 2017 Common Stock and Preferred Dividends

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CORR, CORRPrA) ("CorEnergy" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors declared a fourth quarter 2017 dividend of $0.75 per share (or $3.00 per share annualized) for its common stock. The dividend is payable on February 28, 2018, to shareholders of record on February 14, 2018. The Board of Directors also declared a cash dividend of $0.4609375 per depositary share for the Company’s 7.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock. The preferred stock dividend, which equates to an annual dividend payment of $1.84375 per depositary share, is payable on February 28, 2018, to shareholders of record on February 14, 2018. About CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc. CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CORR, CORRPrA), is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns essential energy assets, such as pipelines, storage terminals, and transmission and distribution assets. We seek long-term contracted revenue from operators of our assets, primarily under triple net participating leases. For more information, please visit corenergy.reit . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Although CorEnergy believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in CorEnergy's reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by law, CorEnergy does not assume a duty to update any forward-looking statement. In particular, any distribution paid in the future to our stockholders will depend on the actual performance of CorEnergy, its costs of leverage and other operating expenses and will be subject to the approval of CorEnergy's Board of Directors and compliance with leverage covenants. //www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180124006262/en/ CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc. Investor Relations Lesley Schorgl, 877-699-CORR (2677) info@corenergy.reit Source: CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/business-wire-corenergy-declares-fourth-quarter-2017-common-stock-and-preferred-dividends.html

ESPN’s New Pitch to Advertisers: ‘We Reach Women’

39 COMMENTS In the past, advertisers generally turned to sports TV to reach male audiences. But increasingly—with prodding from networks like ESPN—they’re taking a broader view. ESPN, armed with new data about its viewers, is more aggressively selling its female audience, starting with the College Football Playoff, which culminates in Monday’s championship game. The timing couldn’t be better. Advertisers are looking for new ways to reach women, and more efficiently reach broader audiences, as consumer viewing habits change. Financial services firm Northwestern Mutual is among the advertisers using college football to reach women and families. The company wasn’t new to the playoff, and knew that the sporting event reached a “healthy mix of men and women and families,” but a new pitch and compelling data from ESPN helped the company “come up with different ad spots” targeting women and families, said Aditi Gokhale, Northwestern Mutual’s chief marketing officer. The new campaign, dubbed “Spend Your Life Living,” includes one ad that follows the story of a female architect who decided to leave her current job to start her own business, with support from Northwestern Mutual. It’s the company’s first TV ad with a storyline focused solely on a woman and her career, said Ms. Gokhale. “We’re taking a personalized approach,” she said. Movie studio Warner Bros., also a longtime ESPN advertiser, is using the game this season to promote its family-friendly film “Paddington 2” to a broad audience of men and women. “The perception was that [college football] was always more male in the past,” said Blair Rich, president of worldwide marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures. “We used it for male-targeted films or broader films.” Now, the “evidence of what ESPN is showing” is compelling, she said. ESPN’s sales pitch is an extension of its new marketing strategy to broaden its audience, with the aim of giving a boost to ratings and subscribers. The effort comes as ESPN grapples with a shift from traditional TV viewing to online consumption, leading to cord-cutting and subscriber losses. The network also recently announced that John Skipper resigned as its president, citing substance-abuse issues. ESPN’s audience makeup during the college football playoffs was fairly consistent year-to-year, according to an ESPN spokeswoman. Still, the company has been making its case to advertisers with newly available data, such as Nielsen metrics that now encompass out-of-home viewing and streaming. For example, ESPN found that its out-of-home audience watching the playoffs skewed slightly more female than its in-home audience, according to Nielsen figures from last year’s playoffs, calculated over a three-game average. Women also saw a larger lift in viewing from out-of-home than men, with a 9.4% lift over in-home audience compared to 7.2% for men. During last season’s College Football Playoff, 41% of the viewers watching at home were female and 59% were male, not including out-of-home viewing or streaming, according to Nielsen data from ESPN. Relying on this kind of audience data in a sales pitch is a shift for ESPN, said Ed Erhardt, president of global sales and marketing at ESPN. The story ESPN is communicating to advertisers is more “about audience and less about the sport,” he said. “The sport speaks for itself, and we did a wonderful job for many years of pitching the ascendancy of the College Football Playoff.” Advertisers targeting women aren’t necessary flocking to sports because they think more women are watching sports, explained Jeremy Carey, a managing director at Omnicom’s Optimum Sports. They’re flocking to sports because it’s getting more difficult to reach women through general primetime programming. With general primetime entertainment ratings declining more than sports ratings, advertisers are seeing sports as a more desirable vehicle than it used to be to reach women, he said. And they’re tweaking their creative to be more gender-neutral, accordingly. “If we took top programs that delivered females 18-49, historically you would have found a very large percentage of primetime programming,” he said. In 2017, “about 75% of those programs are sports now.” That’s a “drastic shift” in recent years regarding “where females are available at mass scale.” The shift in ESPN’s sales strategy is also evidence in how the network is promoting the playoff. The network teamed up with The Bachelor to create a video in which college football mascots, instead of women, compete for the heart of the bachelor during the show’s Rose Ceremony. The network also changed up its media mix to include ad buys reaching female and casual fans, such as The Skimm, YuMe and Spotify. Write to Alexandra Bruell at alexandra.bruell@wsj.com

https://www.wsj.com/articles/espns-new-pitch-to-advertisers-we-reach-women-1515409200

LIVE MARKETS-Has the UK market "cemented" its rotation into cyclicals?

January 18, 2018 / 3:49 PM / Updated 41 minutes ago LIVE MARKETS-Has the UK market "cemented" its rotation into cyclicals? Reuters Staff 11 Min Read * European shares dip * Tech leads gains * Utilities suffer most Jan 18 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net HAS THE UK MARKET "CEMENTED" ITS ROTATION INTO CYCLICALS? (1547 GMT) For Man Group, the answer is a clear "yes". "In the UK, the year has started with a marked rotation away from defensives and towards cyclicals. This trend had already begun in December 2017 but it has been well cemented so far in 2018", Man's analysts wrote in their 'Views from the floor' publication. Here's their chart: (Julien Ponthus) BE SELECTIVE ON EUROPEAN BANKS (1511 GMT) The cyclical rally that has shaped stock trading in January has seen banks as protagonist mainly because of strong GDP expectations and the rising bond yields. Yet investors ought to be selective in their picks, advise JP Morgan analysts in a note on European lenders. That being said, they spot two pair trade opportunities going into fourth-quarter results. 1) Prefer Natixis over Societe Generale: "We see better risk-reward for Natixis, which also has higher gearing to lower US tax rates with 8% EPS upgrade potential on lower rates which we do not believe is priced in; meantime we see downside to earnings and dividends for 2018 for SG following a weak Q4 marked by one-offs and declining capital." 2) Prefer Swedbank over Nordea: "We believe a confirmation of ongoing volume growth in Sweden and a reassurance on asset quality with mortgage LTV of 53%, will result in an unwinding of SWED’s recent underperformance yielding 6.5%, while we believe Nordea (yielding 6.4%) had a tough Q4 with flattish loan growth, weak AM flows & weak trading." (Danilo Masoni) ECONOMIC BOOM SEEN POWERING EUROPEAN CYCLICAL STOCKS (1441 GMT) The BlackRock Investment Institute joins in the pro-cyclical chorus with their three-month view for European equities. "We see sustained above-trend economic expansion and a steady earnings outlook supporting cyclicals," Richard Turnill, global chief investment strategist, says in a note. But Turnill added that strength in the euro "could cause more pain" for European companies. (Kit Rees) HALF-SESSION SNAPSHOT: ALL QUIET IN EUROPE (1316 GMT) European shares have come off highs with the pan-regional STOXX 600 index marginally in the black. Moves in main country benchmarks are also rather small, while looking at sectors, the stand out movers are tech, up 1.1 percent, and real estate, down 1 percent. Both however remain well within this week's trading ranges. (Danilo Masoni) FINDING OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE DISRUPTED (1215 GMT) Much has been made of the wave of disruption impacting almost every sector, but it can be a challenge for income investors to own such stocks, which tend to be in the initial growth stage and focusing more on reinvesting profits than handing them to shareholders. David Smith, manager of Janus Henderson's High Income Trust, is looking at companies at the receiving end of disruption that are showing signs of moving with the times. Smith singles out Johnson Matthey as a stock whose valuation has been hit by the rise of EVs, but points to the firm's increasing investment in R&D and its EV battery technology. Smith also highlights British American Tobacco as another firm with an attractive valuation and which is focusing its efforts on next-generation products which heat tobacco without burning it. "It’s important to remember ... that management teams of the disrupted companies won’t necessarily stand still and the good ones will correctly balance investment to protect their businesses with dividends successfully," Smith says in a note. According the fund's factsheet from Nov 30, BAT was Smith's biggest position. (Kit Rees) THE CARILLION RIPPLE EFFECT CONTINUES (1110 GMT) In the wake of Carillion's collapse, the UK's National Audit Office (NAO) released a report today saying that privately funding public projects may not offer value for money. Analysts at Jefferies think that the report is "a potential lightning rod for criticism of PFI, and, therefore, the funds," referring to the Private Finance Initiative. "While there are no direct implications for the day-to-day operation of the funds, as there is limited involvement in the procurement of new UK projects, the ultimate result of this scrutiny remains unclear," analysts at Jefferies write. But they also add that the most likely scenario under a potential Labour government is a review of PFI and the selective renegotiation of certain contracts. Projects belonging to the John Laing Infrastructure Fund and HICL Infrastructure Company are mentioned in the report. Their shares are both down more than 1 percent today. (Kit Rees) THREE GOOD REASONS TO EXPECT MORE M&A (1040 GMT) After two rather soft years, M&A has livened up trading this month and Gérald Moser, head of equity strategy at Credit Suisse Wealth Management, thinks it's just the start. He has three good reasons to believe so: 1) Cash levels as a percentage of market cap are at a record high in the US and also at healthy levels in Europe. Cash has been the preferred method of payment in M&A, being used in 50 percent of the deals, far ahead of stock, debt or a combination of the two. 2) Volatility levels are close to record lows, suggesting stable financial markets. This usually bodes well for M&A activity. 3) The growth outlook is the best since 2009–2010, the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis. While companies have used cash mainly to return money to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks in the last few years, the strong growth outlook should encourage them to look for growth opportunities and therefore consider M&A. (Danilo Masoni) TOLD YOU SO! FRENCH WATCHDOG BERATES FRENCH TV STAR AFTER BITCOIN SLUMP (0945 GMT) Remember how French financial authorities including the head of the country's central bank took up arms when reality TV star Nabilla Benattia encouraged her fans to invest in bitcoin? Well, the slump in the cryptocurrency has brought them a "told you so" opportunity which they were quick to seize. "The followers of Nabilla who would have invested at the time she encouraged them to would have made a very substantial loss, about a third," Robert Ophele, head of the French financial markets authority (AMF), said yesterday. "She's the proof one should not venture recklessly into these kinds of investments", he added. Here's Ophele making these comments to French news channel BFM Business: (Julien Ponthus) TOP MOVERS A LA CARTE: EARNINGS PROVIDE SUPPORT (0826 GMT) The broader market is inching up around 30 minutes after the opening bell, masking bigger moves for single stocks, with a series of well-received earnings updates providing support. Top gainers on the STOXX 600 are Geberit, Balfour Beatty and Carrefour , all up more than 2 percent after their updates, while Britvic, Infineon and Hargreaves were supported by upbeat broker notes. Among the losers are utility SSE after reports that a UK price cap law shoul

https://www.reuters.com/article/europe-stocks/live-markets-has-the-uk-market-cemented-its-rotation-into-cyclicals-idUSL8N1PD55D

What's Zelle? Banks hope commercials get customers to notice the app

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Big U.S. banks are spending millions of dollars to promote Zelle, their digital payment service, by running commercials on major sports games and entertainment shows, as well as a YouTube campaign painting the app as simple and ubiquitous. The ads reflect a two-pronged effort by banks, industry insiders said: to wean customers from costly physical services like paper checks and branches, and gains on Venmo, a better-known payments app offered by PayPal Holdings Inc. Venmo, launched in 2009, became popular among the coveted millennial demographic, primarily through word of mouth. Zelle broke onto the scene less than a year ago after the big banks haggled over marketing and computer networking arrangements for a decade. Zelle is now in the hands of many more people than Venmo, and the network already processes more than twice as much in payments, as measured by dollar volume. But its brand recognition is low. [ reut.rs/2DBPI1H ] So far, 95 million customers have access to Zelle through their banks, which are plugged into the network, said Lou Anne Alexander, group president for payments at Early Warning Services, the bank consortium operating the service. Lately about 100,000 people a day have been signing into Zelle for the first time. Early Warning would not say how many people regularly use the service. One new ad features 30-something rapper and Broadway actor Daveed Diggs as a modern-world laggard who insists on using money rather than Zelle to pay a friend. On the way to a bank branch, he encounters a bus driver, a dog walker, a sanitation worker and an older woman in an electric wheelchair who all know about Zelle. “Why am I walking to the bank?” Diggs bemoans by the end of the commercial. The banks started to run ads nationally this month during National Football League playoff games and the Grammy Awards. Though Zelle would not say what its TV ad budget was, a spot can cost from $500,000 to well over $1 million, according to advertising trade publications. The banks have also put Zelle on billboards in stadiums, big-city retail centers and the New York City subway system. Members of the bank consortium, including JPMorgan Chase & Co, Wells Fargo & Co and Bank of America Corp, are placing their own ads to attract more users. The marketing campaign aims to get Zelle firmly planted in the minds of customers, ranging from ages 18 to 54, said Alexander. The ads aim ”to make consumers aware that the majority of them already have access to Zelle in their banking app,” she said. In 2017, Zelle transferred $75 billion through 247 million transactions. PayPal, which will report full-year results on Wednesday, has said that Venmo handled $30 billion in the 12 months through September. PayPal has no plans to advertise Venmo beyond its millennial base, spokesman Josh Criscoe told Reuters. Zelle’s ad campaign may signal that the banks and PayPal are going in different directions to make money from the services, which are free to individuals. PayPal promotes Venmo as a valuable marketing tool for merchants who like that its users share on social media how they spend money. Some 3.5 million merchants are signed up to accept payments from Venmo, which receives fees for processing transactions. Zelle can save money for banks as they spend less, for example, on stocking ATMs with cash, said Mark Monaco, head of Enterprise Payments at Bank of America Corp. Banks hope that Zelle is a way to “cross-sell” products, analysts said, such as deposit accounts and mortgage and auto loan offers, said Michael Moeser, a payments analyst at Javelin Research & Strategy. Corporate customers, such as insurance companies, and governments could save money by paying more of their own customers digitally on Zelle rather than with paper checks, Moeser said. Reporting by David Henry in New York; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Jeffrey Benkoe

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-banks-payments-zelle/whats-zelle-banks-hope-commercials-get-customers-to-notice-the-app-idUSKBN1FI0GB

GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia stocks off record highs as Wall St flags, dollar firms on higher yields

* MSCI Asia-Pacific index down 1.1 pct, pulls away from record * Spreadbetters expect European stocks to open significantly lower * Dollar off 3-yr low as US yields climb to near 4-yr highs * Dollar’s bounce weighs on commodities like oil, gold * Trump’s State of the Union address awaited for clues By Shinichi Saoshiro TOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Asian stocks retreated from record highs on Tuesday after a selloff in Apple shares and spike in bond yields knocked Wall Street lower, while the dollar found support as U.S. bond yields climbed to near four-year highs. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 1.1 percent after rising to an all-time high the previous day. It was still on track for a 6.5 percent monthly gain. Australian stocks shed 0.9 percent, South Korea’s KOSPI lost 1 percent and Japan’s Nikkei dropped 1.4 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.9 percent and Shanghai was down 0.8 percent. Spreadbetters expect the negative pressure to spill over to Europe, forecasting Britain’s FTSE to drop 0.7 percent at the open, Germany’s DAX to open 0.8 percent lower and France’s CAC to lose 0.6 percent at the open. The bearish sentiment in Asia followed a softer lead from Wall Street, which has led a global equities rally over the past year thanks to strong world growth fuelling higher corporate earnings and stock valuations. On Monday, U.S. stocks pulled back from record highs, with the Dow and the S&P 500 indexes marking their biggest one-day percentage declines in about five months, weighed down by a slide in Apple shares. The dollar, however, enjoyed a reprieve from some persistent selling in the past few weeks. Buoyed by higher U.S. bond yields, the dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was 0.15 percent higher at 89.457, having bounced overnight from a three-year low of 88.438 plumbed on Friday when peers like the euro outshone the greenback. The 10-year Treasury note yield stretched its overnight surge above 2.70 percent and reached its highest since April 2014 after comments from a European Central Bank official added to expectations that central banks globally will reduce stimulus as the economic outlook improves. “This is a rise in real interest rates, also reflecting a rise in inflation expectations,” said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management in Tokyo. “The yield rise may have bumped off U.S. stocks from highs, but a correction was due after their recent gains,” Ichikawa said. The U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday that it expects to borrow $441 billion through the credit markets in the January-March quarter, less than announced previously. Treasury yields remained elevated, however, as U.S. borrowing is expected to continue increasing steadily in the coming years as the federal government looks for ways to fund budget deficits. Moreover, the bond market braced for potentially hawkish language from the Federal Reserve, which will begin its two-day policy meeting on Tuesday. The focus was also on U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address scheduled later in the global day, with attention on his views on an infrastructure overhaul and trade. The euro was down 0.2 percent at $1.2361 after slipping overnight from a three-year peak of $1.2538. The dollar was 0.3 percent lower at 108.645 yen, unable to hold to a high of 109.205 scaled earlier. “The dollar lost a bit of traction against the yen as losses deepened for stocks in Tokyo and the rest of Asia. U.S. yields are going up, but players are hesitant to push dollar/yen higher ahead of President Trump’s address,” said Kyosuke Suzuki, director of forex at Societe Generale in Tokyo. The Australian dollar shed 0.3 percent to $0.8072 after reaching $0.8136 on Friday, its highest since May 2015. Oil prices extended losses after being pressured by the dollar’s bounce and rising U.S. crude output. U.S. crude futures were down 1.2 percent at $64.79 per barrel. Underpinned by the dollar’s recent slide, prices had risen to $66.66 per barrel on Thursday, the highest since December 2014. Brent crude fell 0.85 percent to $68.88 per barrel. Spot gold slipped to $1,334.10 an ounce, the lowest since Jan. 23, weighed by the stronger U.S. currency. The precious metal had climbed to $1,366.06 last week, its highest since August 2016. (Reporting by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Kim Coghill)

https://www.reuters.com/article/global-markets/global-markets-asia-stocks-off-record-highs-as-wall-st-flags-dollar-firms-on-higher-yields-idUSL4N1PP2BV

Malaysia's c.bank raises policy rate to 3.25 pct, as expected

01 AM / in 38 minutes Malaysia's c.bank raises policy rate to 3.25 pct, as expected Reuters Staff 1 Min Read KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Malaysia’s central bank on Thursday raised its key interest rate for the first time in three and a half years, at a time inflation has crept up and growth is robust. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) hiked its overnight policy rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent. The central bank said its monetary policy committee “decided to normalise the degree of monetary accomodation” as the economy remains firmly on a steady growth path. A slim majority of economists in a Reuters poll - six out of 10 - had predicted the hike. The last time BNM changed its key rate was in July 2016, shortly after Britain’s Brexit vote, when it made a 25 basis point cut. Until Thursday, the last BNM hike was in July 2014, when the key rate was increased to 3.25 percent. (Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

https://www.reuters.com/article/malaysia-economy-rates/malaysias-c-bank-raises-policy-rate-to-3-25-pct-as-expected-idUSK7N15502A

China's Xi supports progress in inter-Korean talks - South Korea's Blue House

January 11, 2018 / 10:23 AM / Updated 10 minutes ago China's Xi supports progress in inter-Korean talks - South Korea's Blue House Hyonhee Shin 1 Min Read SEOUL (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday welcomed recent progress in inter-Korean talks during a phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Moon’s office said. FILE PHOTO - Chinese President Xi Jinping smiles as he delivers a speech during the Korea China Investment Forum at a hotel in Seoul July 4, 2014. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji At Tuesday’s talks, North Korea said it would attend the Winter Olympics in the South next month, and both sides agreed to resolve problems through dialogue and revive military consultations to avoid accidental conflict. Xi said he supported Moon’s stance that the advancement of inter-Korean ties and the denuclearisation of the peninsula should “go in parallel”, the South’s Blue House said in a statement. Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-missiles-xi/chinas-xi-supports-progress-in-inter-korean-talks-south-koreas-blue-house-idUKKBN1F013Z

MGIC Investment Corporation Schedules 4th Quarter 2017 Earnings Call and Releases Monthly Operating Statistics

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MGIC Investment Corporation (NYSE: MTG) has announced plans to release its 4 th quarter 2017 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, January 18, 2018. A conference call/webcast has been scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company's results for the quarter ended December 31, 2017. Individuals interested in joining over the phone should dial 1-844-231-8825 ten minutes before the conference call begins. The call is also being webcast and can be accessed via the company's website http://mtg.mgic.com under Newsroom. A replay of the webcast will be available on the company's website through February 18, 2018, under Newsroom. MGIC also today issued an Operational Summary of its insurance subsidiaries for the month of December 2017 for their primary mortgage insurance. The summary is also available on the company's website under Newsroom, Press Releases. The information concerning new delinquency notices and cures is compiled from reports received from loan servicers. The level of new notice and cure activity reported in a particular month can be influenced by, among other things, the date on which a servicer generates its report, the accuracy of the data provided by servicers, the number of business days in a month, transfers of servicing between loan servicers, and whether all servicers have provided the reports in a given month. December 2017 December 2016 Change Insurance in Force (billions) $194.9 $182.0 7.1% Flow Only $186.9 $172.8 8.2% Beginning Primary Delinquent Inventory (# of loans) 46,900 50,136 (6.5%) Plus: New Delinquency Notices – Non-Hurricane Impacted Areas (1) 4,723 5,213 (9.4%) Plus: New Delinquency Notices - Hurricane Impacted Areas (1) 1,375 698 97.0% Less: Cures 5,883 4,869 20.8% Less: Paids (including those charged to a deductible or captive reinsurer) 526 838 (37.2%) Less: Rescissions and Denials 33 58 (43.1%) Ending Primary Delinquent Inventory (# of loans) 46,556 50,282 (7.4%) (1) Hurricane impacted areas are locations that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared Individual Assistance Disaster Areas as a result of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. There were 12,446 and 7,162 loans in our Ending Primary Delinquent Inventory as December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, that were located in these areas. Based on our analysis and past experience, we do not expect the increased level of notices received in those areas to result in a material increase in our incurred losses or paid claims. The Private Mortgage Insurer Eligibility Requirements of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require us to maintain significantly more "Minimum Required Assets" for delinquent loans than for performing loans. We expect the increase in delinquency notices to result in a temporary increase in "Minimum Required Assets" and a decrease in the level of our excess "Available Assets" under the PMIERs. Due to the suspension of certain foreclosures by the GSEs, our receipt of claims associated with foreclosed mortgages in the hurricane-affected areas may be delayed. The following factors could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations in the forward looking statements in this press release: • Third party reports that indicate the extent of flooding in the hurricane-affected areas may be understated. • Home values in hurricane-affected areas may decrease at the time claims are filed from their current levels thereby adversely affecting our ability to mitigate loss. • Hurricane-affected areas may experience deteriorating economic conditions resulting in more borrowers defaulting on their loans in the future (or failing to cure existing defaults) than we currently expect. • If an insured contests our claim denial or curtailment, there can be no assurance we will prevail. We describe how claims under our policy are affected by damage to the borrower's home in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 14, 2017. About MGIC MGIC ( www.mgic.com ), the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, serves lenders throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other locations helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality. At December 31, 2017, MGIC had $194.9 billion of primary insurance in force covering approximately one million mortgages. From time to time MGIC Investment Corporation releases important information via postings on its corporate website, including corrections of previous disclosures, without making any other disclosure and intends to continue to do so in the future. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information can be found at http://mtg.mgic.com under Investor Information. View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mgic-investment-corporation-schedules-4th-quarter-2017-earnings-call-and-releases-monthly-operating-statistics-300579191.html SOURCE MGIC Investment Corporation

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/09/pr-newswire-mgic-investment-corporation-schedules-4th-quarter-2017-earnings-call-and-releases-monthly-operating-statistics.html

Do Beards Keep Men Warmer in Winter?

Having a beard has become so commonplace in America—various polls say about a third of men don’t shave their whole face—that sales of facial-hair grooming products are booming. Studies have shown that women prefer men with full beards over clean-shaven ones when it comes to choosing long-term partners. But can all that facial hair also ward off the cold during frigid winter temperatures? One expert, Anthony M. Rossi, a dermatologist and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, explains thermoregulation and why thick, dark stubble can act like a natural scarf. A Faster Cycle Facial...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/do-beards-keep-men-warmer-in-winter-1516833587

Conte defends profligate Morata

January 3, 2018 / 11:47 PM / Updated 6 minutes ago Conte defends profligate Morata Rik Sharma 2 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Antonio Conte defended Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata after the Spaniard missed three one-on-one chances which cost his side victory over Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday. Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - December 26, 2017 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte at the end of the match. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo The Blues drew 2-2 at the Emirates but Morata fluffed his lines in front of goal, twice firing off target when clean through and then at Petr Cech in stoppage time. Morata has 10 Premier League goals in 19 appearances since joining from Real Madrid last year, but after failing to find the net with simple chances against Stoke City in Chelsea’s 5-0 win on Saturday he has not enjoyed the festive season. ”It is not a lucky period for him,“ Conte told a news conference. ”In the last game against Stoke I said it was important for the striker to have chances to score. ”Today he had chances but this is football. I‘m happy with his commitment, he worked hard for the team and they are the most important things for me. Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea vs Southampton - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - December 16, 2017 Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata in action Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley/File Photo “For the striker it’s very important to score and in this case your confidence can go down. He’s very young, he has to continue to work, continue to improve. The goal is coming.” Morata, 25, fired well wide when sent through on goal early in the match. Arsenal took the lead through Jack Wilshere but Eden Hazard’s penalty and Marcos Alonso put the Blues in front before Hector Bellerin equalised in stoppage time. Morata should have given Chelsea a last-gasp winner but Cech saved his effort when he only had the goalkeeper to beat before Davide Zappacosta crashed a shot against the crossbar. A disbelieving Conte beat the turf in frustration, admitting the wasted chances cost third-placed Chelsea as they try to catch runaway leaders Manchester City. “To draw at the Emirates is a good result,” added the Italian. “(But) at the end of the game if we see the chances we created to score, for sure I think we dropped two points.” Reporting by Rik Sharma, editing by Ed Osmond

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-ars-che-conte/conte-defends-profligate-morata-idUKKBN1ES263

U.N. Indonesia earthquake plan foresees 47 million affected, 10,000 dead

January 12, 2018 / 11:19 AM / Updated 33 minutes ago U.N. Indonesia earthquake plan foresees 47 million affected, 10,000 dead Tom Miles 3 Min Read GENEVA (Reuters) - A U.N. contingency plan for an earthquake in Indonesia foresees a scenario where 10,000 people would die within 24 hours with 47 million more affected, according to emergency response planning documents. FILE PHOTO - Men look for items to salvage from a building which collapsed following a strong earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia December 10, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside The U.N.-led exercise to prepare for disaster in one of the world’s most quake-prone regions, is based on a magnitude 7.8 quake in the Sunda Strait, close to the capital Jakarta, similar in size to one that struck the Caribbean this week. “Within the first 24 hours, approximately 10,000 deaths with a substantial number of missing people is reported,” said the contingency plan based on a worst-case scenario. A further 60,000 people would be seriously injured and 200,000 lightly injured, while 9.6 million would be temporarily displaced. Although 2.5 million people would need immediate help, fewer than one in 10 would get it. Electricity and telephone networks would go down for as long as two weeks, and large scale oil and chemical spills would cause fires and disrupt fuel supplies for a week after the quake. There would be major disruption to air and sea ports. In 2004 the Indian Ocean tsunami killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia. Since then, a culture of disaster prevention has spread around the world, said Denis McClean, spokesman for the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Indonesia has established disaster management agencies at national and local levels and a tsunami warning system, he said. But as in most earthquake-prone countries, it needed to improve building regulations. “It is buildings which kill in earthquakes,” McClean said. The scenario, which assumes an earthquake affecting west Java and Sumatra with no tsunami, was developed by Indonesia’s geophysics and meteorological agency BMKG, based on a huge 1699 earthquake in Batavia, the location of modern-day Jakarta. Further scenario modelling should look into multiple disasters such as a tsunami or flooding in a big city, bringing in more accurate data on damaged buildings and infrastructure, the documents said. The World Bank reckons natural disasters cost Indonesia 0.3 percent of its GDP annually, but a 2015 report on disaster risk management prepared by Indonesia’s government said a major earthquake, occurring once every 250 years, could cause losses in excess of $30 billion, or 3 percent of GDP. In December a 6.5 magnitude quake killed at least three people when it hit Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island, at a depth of 92 km (57 miles), and buildings in Jakarta swayed for several seconds. Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Robin Pomeroy

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-indonesia-quake-planning/u-n-indonesia-earthquake-plan-foresees-47-million-affected-10000-dead-idUKKBN1F117C

Lack of forward options giving Conte the biggest headache

37 PM / Updated 28 minutes ago Lack of forward options giving Conte the biggest headache Peter Hall 3 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Antonio Conte voiced his concerns over a lack of transfer activity at Chelsea after his side’s League Cup exit on Wednesday and it is the manager’s paucity of striking options that will be causing him most concern. Chelsea are clearly not at crisis point as before their 2-1 semi-final second-leg defeat at Arsenal they were unbeaten in 12 games and are still in the Champions League and the FA Cup. But a look at Chelsea’s forward resources and their lack of goals recently shows why Conte cut such a frustrated figure in the aftermath of the Arsenal loss. Take the 4-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday out of the equation and Chelsea have scored two goals in their last five games and two of the matches were against Championship side Norwich City. In the absence of Alvaro Morata, Michy Batshuayi acted as an excellent attacking pivot in the victory over Brighton but it is clear Conte remains unconvinced by the Belgium international. Batshuayi was again dropped to the bench for the Arsenal clash and when Willian left the pitch early due to injury Conte turned to midfielder Ross Barkley, who had not played all season because of a hamstring injury. Leading marksman Morata’s goals have dried up. After six in his first six Premier League games, the Spaniard has scored four in his last 14 since picking up an injury in late September. “You expect him to be a little bit cooler in front of the goalkeeper,” former Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola said after Chelsea’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Arsenal. “He needs to be a bit more ruthless.” Unless Conte deploys Eden Hazard as a striker, as he did against Arsenal on Wednesday, that is about it in terms of forward options. “We don’t have many players to make subs,” Conte said after the Arsenal loss. “My first task is to do my job and be a coach. I don’t have a big impact in the transfer market.” A host of names have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this transfer window, including West Ham United’s Andy Carroll and Stoke City’s Peter Crouch, but there have been no arrivals apart from Barkley. Without new additions, Chelsea’s season may depend on whether Morata can rediscover his sharpness in front of goal. Reporting by Peter Hall, editing by Ed Osmond

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-che-conte/lack-of-forward-options-giving-conte-the-biggest-headache-idUKKBN1FE2FA

Four senior BBC male journalists agree pay cuts after inequality row

January 26, 2018 / 8:29 AM / Updated 11 hours ago Four senior BBC male journalists agree pay cuts after inequality row Reuters Staff 2 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Four of the highest paid male BBC journalists have agreed to pay cuts, the broadcaster said on Friday, following revelations that its top male news reporters and presenters were earning significantly more than women doing similar jobs. Radio broadcasters Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys, news anchor Huw Edwards and North America editor Jon Sopel had all agreed either formally or in principle to salary cuts, the BBC said on its website. The broadcaster was forced to disclose last year that two thirds of the highest earners on air were men. Funded by a licence fee levied on TV viewers, the BBC is closely scrutinised and held to exacting standards by the public and rival media. The pay disclosures, which it had resisted, highlighted a broader debate about gender inequality. Director-General Tony Hall pledged to close the gender pay gap by 2020, but the organisation has been criticised by its own journalists and by lawmakers for not acting fast enough. Its China editor Carrie Gracie, who was paid significantly less than her male counterparts, resigned her role last month to fight against what she called the “secretive and illegal BBC pay culture”. North America editor Sopel, one of the four who had agreed to a salary cut, earned between 200,000 pounds and 249,999 pounds ($285,100-$356,373) in 2016/17, the disclosures showed. Gracie said she was paid 135,000 pounds a year as China editor. The highest paid of the four was Jeremy Vine, who earned between 700,000 pounds and 749,999 pounds for radio and TV work. Today radio programme presenter Humphrys earned between 600,000 pounds and 649,999 pounds, while news anchor Edwards was paid between 550,000 pounds and 599,999 pounds. The BBC said the level of the cuts was not yet known. Tony Hall and Carrie Gracie will be questioned by a committee of lawmakers on Wednesday about BBC pay. ($1 = 0.7015 pounds)

https://in.reuters.com/article/britain-bbc-pay/four-senior-bbc-male-journalists-agree-pay-cuts-after-inequality-row-idINKBN1FF0UN

China's investment in Europe could be clearing a path to investment ties in Western Europe

China's spending in Central and Eastern European countries is helping clear a path towards more investment in Western Europe, one former economic adviser to the Serbian government told CNBC on Wednesday. Beijing's interest in Central and Eastern Europe is "because they see big potential in their return regarding their path to the European Union ," Vladimir Krulj, also president of Serbia's Komercijalna Bank, said. He explained that China was forging relationships with countries that were "more embracing (of) European values." China has pumped $9 billion into Central and Eastern European nations , according to state-run news outlet Xinhua. Sixteen countries in this region of Europe have signed up to China's Belt and Road Initiative , a project to revive ancient trading routes. Serbia is enabling a "more clear path for Chinese investment into Western Europe," Krulj said. He also expressed the hope that Chinese investment, by aiding Serbia's economic growth, would "bring the bridges around … making Serbia being a part of the European Union easier." TPG | Getty Images Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attend the completion ceremony of a new bridge across the River Danube on December 18, 2014, in Belgrade, Serbia. China's gross domestic product data released Thursday beat expectations — and the government's own target — by revealing 6.9 percent growth in 2017. China pulling back on overseas investment But China's investment last year was focused on the more developed economies of Western Europe, according to a report by law firm Baker McKenzie out Wednesday. It showed that Switzerland, the U.K. and the Netherlands received the most Chinese capital. The report said that foreign direct investment in Europe was up 76 percent to $81 billion due to the delayed finalizing of ChemChina's takeover of Swiss agribusiness firm Syngenta. Otherwise, the figure would have fallen 22 percent to $30 billion. French President Emmanuel Macron was in China earlier this month touting Franco-Sino economic corporation. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is rumored to have a China visit on the cards. show chapters 2017 Chinese foreign direct investment fell 35% in North America: Baker & McKenzie 6:00 AM ET Wed, 17 Jan 2018 | 04:10 European attempts to woo China could founder. "You see a clear pull-back in the desire of China to invest overseas," Tim Gee, global head of mergers and acquisitions at Baker McKenzie told CNBC Wednesday. He attributed this to China's intention to "exert some control over foreign exchange flows," adding that future spending could focus on "real economy investments rather than hotels, resorts, entertainment (and) football clubs." "I wouldn't overplay One Belt, One Road at the moment in terms of foreign direct investment," Gee added, saying that the construction and infrastructure contracts the plan is currently known for "(don't) translate into permanent capital investment into those countries." "I think there are still opportunities for investment of that sort (one-off contracts) in advanced economies which can support the development of construction in One Belt, One Road countries," Gee said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/18/chinas-investment-in-europe-could-be-clearing-a-path-to-investment-ties-in-western-europe.html

Trump book author says his revelations will bring down U.S. president

January 6, 2018 / 9:04 AM / Updated 5 hours ago Trump book author says his revelations will bring down U.S. president William Schomberg 3 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - The author of a book that is highly critical of Donald Trump’s first year as U.S. president said his revelations were likely to bring an end to Trump’s time in the White House. Michael Wolff told BBC radio that his conclusion in “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House”-- that Trump is not fit to do the job -- was becoming a widespread view. “I think one of the interesting effects of the book so far is a very clear emperor-has-no-clothes effect,” Wolff said in an interview broadcast on Saturday. “The story that I have told seems to present this presidency in such a way that it says he can’t do his job,” Wolff said. “Suddenly everywhere people are going ‘oh my God, it’s true, he has no clothes’. That’s the background to the perception and the understanding that will finally end ... this presidency.” Trump has dismissed the book as full of lies. It depicts a chaotic White House, a president who was ill-prepared to win the office in 2016, and Trump aides who scorned his abilities. Author Michael Wolff is seen on the set of NBC's 'Today' show prior to an interview about his book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Trump took to Twitter late on Friday to renew his attacks on Wolff, and on his former top aide Steve Bannon who was quoted in the book. “Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book,” Trump said. “He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad!” Bannon, formerly Trump’s chief strategist, is chairman of the so-called alt-right Breitbart News website In his interview with the BBC, Wolff was asked if he believed that Bannon felt Trump was unfit to serve as president and would try to bring him down. “Yes,” Wolff replied. He also hit back at claims that the book was untruthful. “This is what’s called reporting. This is how you do it.” he said. “You ask people, you get as close as you can to the event, you interview the people who were privy to the event, you interview other people who were privy to the event, you come to know the circumstance as well as anybody and then you report it.” Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-book-author/trump-book-author-says-his-revelations-will-bring-down-u-s-president-idUSKBN1EV08E

Premier Foods third-quarter sales up on non-branded products

26 AM / Updated 38 minutes ago Premier Foods third-quarter sales up on non-branded products Reuters Staff 1 Min Read LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Premier Foods, owner of Mr Kipling cakes and Oxo stock cubes, reported higher third-quarter sales on Tuesday, helped by strength in its non-branded products. The company said sales for the quarter rose 4 percent to 261.4 million pounds ($360.3 million), with branded sales up 0.7 percent and non-branded rising 17 percent. The company said its expectations for the current year were unchanged and that net debt at the end of 2018 will be lower than the prior year. ($1 = 0.7256 pounds) (Reporting by Martinne Geller, editing by Louise Heavens)

https://www.reuters.com/article/premier-foods-results/premier-foods-third-quarter-sales-up-on-non-branded-products-idUSASM000I5Z

Bofi beats Street 2Q forecasts

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ BofI Holding Inc. (BOFI) on Tuesday reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $31.6 million. The San Diego-based bank said it had earnings of 49 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for pretax expenses, were 61 cents per share. The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 53 cents per share. The bank holding company posted revenue of $124.9 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $101.3 million, also beating Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $100.3 million. Bofi shares have climbed 12 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $33.40, an increase of 18 percent in the last 12 months. This story was generated by Automated Insights ( http://automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on BOFI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/BOFI

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/the-associated-press-bofi-beats-street-2q-forecasts.html

Polycom Announces Agreement for Strategic Acquisition of Obihai Technology

Leader of Premium Communications and Collaboration Experiences to Add Fast Growing Obihai Technology as Fuel for Growth SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Polycom, Inc. announced the signing of a merger agreement to acquire Obihai Technology, Inc., a San Jose-based innovator in VoIP audio solutions. Obihai Technology develops software and hardware for VoIP endpoints. The strategic addition of their best-in-class software and talented development team allows Polycom to compete more effectively in the global voice market and broadens Polycom’s portfolio to include complementary technologies for the service providers and customers of all sizes. The pending agreement demonstrates Polycom’s focus on expanding the availability of high-quality Polycom desktop phones to a broader range of customers and partners. The planned move also underscores Polycom’s commitment to the global network of service providers for VoIP solutions. “The strategic acquisition of the Obihai team and its software platform allows Polycom to surge forward on our strategy to deliver the best and most human-to-human experience in our audio and video solutions,” said Mary McDowell, Polycom CEO. “Looking ahead to 2018 and beyond, the addition of Obihai will immediately open new markets and revenue opportunities for Polycom. The combined development team will enable Polycom to bring our great products to customers faster.” “Polycom is a proven leader for delivering products with outstanding audio quality and universal interoperability in the open-standard SIP market for VoIP endpoints. When combined with Polycom, Obihai’s product and cloud-services engineering expertise will be a powerful advantage for Polycom’s partners and their customers in an increasingly competitive market,” said Jan Fandrianto, Obihai Founder and CEO. After completion of the deal, Polycom expects to add more cloud-based capabilities and Analog Terminal Adapter solutions to its solutions portfolio. The combination is expected to expand the markets available to Polycom solutions for both the company and its worldwide network of channel partners. The deal is expected to close early in first quarter of this year. About Polycom Polycom helps organizations unleash the power of human collaboration. More than 400,000 companies and institutions worldwide defy distance with secure video, voice and content solutions from Polycom to increase productivity, speed time to market, provide better customer service, expand education and save lives. Polycom and its global partner ecosystem provide flexible collaboration solutions for any environment that deliver the best user experience, the broadest multi-vendor interoperability and unmatched investment protection. Visit www.polycom.com or connect with us on Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180104005435/en/ Polycom, Inc. Jim Cullinan, 206-724-4588 jim.cullinan@polycom.com Source: Polycom, Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/04/business-wire-polycom-announces-agreement-for-strategic-acquisition-of-obihai-technology.html

Barrow Neurological Institute, IBM, MDSL and Raytheon Executives Elected to Arizona Technology Council’s Board of Directors

Arizona Leaders Bring Deep MedTech, Software, Expense Management and Supply Chain Management Experience to the Technology Advocacy Organization PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Arizona Technology Council today announced it has appointed Dr. Randall Porter, director, Barrow Acoustic Neuroma Center; Daman Wood, COO, MDSL; Calline Sanchez, vice president, IBM; and Eugene Jaramillo, deputy to the vice president of RMS supply chain management, Raytheon Missile Systems, to its board of directors. All four were elected unanimously to serve three-year terms at the Council’s quarterly board meeting held January 18. “These tech titans are tremendous additions to our board and we look forward to working with them,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. “Their diverse range of experience and technology backgrounds will be an important asset to the Council as we continue to advance our agenda designed to make a positive and lasting impact on Arizona’s technology industry.” The following resolutions also were announced at the quarterly board of directors meeting: David Tuhy, general manager, NSG Software Division, Intel, has been appointed to serve as first vice-chairman of the board for a two-year term ending January 18, 2020. Alex J. Iuorio, senior vice president, supplier marketing and business development, Avnet, has been appointed to serve as second vice-chairman of the board for a three-year term ending January 18, 2021. The Council's board of directors serves an advisory and fiduciary role by representing the interests of the state’s technology industries in the Council's strategic planning and ongoing operations. The current board includes 40 members representing a diverse set of organizations. Porter, Wood, Sanchez and Jaramillo provide a unique perspective on the industry, as well as strong backgrounds in a wide variety of technology and business roles. Their respective biographies are: Dr. Randall Porter, director, Barrow Acoustic Neuroma Center Dr. Randall Porter received a B.A. in economics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and completed medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Barrow Neurological Institute in 2000. He is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Porter has published more than 75 peer-reviewed papers and 30 chapters in major medical textbooks, and has spoken at more than 100 professional meetings throughout the country. Daman Wood, chief operating officer, MDSL Daman Wood has worked in multiple technology organizations with a primary focus on telecommunications. He is a recognized thought leader in the industry, and is responsible for managed services and global operations across the organization. Prior to MDSL, Wood was the lead executive for Vonage’s nationwide Service Delivery Operations. He also served as the head of operations for Telesphere, leading all operational aspects for the company before it was acquired by Vonage in December 2015. Calline Sanchez, vice president, IBM Enterprise Systems Storage Calline Sanchez is responsible for worldwide development of IBM's Enterprise Storage Systems, including DS8000, physical/virtual tape and backup/archive solutions. Prior to this role, she was vice president of IBM Systems Storage Program Management. Sanchez led a worldwide team of program managers, engineers and scientists representing locations worldwide to deliver the IBM Systems Storage product portfolio. Her execution focus is to deliver the best of breed technology products/solutions to the marketplace. Sanchez has a B.S.B.A. in management information systems, a B.A. in communications and an MBA with an emphasis in finance — all from The University of Arizona. Eugene Jaramillo, deputy to the vice president of RMS supply chain management, Raytheon Missile Systems Eugene Jaramillo supports subcontract management, general procurement, production control, property management, supplier engineering, logistics activities and supplier program management at Raytheon Missile Systems. Prior to joining Raytheon in 2003, Jaramillo held a variety of leadership positions at Boeing Company in quality assurance, supplier quality, production and operations. He has more than 30 years of experience in the defense and aerospace industry, driving quality and improving customer satisfaction on key programs involving multiple customers and technologies. Companies represented on the Council’s board of directors include: AccountabilIT; Alerion Capital Group; Alliance Bank of Arizona; American Express; APS, Aspect; ASU Knowledge Enterprise Development; Avnet; Ballard Spahr; Barrow Neurological Institute; BeyondTrust; CISCO; Cox Communications; EY; Honeywell Aerospace; IBM; Indecomm Global Services; Insight Enterprises; Intel; JVP Strategic Consulting; LaneTerralever; MDSL; MSS Technologies; PADT; PayPal; Phoenix Art Museum; Phoenix Business Journal; Quarles & Brady; Raytheon Missile Systems; Ryley Carlock & Applewhite; Securaplane Technologies; Solugenix; Symantec; TGen; Research, Discovery & Innovation at The University of Arizona; Uber Technologies; University of Advancing Technology; Vonage Business Solutions Group; and Wells Fargo Bank. About the Arizona Technology Council The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together visionaries, leaders and employees to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council’s culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org . View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180119005543/en/ Media contact: TechTHiNQ Alec Robertson, 585-281-6399 alec.robertson@techthinq.com or Organization contact: Arizona Technology Council Steven G. Zylstra, 602-422-9447 szylstra@aztechcouncil.org Source: Arizona Technology Council

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/19/business-wire-barrow-neurological-institute-ibm-mdsl-and-raytheon-executives-elected-to-arizona-technology-councilas-board-of-directors.html

Lloyds Bank readying Berlin base ahead of Brexit - source

January 23, 2018 / 10:29 AM / Updated 7 hours ago Lloyds Bank readying Berlin base ahead of Brexit - source Lawrence White , Emma Rumney 3 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group ( LLOY.L ) aims to get its Berlin branch ready for business in Europe by the end of the year ahead of Britain leaving the European Union, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Lloyds this month filed an application with Germany’s financial regulators to convert its local branch into a subsidiary, the person said, which will enable it to keep its continental operations within the EU, unaffected by Brexit. The move is more than a formality and will require Lloyds to inject capital into the business to underpin its activities. The amount will depend on the ultimate size of the Berlin business but is expected to be in the low hundreds of millions of pounds, the person said, representing less than 1 percent of the bank’s overall capital. Banks are taking steps to ensure their European operations can continue to sell across Europe should Britain leave the EU without a trade deal. IG Group Holdings, a British online financial trading company, said on Tuesday it plans to create a subsidiary in Dusseldorf. While banks are acting now, large-scale staff moves will likely come only later. In Lloyds’ case, the Berlin outpost is set to remain small. It currently employs about 300 staff and that is expected to rise by just a handful. Reuters reported last February that Lloyds, Britain’s largest mortgage lender, was examining steps to turn its branch in the German capital into a subsidiary. It is the only major British retail lender without a subsidiary in another EU country. Frankfurt has been the preferred base for U.S. banks preparing for EU trading after Brexit, with Morgan Stanley, Citi and JPMorgan so far choosing the city which hosts the European Central Bank. For Lloyds, Berlin’s appeal is that it already has the bank’s main European branch with a full management team in place, including the finance, risk and human resources staff. The bank is still expecting to transfer only a handful of jobs to the new subsidiary, the person said. Reporting By Lawrence White and Emma Rumney; Editing by Hugh Lawson

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-lloyds/lloyds-bank-readying-berlin-base-ahead-of-brexit-source-idUKKBN1FC15L

BRIEF-Invictus MD Jumpstarts Revenue Stream With Sale Of First 120 KG Of Flower To Canopy Growth Corp

January 26, 2018 / 1:56 PM / in 9 minutes BRIEF-Invictus MD Jumpstarts Revenue Stream With Sale Of First 120 KG Of Flower To Canopy Growth Corp Reuters Staff 1 Min Read Jan 26 (Reuters) - Invictus MD Strategies Corp: * INVICTUS MD JUMPSTARTS REVENUE STREAM WITH SALE OF FIRST 120 KG OF FLOWER TO CANOPY GROWTH CORPORATION; SIGNS DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO INCREASE OWNERSHIP OF AB LABORATORIES IN ONTARIO FROM 33.3% TO 50% * INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES - SIGNED DEAL TO MAKE FURTHER STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN AB LABS, FROM ITS CURRENT 33.3 PERCENT OWNERSHIP INTEREST TO 50 PERCENT * INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES- DEAL TERMS INCLUDE DIRECT CASH INVESTMENT IN AB LABS FOR $10 MILLION TO BE USED FOR EXPANSION OF AB LABS’ EXISTING FACILITY,OTHERS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-invictus-md-jumpstarts-revenue-str/brief-invictus-md-jumpstarts-revenue-stream-with-sale-of-first-120-kg-of-flower-to-canopy-growth-corp-idUSASB0C2KZ

Home builder confidence falls from 18-year high, but it's still strong

The nation's homebuilders are taking a step back from their tax cut euphoria and starting the year on a slightly less sanguine note. Builder sentiment fell 2 points to 72 in January, according to a monthly survey from the National Association of Home Builders called the housing market index. The downward move comes after the measurement hit an 18-year high in December, following the passage of the Republican tax cut plan. Any reading above 50 is considered positive sentiment. The index stood at 67 in January 2017. "Builders are confident that changes to the tax code will promote the small business sector and boost broader economic growth," said NAHB Chairman Randy Noel, a homebuilder from LaPlace, Louisiana. "Our members are excited about the year ahead, even as they continue to face building material price increases and shortages of labor and lots." Builders rank those costs at the top of their list of problems faced in 2017, and the vast majority of them expect both to get worse in 2018, according to another NAHB survey. Of the sentiment index's three components, current sales conditions dropped 1 point to 79, sales expectations in the next six months fell 1 point to 78 and buyer traffic fell 4 points to 54. "The HMI gauge of future sales expectations has remained in the 70s, a sign that housing demand should continue to grow in 2018," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. "As the overall economy strengthens, owner-occupied household formation increases and the supply of existing home inventory tightens, we can expect the single-family housing market to make further gains this year." Regionally, on a three-month moving average, sentiment in the West rose 2 points to 81, while it increased 1 point to 73 in the South. In the Midwest, sentiment rose 1 point to 70, and it jumped 5 points to 59 in the Northeast.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/home-builder-confidence-falls-from-18-year-high-but-still-strong.html

Bus plunges into river in West Bengal, at least 36 dead

KOLKATA (Reuters) - At least 36 people were killed in West Bengal when a bus with 55 passengers on board plunged into a river early on Monday, a provincial minister said. The state-owned road transport bus fell 30-feet into river Bhairav off a bridge after the driver lost control, about 280 km (175 miles) north of state capital Kolkata, West Bengal’s Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari said. The bodies were recovered after six hours of rescue operations, he said, adding that survivors had been admitted to a local hospital. The West Bengal government has launched an inquiry into the incident and announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($7,865) for each of the families of the victims. ($1 = 63.5700 Indian rupees) Reporting by Subrata Nag Choudhury; Writing by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Sankalp Phartiyal and Richard Balmforth Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://in.reuters.com/article/india-crash/bus-plunges-into-river-in-west-bengal-at-least-36-dead-idINKBN1FI2CA

Arizona man gets six months in prison for hacking university email accounts

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An Arizona man was sentenced to six months in prison on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to hacking into over 1,000 email accounts at Pace University in New York in an attempt to download sexually explicit photos and videos. Jonathan Powell, a 30-year-old Phoenix resident, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan, according Dawn Dearden, a spokeswoman for the office of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. Nathan also ordered Powell to pay nearly $279,000 in restitution. Powell’s lawyer, Deborah Colson, declined to comment on the sentence. Powell was arrested in November 2016. Prosecutors said at the time that Powell used password reset tools to change the passwords for more than 1,000 accounts at two universities, in New York and Pennsylvania. They said he tried to do the same at 75 other institutions. Powell was seeking to download sexually explicit photographs and videos of women, prosecutors said. Powell pleaded guilty in August 2017 to accessing a protected computer without authorization. In his guilty plea, Powell did not mention any universities other than Pace, according to a court transcript of his plea hearing. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-universities/arizona-man-gets-six-months-in-prison-for-hacking-university-email-accounts-idUSKBN1FD37O

Canadian Solar Updates 4Q/FY17 Guidance to Reflect Timing of Certain Solar Project Sales

GUELPH, Ontario, Canadian Solar Inc. ("Canadian Solar" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world's largest solar power companies, today updated its guidance for the fourth quarter and full year 2017 in part to reflect the timing of certain utility-scale solar project sales. The updated guidance is subject to adjustments based upon completion of the Company's internal review process. Final reported results could differ materially from the estimates provided below. In the guidance provided in its press release dated November 9, 2017, the Company noted that in September and October 2017, it had entered into definitive agreements with two buyers to sell a portfolio of six solar power projects in California, totaling 703 MWp. The parties hoped to close the transactions in the fourth quarter of 2017 or the first quarter of 2018, depending on the timing of receipt of the required governmental approvals. These transactions were not completed in 2017 and have not yet received the required government approvals. The Company will update the timing for the completion of these transactions once the parties receive the required government approvals. As a result of the delay in completing the transactions, the Company now expects its total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2017 to be in the range of $1.04 billion to $1.08 billion, compared to $1.77 billion to $1.81 billion guided previously. Meanwhile, Canadian Solar updates its solar module shipment guidance for the fourth quarter of 2017 to be in the range of approximately 1,720 MW to 1,820 MW, compared to 1,650 MW to 1,750 MW guided previously. Gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2017 is now expected to be in the range of 16.5% to 18.5%, compared to 10.5% to 12.5% previously guided. The sales of the portfolio of six solar power projects in California have low margins and, therefore, had lowered the gross margin estimate in the previous guidance. On the other hand, in the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company sold a portfolio of Japanese solar projects to Canadian Solar Infrastructure Fund, Inc., which went public in October 2017, as well as sold certain other solar projects in the U.S. and other countries. These transactions had healthy margins. The new guidance reflected the blended gross margin of Canadian Solar's module and solutions businesses, as well as these project sales. The Company will provide more details in the fourth quarter 2017 business update of its regular earnings press release. For the full year 2017, Canadian Solar now expects its total solar module shipments to be in the range of approximately 6.8 GW to 6.9 GW, compared to 6.7 GW to 6.8 GW guided previously. The Company now expects its total revenue for the full year 2017 to be in the range of $3.33 billion to $3.37 billion, compared to $4.05 billion to $4.09 billion previously guided. About Canadian Solar Inc. Founded in 2001 in Canada, Canadian Solar is one of the world's largest and foremost solar power companies. As a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and provider of solar energy solutions, Canadian Solar also has a geographically diversified pipeline of utility-scale power projects in various stages of development. In the past 16 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered over 25 GW of premium quality modules to over 100 countries around the world. Furthermore, Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar industry, having been publicly listed on NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit www.canadiansolar.com . Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release regarding the Company's expected future shipment volumes, gross margins, and its ability to receive the required government approvals for the sale of six solar power projects in California, are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include general business and economic conditions and the state of the solar industry; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of high-purity silicon; demand for end-use products by consumers and inventory levels of such products in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand from major markets such as Japan, the U.S., India and China; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; capacity utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in average selling prices; delays in new product introduction; delays in utility-scale project approval process; delays in utility-scale project construction; delays in the completion of project sales; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of products with the features customers demand; shortage in supply of materials or capacity requirements; availability of financing; exchange rate fluctuations; litigation and other risks as described in the Company's SEC filings, including its annual report on Form 20-F filed on April 27, 2017. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today's date, unless otherwise stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law. View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadian-solar-updates-4qfy17-guidance-to-reflect-timing-of-certain-solar-project-sales-300581864.html SOURCE Canadian Solar Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/12/pr-newswire-canadian-solar-updates-4qfy17-guidance-to-reflect-timing-of-certain-solar-project-sales.html

EU ombudsman urges ECB's Draghi to leave G30 club of financiers

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Mario Draghi should give up his membership of the opaque Group of 30 consultative body because it risks hurting public confidence in the ECB’s independence, the European Ombudsman said on Wednesday. The G30 is an international panel of senior figures from the finance industry, academia and current and former policymakers, which holds meetings on global financial issues behind closed doors. At present its members include Draghi, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, but also former policymakers who have now joined the private sector and directors from two banks supervised by the ECB. “The ECB president’s membership of the G30 could give rise to a public perception that the independence of the ECB could be compromised,” Ombudsman Emily O‘Reilly said. “For the ECB to allow this perception to arise over several years constitutes maladministration on its part.” O‘Reilly, whose recommendations are not binding, criticised what she described as the “secrecy” surrounding the G30, including how members are chosen and what is discussed at the meetings. She said the ECB should tighten its rules regarding public engagements. The activist group Corporate Europe Observatory, which filed the complaint to the Ombudsman, a European Union body, welcomed the decision as “timely and very positive”. An ECB spokesman said the central bank had taken note of the Ombudsman’s recommendations and would respond in due course. The criticism comes as the ECB is already under fire over other issues related to transparency and the appearance of being too close to industry, including its massive purchases of company debt, its handling of failing banks and the hiring of Draghi’s top aide. The G30 includes directors from banks regulated by the ECB, including Germany’s Bayerische Landesbank, U.S. giant JPMorgan, whose Luxembourg subsidiary is ECB-supervised, and until recently Spain’s Santander. The chairman of UBS, Axel Weber, and the chief executive of Credit Suisse, Tidjane Thiam - two large Swiss banks with several subsidiaries in the euro zone - are also members. They sit alongside former officials such as ex-Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, now an adviser to hedge fund Citadel. O‘Reilly said she had found no evidence that G30 meetings had influenced the ECB’s work as the supervisor of the euro zone’s largest banks. The ECB previously said it benefits from the exchanges of views at the G30. O‘Reilly said the ECB could send representatives to G30 events open to external guests, only if it published agendas and non-confidential summaries, which it has declined to do so far. She also asked that the ECB amended its rules to spell out that the six members of its Executive Board must be accompanied by staff to all meetings, and introduce equivalent rules for bank supervisors. Corporate Europe Observatory has been criticising the ECB for being too close to the financial sector it is meant to supervise, including by letting financiers take most seats on its advisory groups. In a concession to critics, the ECB has announced plans to hold regular meetings with entrepreneurs outside finance. Reporting by Francesco Canepa Editing by Jeremy Gaunt

https://in.reuters.com/article/ecb-banks-ethics/eu-ombudsman-urges-ecbs-draghi-to-leave-g30-club-of-financiers-idINKBN1F619L

Voting to survive: Romanians elect mayors despite graft record

DRAGOMIRESTI, Romania (Reuters) - Romanian mayor Dragos Vladulescu has a criminal conviction in a country with one of the EU’s worst corruption records, and yet local voters keep re-electing him and many think he’s doing a great job. For Vladulescu’s admirers, what matters is that their mayor has upgraded or built new schools, clinics and even churches during his 14 years at the town hall. On top of that, the Social Democrat has installed street lighting, mains gas and water supplies, as well as paving muddy roads in their community of Dragomiresti, which lies in lush hill country about 90 km (45 miles) northwest of Bucharest. Voters in the wealthier European Union states to the west would take such services for granted, but not in Romania, which is still catching up after enduring a particularly brutal form of communism under Nicolae Ceausescu. So when a court found Vladulescu guilty of conflict of interest in 2014 for granting public works contracts to a company owned by his son-in-law, people shrugged it off and two years later re-elected him for a fourth term. “Things are going well, he has done many good things here,” said 64-year-old pensioner Gheorghe Baicoianu, while municipal workers shoveled away snow from bus stops in the village center. “I certainly voted for him, he deserved it.” The fact that the mayor was handed a six-month suspended jail sentence seemed not to trouble Baicoianu. “I am not interested in other issues, only what I can see with my eyes in the locality,” he told Reuters. Dragomiresti is by no means unusual in Romania, which came fourth from bottom of the 28 EU nations in a 2016 corruption perceptions index compiled by the anti-graft group Transparency International. That year Vladulescu’s Social Democrat Party (PSD) was re-elected nationally even though its leader Liviu Dragnea has also got a suspended jail sentence: two years in a vote-rigging case. Dragnea is now on trial for abuse of office and prosecutors have opened a separate inquiry on suspicions that he formed a “criminal group” to siphon off cash from state projects, some of them EU-funded. This involves a company once controlled by a county council that Dragnea headed until 2012. He denies all the charges. SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP Sociologist Daniel Sandu says part of the PSD’s success is a close relationship between its national leadership and its mayors. This involves how government money to build infrastructure and pay social benefits is channeled to a local level, funding the kind of public works that have made Vladulescu and other mayors so popular. “One way or another, the ruling party needs to control these mayors because they are the ones who bring votes, and mayors need the party because it helps them get funds,” Sandu, a researcher at the European University Institute, told Reuters. “There is a symbiotic relationship.” All parties that have governed Romania since the 1989 fall of communism have been accused of favoring their own mayors and county administrations in allotting funds. Dragnea created a multi-billion euro state-funded program in 2013 when he was regional development minister. Under this, money for rural and municipal infrastructure projects is now distributed to the counties by a deputy prime minister, without the need for overall government oversight. Reuters calculations show that Social Democrat mayors have generally done well out of this National Programme for Local Development (PNDL). For 2017-2020 PSD-controlled county councils have been earmarked, on average, 17 percent more than those controlled by the opposition Liberal party, and about 40 percent more on average than counties run by leaders from Romania’s ethnic Hungarian minority. Dragnea’s successor as regional development minister, Sevil Shhaideh, has denied preferential distributions. “The poorest counties, with the largest populations and areas and with the most administrative units, will get the largest allotments,” said Shhaideh, whose ministry drafted the PNDL allocations. Shhaideh lost her ministerial post in a government reshuffle last October after prosecutors opened a corruption inquiry into her. She denies the allegations. ALMOST FEUDAL Mayor Dragos Vladulescu is pictured in his office at Dragomiresti City Hall, in Dambovita county, Romania, January 23, 2018. Picture taken January 23, 2018. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS The European Commission has the Romanian judicial system under special monitoring, and the country’s prosecutors are vigorously pursuing corruption cases, sending to trial hundreds of mayors, county councillors and lawmakers from across party lines. The bulk of investigations involve public contracts awarded to firms in return for bribes, fraud with EU funds, rigged auctions and conflicts of interest. Jail sentences are, however, frequently suspended with relatively few officials behind bars. Attempts by the PSD government to decriminalize several corruption offences last year triggered the country’s largest street protests in decades. And yet the party, which won both the national and local elections, retains strong support. Romania is booming, with the economy growing at annual rates of almost nine percent in 2017, but it remains poor. Per capita GDP was just 58 percent of the EU average in 2016, while 2011 data put Romanians’ average annual earnings at less than 6,000 euros ($7,500) compared with almost 18,000 euros in Portugal, one of western Europe’s poorest countries. Another problem is a disparity between cities such as Bucharest, which have largely benefited from Romania’s transition to a market economy, and rural areas. ”There are two very different Romanias,“ said Sandu. ”One feels like any prosperous and dynamic capital city in Europe. “The other is served almost exclusively by a set of politicians who have developed an institutional power structure that is almost feudal.” Outside the major cities, many small towns and villages lack basic services. A study by World Vision showed more than 200,000 children, particularly in rural areas, went to bed hungry. Slideshow (5 Images) The country has the highest rate of household deprivation in the EU, Eurostat data showed, with one in two Romanians struggling to keep their home warm or pay their bills on time. For such people, spending by the local mayor is often a lifeline, so they vote for the candidate they think will produce the cash for their community. “They are literally voting to survive,” Sandu said. “These people feel forgotten, abandoned, the losers of the transition and they believe their closest form of survival is the leader or party closest to them.” AGING RAPIDLY Dragomiresti, a group of six villages with a total population of under 9,000, is far from the poorest municipality. But the community, which lies in Dambovita county, is aging rapidly. Most passersby in the center had family members working abroad, chiefly on farms in Spain and Italy. Vladulescu, who won 58 percent of the vote in 2016, said he understood local concerns. “Many mayors in Dambovita county have been re-elected for their second, third or fourth terms, and the key to their success is that they prioritize solving the problems of their citizens,” he told Reuters. “I have done one thing or another every year in each village,” he added. “People understood very well how things stood; the fact they re-elected me is proof.” In 2016, many Romanians elected mayors who were under investigation or on trial, regardless of their party, including in cities such as Baia Mare and Brasov. Local administrations have an overall annual budget of just under 70 billion lei ($19 billion), a third of the country’s consolidated budget revenue, and access to EU development funds. This includes funds from the PNDL, which the government has increased nearly fivefold to 30 billion lei for 2017-2020. Expert Forum (EFOR), an independent think tank which has analysed public contracts related to the PNDL in several counties, found that about half were awarded to only 5-6 private firms even though up to 50 compete for them. “Connections are in most cases party-based and tend to be built around local power relations,” an EFOR report said. “Some companies are managed by unknown owners on paper but in reality they are controlled by politicians or other influential persons.” ($1 = 3.7562 lei) ($1 = 0.8043 euros) editing by David Stamp

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-romania-politics-analysis/voting-to-survive-romanians-elect-mayors-despite-graft-record-idUSKBN1FI0GH

Riksbank's Skingsley: Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies are assets, not money

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are "not a very good version of money" due to their volatile nature, the deputy governor of Sweden's central bank said Thursday. Cecilia Skingsley said that digital currencies were not an efficient store of value or means of exchange, but conceded that they could be called assets instead. "In my view, cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and the others — the way I've seen them so far — they don't meet the criteria to be called money," the Riksbank deputy said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. "They can be called an asset, fine, but they are not a very good version of money because it's not a very stable store of value where they fluctuate a lot. And it's not a very efficient medium of exchange because you don't buy your groceries with bitcoin." Referring to the historical development of money and currencies from dated methods like copper and gold, Skingsley defined "good money" as a stable store of value with enough demand within a country or currency union. Virtual currencies have come under fire from both bankers and regulators recently due to concerns of wild price swings and illegal activities like money laundering. show chapters Russians want to invest in bitcoin, but it’s a bubble: RDIF CEO 11:50 AM ET Tue, 23 Jan 2018 | 03:05 Earlier this month, reports emerged of South Korea planning a bill to ban cryptocurrency trading via exchanges, news that sent the value of multiple digital assets down significantly. And J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon notably referred to bitcoin as a "fraud" that will eventually "blow up," comparing it to the Tulip mania phenomenon of the 17th century. Central bank-backed digital currency Sweden itself has mulled the development of its own fiat digital currency, the ekrona, due to a decline in cash use in the Scandinavian country. "We see a rapid decrease in the value of circulation of notes and coins and as a central bank we are sort of neutral about this," Skingsley said. "We think that people should be able to use the payment methods that they find safe and efficient, as long as they are safe and efficient." She added: "If we find that there is a need for a public sector digital version, we are looking into what sort of features that would have." Skingsley said that this concept was "far away into the future," and that the central bank was not decided about whether it would use blockchain technology to underpin the ekrona. Blockchain is a decentralized network of computers that logs cryptocurrency transactions. On the regulation of cryptocurrencies, Skingsley said that rules already exist in Sweden and other countries to clamp down on illicit activity and ensure consumer protection. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook .

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/26/riksbanks-skingsley-bitcoin-cryptocurrencies-are-assets-not-money.html

Women set to march again as Trump triggers new era of activism

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women around the world will return to the streets this weekend, one year after millions marched to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s election, with a new goal - electing more women’s rights advocates. Trump’s misogynist comments and policies rolling back birth control and equal pay efforts have propelled many women into activism for the first time, campaigners said, pointing to the success of social media campaigns against sexual harassment. “I think that these are natural outgrowths of that outpouring of energy and they reflect some of the issues of the people who marched,” Vanessa Wruble, head of March On, one group of organizers, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Some 5 million women around the world staged demonstrations on Jan. 21 last year, the day after Trump’s inauguration, many wearing pink “pussy hats” in reference to the president’s boast about grabbing women’s genitals. “It felt like it was a huge signal to Trump’s administration,” said Elissar Harati, 29, who marched last year in Washington and will take to the streets again on Saturday. Multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against male actors, filmmakers and agents in Hollywood, and the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns against sexual harassment, have awoken her to broader issues like equal pay and maternity leave, she said. Tens of thousands of people have registered their intentions on social media to join rallies on Saturday and Sunday, with major events planned in New York and Los Angeles, as well as Britain, Nigeria and Japan. But turnout is unlikely to equal 2017‘s, organizers said. “The women’s march of last year was a historical moment that we’re not trying to replicate,” said Bob Bland, who helped organize the 2017 march on Washington, which appeared to draw larger crowds than Trump’s swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol. Marchers will kick off a voter registration campaign in Las Vegas and other swing states held by Republicans - where neither political party holds a predictable lead - ahead of a possible backlash against Trump in November’s midterm elections. “We’re not going to create change until we change our representation in the government,” said Wruble of March On, which is keen to ensure more liberal women win seats in Republican-led districts. Although March On’s strategy differs from that of Women’s March, which organized the iconic Washington protest and remains focused on social justice issues, experts say this is unlikely to undermine the movement’s long-term effectiveness. “It’s not unusual in social movements for there to be break-off movements and different takes on the best way to get to the end goal,” said Debbie Walsh, head of Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics. Reporting by Sebastien Malo @sebastienmalo, Editing by Katy Migiro. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit news.trust.org

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-women/women-set-to-march-again-as-trump-triggers-new-era-of-activism-idUSKBN1F72FC

STORM Therapeutics Appoints Distinguished Professor and Nobel Prize Winner Professor Thomas Cech as Scientific Advisor

CAMBRIDGE, England, January 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- STORM Therapeutics, the drug discovery company focused on the discovery of small molecule therapies modulating RNA epigenetics, today announced the appointment of Nobel Prize Winner Professor Thomas Cech as a Scientific Advisor. This appointment follows STORM Therapeutics' successful Series A Financing Extension announced in January 2018. Professor Cech is Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder and Director, University of Colorado BioFrontiers Institute. He has spent decades at the frontier of research into RNA biology discovering novel biologic mechanisms important to cellular function and shaping both academic and commercial efforts in the RNA field. Professor Cech was the scientific founder of Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1992-99) which became Sirna Therapeutics and is now an operating subsidiary of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Merck & Co, Inc., New Jersey, USA. In 1982 Professor Cech and his research group announced that an RNA molecule from Tetrahymena, a single-celled pond organism, cut and rejoined chemical bonds in the complete absence of proteins. This discovery of self-splicing RNA provided the first exception to the long-held belief that biological reactions are always catalyzed by proteins. In addition, it has been heralded as providing a new, plausible scenario for the origin of life; because RNA can be both an information-carrying molecule and a catalyst, perhaps the first self-reproducing system consisted of RNA alone. Comment ing on the appointment, CEO of STORM Therapeutics , Keith Blundy said: "We are very pleased to have attracted such an internationally renowned researcher as Professor Tom Cech to STORM as an advisor. As a leader in the field of RNA biology, Tom's in-depth knowledge, insight and experience will be invaluable as we look to continue building a drug discovery platform and mature into a world leading therapeutics company targeting RNA epigenetic modulation." Professor T om Cech said: "Our understanding of RNA modification and its effects on biology and disease are increasing exponentially. Now is the time to begin exploring the therapeutic potential. I am enthused to contribute to STORM Therapeutics' leading effort to develop small molecule modulators of RNA epigenetics." In addition to the 1989 Nobel Prize, Professor Cech's work has been recognized by many national and international awards and prizes, including the Heineken Prize of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (1988), the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award (1988) and the National Medal of Science (1995). In 1987 Professor Cech was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and awarded a lifetime professorship by the American Cancer Society. Other recent appointments at STORM Therapeutics include: Sakae Asanuma, President of Taiho Ventures and Professor Paul Workman, President and CEO of The Institute of Cancer Research to the Board of Directors; and Dr Paul Leeson and Professor Mark Dawson as scientific advisors. About STORM STORM Therapeutics, founded in 2015, is a University of Cambridge spin-out translating the ground-breaking work of Professors Tony Kouzarides and Eric Miska in RNA epigenetics into the discovery of first-in-class drugs in oncology and other diseases. It is the leading company currently tackling disease through modulating RNA modifying enzymes and is developing a unique platform to address these enzyme classes, including RNA methyltransferases. STORM is backed by blue chip investors Cambridge Innovation Capital, Merck Ventures, Pfizer Ventures, Touchstone Innovations and Taiho Ventures LLC, who share the founders' ambitions to build a world-leading company in the field. To date, STORM Therapeutics has raised £16million of funding. SOURCE STORM Therapeutics

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/pr-newswire-storm-therapeutics-appoints-distinguished-professor-and-nobel-prize-winner-professor-thomas-cech-as-scientific-advisor.html

Resources Connection, Inc. Reports Second Quarter Results for Fiscal 2018

Revenue of $156.7 million for the quarter Net income of $8.1 million and adjusted EBITDA* of $13.4 million for the quarter Diluted earnings per share of $0.27 for the quarter Company continues to make progress on strategic initiatives to enhance revenue and profitability IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Resources Connection, Inc. (NASDAQ: RECN), a multinational business consulting firm, operating as Resources Global Professionals (the “Company” or “RGP”), today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended November 25, 2017. Revenue for the second quarter of 2018 was $156.7 million, up 6.2% year over year and 11.0% sequentially. Revenue in Europe improved for the eighth successive quarter, up 20.9% year over year excluding revenue from the Company’s August 31, 2017 acquisition of taskforce-Management on Demand AG (“taskforce”) and up 44.0% including taskforce. Revenue in the U.S. increased 1.5% year-over-year. The Company’s Asia Pacific business rebounded from a disappointing first quarter, improving 12.1% sequentially, although slightly down year over year. Net income for the quarter was $8.1 million (5.2% of revenue), with an adjusted EBITDA* of $13.4 million (8.5% of revenue). Net income per diluted share was $0.27 for the second quarter of 2018, including $0.08 per diluted share related to the reversal of valuation allowances on international deferred tax assets, offset by costs of $0.06 per diluted share related to severance, acquisition, transformation and integration expenses during the quarter. The Company also paid a quarterly cash dividend on September 21, 2017 of $0.12 per share, resulting in a total dividend payment of $3.6 million. “I am pleased with our performance this quarter and the continued progress we have made towards implementing our strategic initiatives,” said Kate Duchene, President and Chief Executive Officer of RGP. “Our international performance remains strong, and I am especially proud of our eighth successive quarter of revenue growth in Europe. Additionally, our performance in North America is strengthening, and we believe we can experience further growth in our third quarter as our core business continues to grow and we integrate our recent acquisition, Accretive, into RGP.” *Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation. ACQUISITIONS On November 1, 2017, the Company announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets and assume certain liabilities of Accretive Solutions, Inc. (“Accretive”) for $19.4 million in cash and 1,150,000 shares of Resources Connection, Inc. restricted common stock. Accretive is a professional services firm headquartered in Chicago with eight offices across the United States and approximately 500 professional staff. This acquisition supports our middle market growth strategy and offers strong capabilities in accounting and finance, enterprise governance, business technology and business transformation, in addition to providing a back office suite of services to startups through its Countsy brand. The acquisition closed on December 4, 2017. The Accretive transaction follows RGP’s September 1, 2017 acquisition of taskforce, a German professional services firm that provides clients with senior interim management and project management expertise. RGP’s consolidated financial results for the second quarter include taskforce revenue of approximately $3.7 million and EBITDA of $0.3 million. UPDATE ON STRATEGIC INITIATIVES RGP continues to make progress against its previously announced strategic initiatives. The Company has advanced its initiative to cultivate a more robust sales culture during the second quarter. The Company launched a new learning and development program to enhance training and accountability across the organization – including providing training on new management techniques and processes. RGP continued to roll out its new compensation programs to drive accountability and profitable growth. The Company’s Strategic Client Program is performing well with revenue of this program up 8.0% since the beginning of the fiscal year, and is expected to deliver improved growth in fiscal year 2018. RGP expects to complete substantially all of its sales transformation by the end of the fiscal year. With regard to the second initiative to redesign the Company’s business model to enhance client offerings, the redesign is close to completion, with focus on building the Company’s integrated solutions capabilities and delivering multi-disciplinary offerings to its clients in three areas of focus – Transaction Services, Technical Accounting Services, and Data & Analytics. In the second quarter, the Company implemented the new operating model for sales, talent and integrated solutions within RGP for all of North America. With respect to the cost containment initiative, the Company continues its efforts to lower selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) as a percentage of revenue. The Company made progress this quarter and will continue to focus on improved leverage and cost synergies in the core business and with the Accretive acquisition. The Company remains committed to managing its cost structure to achieve improved SG&A performance as measured against revenue. FISCAL SECOND QUARTER REVIEW Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased by 6.2% (5.3% constant currency) to $ 156.7 million compared to $147.6 million in the prior year second quarter. Without taskforce’s revenue of $3.7 million in the quarter, revenue was up 3.7%. On a sequential basis, second quarter revenue increased by 11.0% (10.6% constant currency) from $141.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. Year over year constant currency results for international revenue are computed using the comparable second quarter fiscal 2017 conversion rates, and the sequential quarter constant currency international revenue is computed using the comparable first quarter fiscal 2018 conversion rates. Revenue in the U.S. increased by 1.5% year over year, reflecting increased activity and bill rates in several of the Company’s largest markets. The company believes the increase in these markets is partially attributable to the Company’s strategic initiatives, including its focus on improvement in bill rates per hour. U.S. revenue increased 5.6% sequentially. International revenue improved by 24.7% year over year (20.3% constant currency) and 32.9% sequentially (30.9% constant currency), reflecting strength in the Company’s United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden practices. Revenue in Europe grew 20.9% year over year and 27.3% sequentially, excluding revenue attributable to the taskforce acquisition. Net income improved in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 to $8.1 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, including $0.08 per diluted share related to the reversal of valuation allowances on international deferred tax assets, offset by costs of $0.06 per diluted share related to severance, acquisition and transformation related expenses during the quarter; this compares to net income of $5.7 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, in the prior year second quarter. Adjusted EBITDA was $13.4 million (8.5% of revenue) and $12.3 million (8.3% of revenue) for the quarter ended November 25, 2017 and November 26, 2016, respectively. Gross margin was 37.9% in the second quar

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/03/business-wire-resources-connection-inc-reports-second-quarter-results-for-fiscal-2018.html

US futures point to a sharply lower open as earnings take center stage

U.S. stocks closed sharply lower on Tuesday, falling for a second day as the first major sell-off of the new year intensified. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 362.59 points to finish at 26,076.89, with UnitedHealth as the biggest decliner. The 30-stock index also posted its biggest percentage decline since May. It fell 411.06 points at its session low. The S&P 500 pulled back 1.1 percent to 2,822.43, with health care as the worst-performing sector. The index also snapped its longest stretch ever without back-to-back declines of at least half a percent. It also had its worst day since August The Nasdaq composite fell 0.9 percent to close at 7,402.48. "We've had a unilateral move higher [in stocks] to start things off and people are realizing this is not sustainable," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley FBR. "You're also seeing some cracks in the global story with interest rates rising." The Dow fell 177 points on Monday, on the back of a rise in the 10-year treasury yield, raising concerns that higher interest rates could douse the bull market. The Dow, along with the S&P 500, posted its worst decline of the year on Monday. show chapters Dow and S&P could post first back-to-back losses of the year 4 Hours Ago | 03:38 Long-dated Treasury yields climbed further on Tuesday, with the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield trading near levels not seen since 2014, amid fears of higher inflation. The benchmark yield started the year trading around 2.4 percent. Higher inflation could also lead central banks to tighten monetary policy faster than the market expects. Last week, Stifel strategist Barry Bannister predicted the Federal Reserve will cause a correction this quarter as it leads other central banks into tighter monetary policy. The Fed kicked off its latest two-day monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. Market expectations for a rate hike are just 5.2 percent, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool. But Robert Pavlik, chief investment strategist at SlateStone Wealth, said he does not think this is the start of a major pullback. "I think people are looking for an excuse to sell," he said. "This is the first wave of selling we've seen in a while." Pavlik added this selling pressure could present a buying opportunity for investors who have cash on the sidelines. The Cboe Volatility index (VIX), widely considered the best fear gauge in the stock market, rose to its highest level since August. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images A trader wearing a 'Dow 26,000' hat works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York. "It's interesting because the VIX started the month trading around 10, but has surged with stocks," said Jeff Chang, managing director at Cboe Vest. "Usually, you don't see that. ... A central explanation for this could be investors are looking to add some hedging to their portfolios" as stocks continue to rise. Shares of UnitedHealth were the worst performers on the Dow, falling 4.4 percent. UnitedHealth fell after Amazon, J.P. Morgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway announced plans to partner on ways to cut health-care costs. As of Monday's close, health care was on pace for its best monthly performance since Oct. 1999 when it gained 10.98 percent. On Tuesday, the sector fell 2.1 percent. In economic news, consumer confidence rose to 125.4 in January as Americans expect the U.S. economic momentum from 2017 to carry over into the new year. Elsewhere, President Donald Trump is expected to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The address will come after the administration announced Monday that it wouldn't immediately inflict further sanctions on Russia under a new law designed to punish Moscow's alleged meddling in the U.S. 2016 election. The administration stated that the measure was already having an impact on companies in Russia. —CNBC's Gina Francolla and Chris Hayes contributed to this report. Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the Dow posted its biggest percentage decline since May.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/us-stock-futures-dow-data-earnings-and-politics-on-the-agenda.html

BRIEF-Premier Gold Mine And Barrick Gold Sign Comprehensive Nevada-Focused Agreement

18 AM / Updated 17 minutes ago BRIEF-Premier Gold Mine And Barrick Gold Sign Comprehensive Nevada-Focused Agreement Reuters Staff Jan 10 (Reuters) - Barrick Gold Corp: * PREMIER GOLD MINE AND BARRICK GOLD SIGN COMPREHENSIVE NEVADA-FOCUSED AGREEMENT * PREMIER GOLD MINES LTD - ‍WILL RETAIN 100% OWNERSHIP OVER COVE DEPOSIT PORTION OF MCCOY-COVE PROPERTY​ * PREMIER GOLD MINES- BARRICK TO HAVE OPTION TO EARN 60% INTEREST IN EXPLORATION PORTION OF CO‘S MCCOY-COVE PROPERTY * PREMIER GOLD MINES LTD - ‍ WILL HAVE OPTION TO ACQUIRE A 100% INTEREST IN BARRICK‘S RYE VEIN PROPERTY, SUBJECT TO A BACK-IN RIGHT BY BARRICK * PREMIER GOLD MINES - BARRICK‘S OPTION TO EARN 60% INTEREST IN MCCOY-COVE PROPERTY WILL BE BY SPENDING US$22.5 MILLION IN EXPLORATION BEFORE JUNE 30, 2022 * PREMIER GOLD MINES LTD - EXPLORATION ON JOINT VENTURE PROPERTY IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN EARLY IN 2018 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-premier-gold-mine-and-barrick-gold/brief-premier-gold-mine-and-barrick-gold-sign-comprehensive-nevada-focused-agreement-idUSFWN1P5056

The Mexico Fund, Inc. Pays Distribution

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Mexico Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MXF) announced that it will pay today a distribution of $0.13 per share in cash to stockholders of record as of January 18, 2018, according to the Fund´s Managed Distribution Plan (MDP). As a general matter, the amount of distributable income for each fiscal period depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the entire year. Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital, but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year. However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund is required to indicate the source of each distribution to stockholders. The following table sets forth an estimate of the sources of the January 26, 2018 distribution and distributions paid in the current fiscal year: Distribution Estimates January 2018 Fiscal Year-to-date ( YTD) 1 Source Per Share Amount Percent of Current Distribution Per Share Amount Percent of Fiscal Year Distributions Net Investment Income - - - - Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains - - - - Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains - - - - Return of Capital $0.1300 100.00% $0.1300 100.00% Total Distribution $ 0.1300 100.00 % $ 0.1300 100.00 % Information regarding the Fund’s performance and distribution rates is set forth below: Average Annual Total Return for the 5-year period ended on December 31, 2017 2 (2.69 )% Current Annualized Distribution Rate (current fiscal year) 3 - Current Fiscal Year Cumulative Total Return 4 0.39 % Cumulative Distribution Rate (current fiscal year) 5 - 1 The Fund’s current fiscal year began on November 1, 2017. 2 Average Annual Total Return represents the simple arithmetic average of the Annual NAV Total Returns of the Fund for the last five years. Annual NAV Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund’s NAV over a year including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions. 3 The Current Annualized Distribution Rate is the Cumulative Distribution Rate as of December 31, 2017, annualized as a percentage of the Fund’s NAV at the same date. As of the date of this press release, this rate is zero because the $0.1300 distribution has not been paid yet. 4 Current Fiscal Year Cumulative Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund’s NAV from November 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017, including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions. 5 Cumulative Distribution Rate for the Fund’s current fiscal period (November 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017) measured on the dollar value of distributions in the period as a percentage of the Fund’s NAV as of December 31, 2017. As of the date of this press release, this rate is zero because the $0.1300 distribution has not been paid yet. You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund’s MDP. The amounts and sources of distributions reported above are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report the distribution for federal income tax purposes. For further information, contact the Fund’s Investor Relations office at +52-55-9138-3350, or by email at investor-relations@themexicofund.com. The Mexico Fund, Inc. is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company with the investment objective of long-term capital appreciation through investments in securities, primarily equity, listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Fund provides a vehicle to investors who wish to invest in Mexican companies through a managed non-diversified portfolio as part of their overall investment program. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Fund’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements including, in particular, the risks and uncertainties described in the Fund’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, events, and performance may differ. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Fund undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by The Mexico Fund or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material. CONTACT: Alberto Gómez Pimienta The Mexico Fund, Inc. +52-55-9138-3350 CONTACT: Patricia Baronowski Pristine Advisers, LLC (631) 756-2486 Source:The Mexico Fund, Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/26/globe-newswire-the-mexico-fund-inc-pays-distribution.html

Cheap feed, brisk U.S. pork exports drive Iowa hog barn expansion

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Farmers in Iowa, where a third of U.S. hogs are raised, have ratcheted up swine barn construction while capitalizing on low-cost feed and thriving U.S. pork exports. Higher profits have prompted pork producers to build new packing plants. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) data shows that this has pushed permits for pig buildings in Iowa to a five-year high as farmers look to house record numbers of U.S. hogs. “The main factors for increased pork investment in buildings are attractive feed costs and very strong exports,” said Gregg Hora, a hog farmer in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Hora is not adding space to his swine farms, but said others are doing so given the annual U.S. hog herd growth of 3 to 4 percent, tied to robust global demand for pork. DNR’s 2017 statistics showed approvals for construction of new hog barns capable of holding more than 1,250 head, and expansions of existing ones, totaled 451, up nearly 12 percent from 2016. The U.S. hog herd reached an all-time high 73.2 million head as of Dec. 1, 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. corn prices are hovering around $3.50 per bushel, well under the all-time high exceeding $8 in 2012, when there was an historic drought in the Midwest. U.S. Meat Export Federation data showed U.S. pork exports from January through November of 2017 were on pace for a new volume record at 2.23 million tonnes valued at $5.9 billion. Hog farmer profit improved after new packing plants sprang up in the United States last year. Industry slaughter capacity in 2017 grew 8 percent versus 2016 after new or revamped facilities came online in Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri and Iowa, said John Nalivka, president of Oregon-based Sterling Marketing. He expects capacity to rise another 6 percent in 2018 when another Iowa plant comes online. “A solid hog market coupled with low-cost feed have allowed producers to make money while chasing this capacity,” he said. He calculated that farmers last year on average made about $21 per head on hogs sold to packers versus $5 the year before. Shoppers are embracing plentiful budget-friendly pork chops and bacon, with robust demand expected this year thanks to the booming U.S. economy. “The thinking is that the ‘wealth effect’ on demand will be more than sufficient to gobble up all that meat - despite the big supplies,” said Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures trader Dan Norcini. Reporting by Theopolis Waters; Editing by David Gregorio

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-hogs-iowa/cheap-feed-brisk-u-s-pork-exports-drive-iowa-hog-barn-expansion-idUSKBN1F72FX

BRIEF-Monarch Alternative Capital Reports 9.21 Pct Stake In Resolute Energy Corp As On Jan 24 - SEC Filing

January 26, 2018 / 1:46 PM / Updated 11 minutes ago BRIEF-Monarch Alternative Capital Reports 9.21 Pct Stake In Resolute Energy Corp As On Jan 24 - SEC Filing Reuters Staff 1 Min Read Jan 26 (Reuters) - Resolute Energy Corp: * MONARCH ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL LP REPORTS 9.21 PERCENT STAKE IN RESOLUTE ENERGY CORP AS ON JANUARY 24 - SEC FILING * MONARCH ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL LP SAYS ON JAN 24, 2018, REPRESENTATIVES OF MAC SENT A LETTER TO RESOLUTE ENERGY’S CEO AND BOARD * MONARCH ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL - PROPOSED IN LETTER THAT RESOLUTE ENERGY TO INCREASE STOCKHOLDER REPRESENTATION ON BOARD BY APPOINTING TWO DESIGNATED BY MAC * MONARCH ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL-IN LETTER, PROPOSED RESOLUTE ENERGY TO ENGAGE FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO ASSIST IN EVALUATING,EXECUTING POTENTIAL STRATEGIC TRANSACTIONS Source text: ( bit.ly/2DEMOxg ) Further company coverage:

https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-monarch-alternative-capital-report/brief-monarch-alternative-capital-reports-9-21-pct-stake-in-resolute-energy-corp-as-on-jan-24-sec-filing-idUSFWN1PL0QE

Dollar mired near 3-year low on US policy doubts, receding yield advantage

The dollar rose on Monday against a basket of currencies as U.S. bond yields climbed and traders waited for a Federal Reserve meeting and a U.S. jobs report later in the week, while the euro and pound were both broadly down. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar index rose 0.55 percent to 89.56 after scoring six consecutive weeks of losses. On a monthly basis it is set to fall 3 percent. As the greenback rose, the euro fell 0.64 percent, while the British pound decreased 0.96 percent. "Most market players are long euro right now, short dollar across the board," said Douglas Borthwick, a managing director and head of FX at Chapdelaine Foreign Exchange in New York. "Overnight we saw profit-taking. Not on the back of any news, but just on the back of folks having sizeable positions already in place." Borthwick added that traders are feeling some uncertainty going into this week's Fed meeting. "Depending on the new Fed leadership, which is being run now by (Jerome) Powell, the market is concerned about whether we're going to see continued rate rises at the current velocity that's expected or whether it's going to be increased somewhat," he said. Reuters data points to market expectations of about three more Fed rate hikes this year, starting in March, although some analysts, including at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Asset Management, expect the Fed to raise four times. Traders also are awaiting a U.S. Department of Labor report, set to be released on Friday, that will include data on nonfarm payrolls, average hourly earnings and the unemployment rate. On Monday a Commerce Department report said U.S. consumer spending rose solidly in December, but savings dropped to a 10-year low. The dollar increased marginally after the report. Data on Friday showed U.S economic growth accelerated to 2.3 percent in 2017, faster than the 1.5 percent logged in 2016, although growth in the December quarter slowed on a sequential basis and was below market expectations. show chapters Treasury Secretary Mnuchin's comments sends US dollar on wild ride 4:18 PM ET Fri, 26 Jan 2018 | 06:45 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin gave U.S. currency bears a major boost last week with a tacit endorsement of a weak dollar. While U.S. President Donald Trump , who has advocated a strong dollar, tried to minimize those comments, the remarks had already made an impact and the greenback's downturn since November showed little sign of abating. U.S. Treasury yields surged to more than three-year highs on Monday after comments from a European Central Bank official added to expectations that central banks globally will reduce stimulus as the economic outlook improves. The 10-year yield rose to 2.71 percent, its highest since early 2014.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/28/dollar-mired-near-3-year-low-on-us-policy-doubts-receding-yield-advantage.html

If your town has a Lidl, your grocery prices are lower

When low-priced German grocer Lidl opens a new store, it brings a food fight, and consumers are the ultimate winners. A new study shows if there's a Lidl store, competing grocers drop their prices by more than when Walmart enters a new market. The University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School conducted the pricing study, looking at six cities where there is a Lidl store and six nearby cities without a Lidl store, comparing pricing on 48 frequently purchased food products at Walmart , Kroger , Aldi, Publix and Food Lion. "On average, competing retailers near Lidl stores set their prices approximately 9.3 percent lower than in markets where Lidl is not present, which is more than three times as much as was typically reported in other academic work on Walmart's entry in a new market," said Katrijn Gielens, an associate professor of marketing at UNC who led the study. Lidl commissioned the study, but UNC said it had control over its methodology and analysis. Lidl is in the midst of a U.S. expansion and plans to open as many as 100 stores by mid-2018. As of Thursday, Lidl has opened 48 U.S. stores in six states along the East Coast from New Jersey to Georgia. The grocer was expected to shake up the already competitive category with its entry. Lidl has said it sells products for as much as 50 percent lower than rival stores, as around 90 percent of its products are private label rather than national brands. Gielens' work shows grocers set the price for a half gallon of milk about 55 percent lower in Lidl markets compared with markets without a competing Lidl store. Avocados and bread-related products are 30 percent lower in markets with a Lidl store. Prices for ice cream, bananas and cheese are more than 15 percent lower at grocers competing in a city with Lidl. The study reveals Kroger shoppers save up to $22 on their total in markets where Lidl is present compared with markets where there is no competing Lidl store. The savings was $17 at Food Lion, $14 at Aldi, $7 at Publix and $3 at Walmart. On a percentage basis on average, Aldi stores near Lidl stores set prices 14 percent lower than in markets where there is no competing Lidl. Food Lion prices are 13.6 percent lower when directly competing with Lidl than in a town without a nearby Lidl store. At Kroger the difference was 10 percent lower and at Publix 3.9 percent. Walmart comes the closest to pricing parity in markets with and without a Lidl competing, with prices 2.5 percent lower with Lidl competition than without. When Lidl opened its first U.S. stores in June 2017, KeyBanc's consumer analyst team wrote in a note to investors: "this could be one of the most disruptive recent entrants in U.S. retailing and could drive both grocery deflation as well as competitor store closures." However, longtime retail analyst and Telsey Advisory Group CEO Dana Telsey said Lidl has had some struggles in the U.S. in the early going. "They haven't gained the share, I think, originally expected. But you are seeing U.S. retailers come down and ... match those prices, I don't know for how long, though," she said. Don't count out the big existing grocery players as Lidl finds its footing in the U.S., Telsey added. "The pricing power of Walmart, of Costco, is extensive. Getting consumers to recognize the brand name of Lidl takes time." The competition has been clear since Lidl began opening its doors. "We have seen the pricing pressured in every market since we entered last summer," said William Harwood, Lidl's U.S. spokesman. "There is a dramatic price drop just around our stores, so we wanted to look at how vastly different those prices are from those retailers just down the road." While Walmart declined to comment on the study itself, the retailer did point to its ongoing strategy to lower prices in certain, unspecified categories. Spokesman Lorenzo Lopez said in part Walmart looks for a way to lower costs and pass along the savings to shoppers. "That's why we're giving customers in select markets even lower prices on the national and private label brands our customers want and trust," Lopez said. Analysts expect Walmart and others to keep up the pricing pressure given the expected windfall from a lower corporate tax rate. CNBC reached out to Kroger, Aldi, Publix and Food Lion but did not hear back before publication.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/12/if-your-town-has-a-lidl-your-grocery-prices-are-lower.html

Endo gets subpoena for drugs containing opioid painkiller

January 11, 2018 / 1:58 PM / Updated an hour ago U.S. subpoenas Endo for information on opioid painkillers Nate Raymond 3 Min Read (Reuters) - Pharmaceutical company Endo International Plc said on Thursday it had received a grand jury subpoena from federal prosecutors in Miami seeking documents related to drugs it produces that contain the opioid painkiller oxymorphone. The federal probe comes amid a growing number of lawsuits by state and local governments accusing Endo of contributing to the national drug addiction epidemic by deceptively marketing Opana ER, a powerful opioid painkiller containing oxymorphone. Endo and other drugmakers facing similar lawsuits have denied wrongdoing. They have generally argued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved their products as safe and effective and that they carried warning labels disclosing their risks. Endo said the subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida broadly requests documents relating to, among other things, product safety, overdoses and the abuse and addictivness of the drugs. Endo said the subpoena also seeks copies of its distribution agreements; sales and marketing, training, financial, compensation and corporate information; and documents related to the drugmaker’s interactions with government agencies. Dublin-based Endo said it plans to cooperate with the investigation and that its policy is to comply with all applicable laws governing the sale and marketing of pharmaceutical products. Endo’s shares were trading at $7.82, down 3 percent, at midday on Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says opioids were involved in over 42,000 deaths in 2016. In October, U.S. President Donald Trump declared the problem a national public health emergency. Endo has faced a wave of lawsuits by Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, and Ohio, as well as several cities and counties, over its marketing of opioids. Many of those cases target other drugmakers as well. The lawsuits have centered on Opana ER, a long-acting opioid painkiller. Endo last year pulled it from the market after the FDA said the drug’s benefit did not outweigh public health risks associated with opioid abuse. The lawsuits have generally alleged that Endo sought to overstate the benefits of using Opana ER for the long-term treatment of chronic pain while downplaying the risk of addiction, helping to fuel a public health epidemic. Beyond the lawsuits Endo, along with other opioid manufacturers, is facing a coordinated investigation by a group of state attorneys general related to their products. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and Akankshita Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Susan Thomas

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-endo-intl-subpeona/endo-gets-subpoena-for-drugs-containing-opioid-painkiller-idUKKBN1F01T3

Macron in China: notes on limits of influence

January 11, 2018 / 5:43 PM / Updated an hour ago Macron in China: notes on limits of influence Michel Rose 3 Min Read BEIJING (Reuters) - On a state visit to China this week, French President Emmanuel Macron got plaudits for giving his host a horse -- but also experienced the limits faced by Western leaders in dealing with the new superpower on the block. French President Emmanuel Macron arrives before a news conference at Chigi palace in Rome, Italy, January 11, 2018, REUTERS/Max Rossi Macron was in Beijing to reset trade relations and address European fears that China’s trillion dollar modern day Silk Route will be a one way road for Chinese commodities and goods. Discussions about China’s human rights record? Not so much. China frequently says it does not believe the issue of human rights should be politicised. President Xi Jinping’s administration has tightened control over civil society, citing a need for more security and stability and activists say a sweeping crackdown on dissent has left dozens jailed. Macron, despite pressure from campaign groups, decided not to be drawn into what he called “loud speaker diplomacy” and cautioned against the dangers of telling others how to behave. He was not totally silent, however, touring a contemporary art gallery in central Beijing, a late addition to itinerary and resisted, according to his entourage, by Chinese officials. Asked if the gallery visit was a subtle nod to those artists whose freedom of expression is curbed in China, Macron only said: “Coming here to see these artists is also a way to witness contemporary Chinese expression and sensibility expressing itself freely, openly, without ignoring what exists elsewhere.” Like others from the West, the French president knows the limits of what one can do and say on a China visit. So, on to France’s clout as a business partner with Beijing. There were no eye-catching trade deals, and China appeared only mildly interested in French industrial might. Macron toured a Beijing aerospace facility where China and France are co-developing an observation satellite that will help measure climate change. It was billed as the centre-piece of the final day for a leader whose country prides itself on its world-leading industries, including aerospace. But no sooner had Macron passed through a decontamination airlock and stepped into a giant hall, he was reminded of China’s exploration ambitions, receiving an extensive overview of Beijing’s plans to explore the Moon and Mars. “Is there any embedded technology from (French engineering firm) Thales in there?” Macron asked his hosts as he peered over an intricate diagram. A blunt answer came back: No. This was 100 percent Chinese technology. Finally, he was shown the Franco-Chinese satellite dubbed CFOSat before passing by a simulator for China’s future manned space station, a smaller sister of the International Space Station. France will provide all the medical instruments for the Chinese space station programme, the head of the French space agency, Jean-Yves Le Gall, told the president. “It allows us to keep a foot in the door,” he whispered in Macron’s ear. Reporting by Michel Rose; Writing by Richard Lough Editing by Jeremy Gaunt

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-france-macron/macron-in-china-notes-on-limits-of-influence-idUKKBN1F02EG

BRIEF-Thule sees positive impact on effective tax rate from 2018 due to U.S tax reform

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Thule: * IMPACT OF THE US TAX REFORM ON THULE GROUP * SAYS ‍THULE GROUP ESTIMATES THAT US FEDERAL TAX RATE REDUCTION FROM 35% TO 21% WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON GROUP‘S EFFECTIVE TAX RATE PAID IN US FROM 2018 ONWARDS​ * SAYS ‍IN INTERIM REPORT AS OF 30 SEPTEMBER, THULE GROUP REPORTED DEFERRED TAX ASSETS OF APPROXIMATELY USD 40 MILLION IN UNITED STATES​ * SAYS ‍DUE TO REDUCTION OF FEDERAL TAX, VALUE OF GROUP‘S DEFERRED NET TAX ASSETS IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE BY APPROXIMATELY USD 14 MILLION * THE WRITE-DOWN OF DEFERRED TAX ASSETS WILL BE REPORTED AS A TAX EXPENSE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2017​ Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Stockholm Newsroom)

https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-thule-sees-positive-impact-on-effe/brief-thule-sees-positive-impact-on-effective-tax-rate-from-2018-due-to-u-s-tax-reform-idUSFWN1PA0HD

Ormat Technologies, Inc. to Host Conference Call Announcing Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2017 Financial Results

RENO, Nev., Jan. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ormat Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ORA) announced today that it plans to announce its fourth quarter and year-end 2017 financial results in a press release that will be issued on Thursday, February 22, 2018, before the market opens. The Company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results at 10 a.m. EST on Thursday, February 22, 2018. To participate, please dial 1-877-511-6790 approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. If calling from Canada, please dial 1-855-669-9657. If calling outside of the United States and Canada, please dial 1-412-902-4141. Please request the “Ormat Technologies, Inc. call” when prompted by the conference call operator. The conference call will also be webcast live from the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. A replay will be available one hour after the end of the conference call. To access the replay, please dial 1-877-344-7529, or from outside of the United States 1-412-317-0088 and use the replay conference ID number 10116087. The webcast will also be archived on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. About Ormat Technologies With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (REG), with the objective of becoming a leading global provider of renewable energy. The company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter – a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. With 73 U.S. patents, Ormat’s power solutions have been refined and perfected under the most grueling environmental conditions. Ormat has 530 employees in the United States and 720 overseas. Ormat’s flexible, modular solutions for geothermal power and REG are ideal for the vast range of resource characteristics. The company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed to utilities and developers worldwide, totaling over 2,200 MW of gross capacity. Ormat is the largest US-based geothermal operator with its current 800 MW generating portfolio spread globally in the U.S., Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Indonesia and Kenya. Ormat also intends to expand its operations and provide energy management and energy storage solutions, by leveraging its core capabilities and global presence. Ormat’s Safe Harbor Statement Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to Ormat's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations and are based upon its management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" as described in Ormat Technologies, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2017. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Ormat Technologies Contact: Smadar Lavi VP Corporate Finance and Investor Relations 775-356-9029 (ext. 65726) slavi@ormat.com Investor Relations Agency Contact: Rob Fink Hayden - IR 646-415-8972 rob@haydenir.com Source:Ormat Technologies, Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/globe-newswire-ormat-technologies-inc-to-host-conference-call-announcing-fourth-quarter-and-year-end-2017-financial-results.html

Change of guard for Germany's Greens as 'Jamaica' leaders bow out

January 8, 2018 / 1:58 PM / Updated 29 minutes ago Change of guard for Germany's Greens as 'Jamaica' leaders bow out Michelle Martin 3 Min Read BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s environmentalist Greens, still reeling from the collapse of coalition negotiations last year, are set for a shake-up at the top after their leaders both said they would not stand for re-election. FILE PHOTO: Simone Peter and Cem Ozdemir of the Green party talk to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Germany, November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jesco Denzel/BPA/Handout via REUTERS The reshuffle follows the failure in November of three-way “Jamaica” talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). The “Jamaica” moniker came from the official colours of the three parties that combine to make up that country’s flag. The Greens, who got 8.9 percent in September’s vote, still have an outside chance of getting into government - either in a two-way tie-up with the conservatives or in a Jamaica coalition, if current talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) fail. Cem Ozdemir, a 52-year-old politician of Turkish origin who was touted as a potential foreign minister if the Jamaica talks succeeded, said he did not stand a chance in a leadership vote so he would not attempt to extend his tenure. “Ultimately it became clear to me that what I offer didn’t have enough support in the parliamentary fraction at the moment - I obviously don’t have a majority and I must accept that,” he told newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. His co-leader, 52-year-old Simone Peter - who belongs to the party’s leftist wing, also said she would not run for re-election after Anja Piel, another leftist member, said she would stand. FILE PHOTO: Top candidates of the Alliance 90/The Greens party Cem Ozdemir (R) and Katrin Goering-Eckardt receive flowers from the party co-leader Simone Peter (L) in Berlin, Germany September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Stefanie Loos/File Photo Other candidates include 48-year-old Robert Habeck, a popular regional environment minister, and 37-year-old Annalena Baerbock, a member of the national parliament. Both of them are considered to be in the party’s pragmatic wing. The Greens tend to choose a man and a woman as co-leaders, with one coming from the pragmatic wing while the other comes from the “fundamentalist” leftist wing. FILE PHOTO: Leaders of the German Green Party Britta Hasselmann, Simone Peter, Anton Hofreiter, Katrin Goering-Eckardt and Cem Ozdemir are seen on the balcony of German Parliamentary Society offices prior to the exploratory talks with CDU/CSU about forming a new coalition government in Berlin, Germany, October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/File Photo Ozdemir and Peter were largely responsible for leading the Jamaica coalition negotiations for the Greens - talks which met with widespread scepticism among the party’s grassroots. The Greens, which once styled themselves as an “anti-party party”, have disappointed some voters by shifting towards the centre, with some complaining they have become too normal and boring. Their environmentalist agenda becoming mainstream has deprived them of a unique selling point. In an opinion piece, the daily Die Welt wrote that the leadership turnover would inject some life into what was “until half a year ago considered the topsy-turvy house of German politics that was fit for demolition”. But it suggested the outlook was not bright. “Past experience shows that vibrancy in the Greens rapidly leads to arguments.” Additional reporting by Markus Wacket; writing by Michelle Martin; editing by Mark Heinrich

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-politics-greens/change-of-guard-for-germanys-greens-as-jamaica-leaders-bow-out-idUKKBN1EX1BQ

Paid less than male peers, BBC China editor quits and speaks out

January 8, 2018 / 3:35 AM / Updated an hour ago Paid less than male peers, BBC China editor quits and speaks out Estelle Shirbon 5 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC’s China Editor Carrie Gracie has quit her post in Beijing to fight for her right to pay equality with male peers, posting an attack on what she called the “secretive and illegal BBC pay culture”. Gracie’s revolt is part of the fallout from pay disclosures the British broadcaster was forced to make last July, which showed that two thirds of the highest earners on air were men, and that some of them were earning far more than women in equivalent roles. Funded by a license fee levied on TV viewers and reaching 95 percent of British adults every week, the BBC is a pillar of the nation’s life, but as such it is closely scrutinized and held to exacting standards by the public and rival media. Gracie’s stand was one of the top news headlines of the day on the BBC itself and on other British media, and many prominent women from the BBC and beyond voiced their support on social media under the slogan #IStandWithCarrie. Gracie, who speaks fluent Mandarin and has reported on China for three decades, has not left the BBC. She said she was returning to her former post in the TV newsroom in London where she expected to be paid equally to men in equal jobs. “I am not asking for more money. I believe I am very well paid already -- especially as someone working for a publicly funded organization. I simply want the BBC to abide by the law and value men and women equally,” she wrote on her website. Gracie said she was paid 135,000 pounds ($182,800) a year as China editor. According to last July’s disclosures, North America Editor Jon Sopel earned between 200,000 and 250,000 pounds a year, while Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen was in the 150,000 to 200,000 bracket. Europe editor Katya Adler, the BBC’s only other female editor in foreign news, did not feature in the disclosures, meaning her pay was less than 150,000 pounds. Gracie said managers had offered to increase her pay to 180,000 pounds, but that was no solution. She rejected the rise and insisted that all four of the BBC’s international editors should receive equal pay. “I was not interested in more money. I was interested in equality,” she said during an interview on BBC radio. FILE PHOTO: The main entrance to the BBC headquarters and studios is seen in Portland Place, London, Britain, July 16, 2015. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo Britain enacted legislation outlawing sex discrimination in the 1970s and this was followed by an equality act in 2010, but women still earn less than men across much of the economy. “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” The BBC defended itself by saying its gender pay gap was below the national average and less bad than at many other organizations, adding that it was committed to wiping it out by 2020. It also said an independent audit of rank and file staff had found “no systemic discrimination against women” at the BBC. Several high-profile women seized on the Gracie story to say the problem was much bigger than the BBC and affected the whole of society. “Tip of the iceberg in @BBC & most other orgs (organizations). Equality Act 2010 means no hiding place for shameful discrimination against women. Ending it long overdue,” wrote prominent lawmaker Harriet Harman of the opposition Labour Party, a long-time advocate of women’s equality, on Twitter. As in many other countries, pay inequality based on gender has been a persistent problem in Britain, which by some measures has performed worse than comparable European countries in recent years. Britain was ranked 15th in the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap index 2017, below France and Germany. But Gracie said her complaint was not about the gender pay gap the BBC admits to, which stems from men earning more on average because they do more of the best paid jobs. “It is men earning more in the same jobs or jobs of equal value. It is pay discrimination and it is illegal,” she said. Gracie accused the BBC of adopting a botched “divide and rule” response to the legitimate anger of female staff, offering pay rises to some women while locking down others in a protracted complaints process. In her own case, the process had been “dismayingly incompetent and undermining”, she said. “Enough is enough. The rise of China is one of the biggest stories of our time and one of the hardest to tell,” she wrote, citing Chinese state censorship, surveillance, police harassment and official intimidation. “I cannot do it justice while battling my bosses and a byzantine complaints process.” Additional reporting by Michael Martina in Beijing; editing by David Stamp

https://in.reuters.com/article/us-britain-bbc/bbc-editor-quits-china-post-over-pay-discrimination-idINKBN1EX06T

US employers posted fewer jobs in November for 2nd month

Employers posted fewer open jobs in November, the second straight month of decline after openings reached a record high in September. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of available jobs slipped 0.8 percent to 5.88 million, down from 5.93 million in October. September's peak was 6.18 million. Job openings are still 4.4 percent higher than a year ago. With the economy expanding at a solid pace and businesses confident about future demand, hiring is likely to remain solid going forward. Still, the drop off echoes last Friday's monthly jobs report, which saw employers add 148,000 jobs in December. That is a decent total but lower than October and November job gains, which topped 200,000. The unemployment rate remained 4.1 percent for a third month, the government said Friday. Economists forecast that hiring may slow this year as businesses struggle to find enough qualified workers. Here are some other key takeaways from the report: Job openings fell in November in manufacturing; professional and business services, which includes engineers, architects and other high-paying jobs; and government. Openings rose in construction, retail, and hotels and restaurants. The number of Americans quitting their jobs fell slightly in November from October, but is still up 3 percent from a year ago. More quitting is a good sign because people typically quit for a better job, often at higher pay. Total hiring also fell, to 5.49 million from 5.59 million in October. That figure represents all hiring, while job gains reported last week reflect a net figure after layoffs, quits and retirements are subtracted.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/09/us-employers-posted-fewer-jobs-in-november-for-2nd-month.html

The Wall Street Journal: Bacardi buying parent of Patrón tequila in $5.1 billion deal

Published: Jan 22, 2018 4:52 p.m. ET Share Rum giant plans wider distribution of the premium tequila Getty Images Patrón is now the premium-tequila industry’s leader, with U.S. sales of $1.6 billion in 2016. By Cara Lombardo Bacardi Ltd. is buying the maker of Patrón tequila in a deal that values the premium brand at $5.1 billion, said people familiar with the matter, one of the biggest liquor deals in years as rivals scramble to own more top shelf spirits. Bacardi, best known for its namesake rum, has held a roughly 25% stake in Patrón Spirits International AG for nearly a decade, the people said. Bacardi is now buying full control with plans to distribute the Mexican-made liquor more widely and cash in on demand for high-end tequila, they added. The two privately held companies are expected to announce the transaction as soon as Monday, the people said. Over the last decade, global liquor makers have tried to adjust their portfolios to keep up with changing consumer tastes, especially as overall volumes fall and drinkers shift away from beer, vodka and rum. As part of that effort, producers have tried to change tequila from an inexpensive party drink to a more refined spirit comparable to a single-malt Scotch.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/bacardi-buying-patron-tequila-in-deal-valuing-brand-at-5-1-billion-1516652565

Ex-players ask BCCI to back Olympics push

January 10, 2018 / 8:17 AM / Updated 7 hours ago Ex-players ask BCCI to back Olympics push Reuters Staff 3 Min Read (Reuters) - The MCC World Cricket committee has asked the powerful Indian board to back the bid for the sport’s Olympics inclusion, saying it would greatly benefit the game. A policeman walks past a logo of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during a governing council meeting of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai April 26, 2010. REUTERS/Arko Datta/Files Cricket was last played at the Olympics in the 1900 Paris Games and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) has said most of its members backed the inclusion of the 20-overs format in Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is open to cricket’s future inclusion provided all top teams compete but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the game’s richest and most influential board, has been rather reluctant. After the MCC Committee meetings this week, the panel of former players requested the BCCI to reconsider its stance. “It’s one of those things that has frustrated me,” committee chairman Mike Gatting told a news conference. ”We would like to urge the BCCI to have a look at it again and support the main body of boards that would like to get into the Olympics... “It seems strange that everyone else seems happy to get in there because it’s just going to be so good for the game,” said the former England captain. “Free-to-air TV all over the world. It’s only once every four years. It’s not going to be a scheduling matter. It just seems they seem reticent to try and get involved.” The Indian board has not been keen on cricket’s Olympic inclusion partly because of apprehensions that BCCI might lose its autonomy and be answerable to the country’s Olympic committee. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is part of the 14-person independent committee along with Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, Indian Sourav Ganguly and Rod Marsh of Australia, said the sport must be represented by its best players at the Olympics. “We’re very conscious of not lessening the product we’re putting out,” Ponting said. ”If cricket makes it into the Olympics it has to be the best players and showcasing the sport for what it is. “The players would want it because of how beneficial they would see that being for the game going forward.” The independent committee also discussed the wage gap in the international game, making helmets compulsory and DRS technology among a variety of other topics. Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-cricket-olympics/ex-players-ask-bcci-to-back-olympics-push-idUKKBN1EZ0PH

UPDATE 1-Investors want more Carrefour digital deals after Showroomprive purchase

* Carrefour to buy 17 pct of Showroomprive.com * Showroomprive shares surge, Carrefour also rises * Carrefour to unveil strategy plan Jan. 23 * French unions fear job cuts, FO calls for Feb. 8 action day (Adds detail, background) By Dominique Vidalon PARIS, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Investors welcomed supermarket retailer Carrefour’s acquisition of a stake in online fashion retailer Showroomprive.com, and analysts added on Friday they wanted more moves by the company in this area. Carrefour’s new boss Alexandre Bompard will present a strategy plan on Jan. 23, and his ambitions regarding digital and online businesses could form a key part of this. Carrefour said late on Thursday it will buy 17 percent of Showroomprive.com for 79 million euros ($95 million), from Steinhoff-owned furniture chain Conforama. The acquisition helped lift Carrefour shares by around 1 percent on Friday, outperforming a 0.6 percent rise in the broader European retail sector, while Showroomprive shares jumped 50 percent. Analysts at brokerage Bryan Garnier said the deal was “hopefully ... a first step towards more announcements on 23rd January,” and kept a “buy” rating on Carrefour shares. Last July Bompard, former boss of France’s top electronics retailer Fnac Darty, became CEO at Carrefour, the world’s largest retailer after Walmart. Carrefour issued a profit warning in August and Bompard is under pressure to improve results in its core French market. Carrefour has been losing market share to unlisted rival Leclerc, and investors also want Bompard to speed up an expansion into e-commerce where its lags domestic rivals and faces competition from online giant Amazon. He has also faced pressure after French rival Casino agreed to use Ocado’s e-commerce platform to expand its online grocery business. “A partnership with a web bulge-bracket might lend more credibility to Carrefour’s digital project, as would a partnership, if not a tie-up with Galeries Lafayette,” Bryan Garnier analysts added in a research note. The Moulin family, which owns department store Galeries Lafayette, is the top shareholder in Carrefour with a near 10 percent stake. Bernstein analysts said the Showroomprive deal could boost traffic in Carrefour stores, although they added it was nevertheless “fairly negligible” and Carrefour faced bigger issues over its underperforming food retail business. FEARS ABOUT BIG JOB CUTS Bompard is also expected to back a restructuring on Jan. 23 that some analysts estimate could involve a billion euros. Options for the French market include turning some stores into franchises, moving others to lease management, closing loss-making ones as well as Sunday opening. There could also be some head office restructuring and more price cuts to attract shoppers, union sources have said. The CGT and Force Ouvriere trade unions fear the restructuring could lead to 4,500-5,000 job cuts in France. Carrefour has declined to comment. Dejan Terglav, FO secretary general, told Reuters on Friday his union was calling for a day of protests on Feb. 8. “If the plan does not suit us, it will be war,” he warned. Carrefour is the largest private sector employer in France, with 115,000 French staff out of a global workforce of 384,000. ($1 = 0.8292 euros) (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and David Evans)

https://www.reuters.com/article/carrefour-showroomprive/update-1-investors-want-more-carrefour-digital-deals-after-showroomprive-purchase-idUSL8N1P71PR

Jerome Powell: Meet Fed Chair, Most Powerful After President Trump | Fortune

By Lucinda Shen 7:50 PM EST With relatively little opposition, the U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell as the next head of the central bank . The Senate approved him 84 to 13 for what is arguably among the most powerful jobs in the U.S. government after the President. Investors breathed something of a sigh of relief upon the news , with the 64-year-old considered a departure from many of President Donald Trump’s other nomination because Powell is mostly expected to continue Chairwoman Janet Yellen’s post-financial crisis policies. “He’s been part of the consensus,” Yellen said of Powell in December, noting, as many market watchers, that he is likely to continue pursuing the Fed’s strategy of gradual interest rate hikes. Powell has voted in favor of every monetary policy decision since he first joined the Fed in 2012. The Fed is expected to hike interest rates three times in 2018, while Yellen is expected to step down Feb. 3. Where the wealthy alumnus of private equity firm Carlyle Group may differ in approach from the recent history of the Fed is banking regulation. In line with Trump’s own deregulatory stance toward businesses, Powell has been thought to oppose some of the laws passed following the 2008 financial crisis. In a confirmation hearing late November, Powell said that he would like to see more tailored regulation of banks—with perhaps less for smaller regional and community banks. “While the recent nomination of Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair signals little change in rate policy, we will keep an eye on whether he guides the Fed to adjust its approach to bank regulation,” wrote T. Rowe Price economists in a recent note. “The new chair may loosen regulations for small banks, but we caution that investors should not expect Powell to be an advocate for wholesale deregulation.” Powell’s track record at the Fed however doesn’t mean investors are letting their guard down. His lack of an economics degree has raised questions about how he might react in the face of drastic economic changes. Meanwhile, with Yellen resigning as a governor after Powell’s swearing in, Trump will be tasked with filled three empty governor seats—resulting in the current administration choosing six out of seven Board of Governor seats. The additions will also have a long-term effect beyond that of Trump’s own tenure in the White House, with a full governor term lasting 14 years. All things considered, Powell has also been relatively quiet in public, using his influence behind the scenes. Deutsche Bank’s Torsten Slok dubbed the new Fed leadership a potential top risk to markets in 2018 due to uncertainty surrounding the incoming chair. “Will Powell be politically driven, or driven by incoming data?” he wrote in a December note. SPONSORED FINANCIAL CONTENT

http://fortune.com/2018/01/24/who-is-jerome-powell-fed-trump/

UPDATE 7-Oil jumps on IMF growth outlook as Brent tops $70 again

* IMF lifts growth outlook for 2018, 2019 to 3.9 percent * Strong demand comes as OPEC, Russia withhold oil supplies * Crumbling refinery profits could dent crude orders * U.S. crude stockpiles likely down for 10th week - Rtrs poll * Coming Up: API U.S. oil stock data at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT) (Updates to settlement, adds details) NEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Oil rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday, with benchmark Brent crude hitting $70 a barrel for the first time in a week, boosted by healthy world economic growth prospects and expectations for continued production curbs by OPEC, Russia and their allies. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures closed up 90 cents to $64.47 a barrel, for a gain of 1.4 percent. WTI reached its highest since December 2014 on Jan. 16 at $64.89. Brent crude futures settled up 93 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $69.96, not far off the three-year high of $70.37 reached on Jan. 15. The International Monetary Fund on Monday revised upward its forecast for world economic growth to 3.9 percent for 2018 and 2019, a 0.2 percentage point increase from its last update in October. The demand growth comes as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers continue their supply-cut agreement which began in January 2017 and is due to run until the end of 2018. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told CNBC on Tuesday that while he is "still anxious" about the fragility of the oil market, "we think we're on our way." OPEC's main objective for the cuts is to eliminate a global surplus in oil stocks and rebalance the market. There is some expectation that OPEC will let the agreement expire at the end of 2018, but major producers have not yet suggested that this is in the offing. In addition, the sharp plunge in Venezuelan production is offsetting increases from the United States, which is on the cusp of breaking its all-time production record of 10.04 million barrels per day. U.S. Energy Department oil inventory figures will be released Wednesday morning; industry group the American Petroleum Institute will issue data on stocks Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. EST. U.S. stocks are expected to fall by 1.6 million barrels, which would mark a 10th consecutive week of declines. Venezuela's output fell to a meager 2 million bpd in 2017, far short of expectations for 2.5 million bpd, and the International Energy Agency said it could keep declining in 2018. "Six months ago there was a lot of consternation about how fast (U.S.) production might grow but that's been offset by Venezuelan volatility," said Tony Scott, managing director of analytics at BTU Analytics in Denver. He added that with Saudi and Iranian production likely to remain steady throughout the year, it was hard to see an increase in supply that would undermine the rally. (Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Edmund Blair)

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/23/reuters-america-update-7-oil-jumps-on-imf-growth-outlook-as-brent-tops-70-again.html

Defense manufacturers cashing in on Trump's global arms push

Foreign arms sales are growing in importance to the top line of big defense firms and may get an added boost this year due to initiatives by President Donald Trump . Sales to allies and other friendly countries also have allowed American defense companies to extend production lines that otherwise might be shuttered or downsized. Trump's personal involvement in defense sales also hasn't gone unnoticed, whether touting $350 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia last May or suggesting in November that Japan should buy more U.S.-made equipment to shoot North Korean missiles "out of the sky." Lockheed Martin and Raytheon , two defense companies with upcoming earnings reports, stand to benefit from increased international sales over the next few years, according to analysts. A lot of the recent growth in U.S. defense sales is in missile defense systems and Lockheed's F-35 stealth fighter jets. "We're seeing a global upturn in defense spending," said Peter Arment, a defense analyst at Robert W. Baird. "We're seeing Europe, NATO, the Middle East, Asia and U.S. domestic." Getty Images Patriot Missile For defense companies, international weapons sales can sometimes be more lucrative too. Arment said direct arms sales from U.S. defense companies to foreign countries "can have a higher margin" than going through Washington's Foreign Military Sales program. Reuters reported earlier this month that the administration plans as part of its new "Buy American" plan to have embassy personnel "help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the U.S. weapons industry." "This is the government's job in many ways," Roman Schweizer, a Cowen defense analyst and former government acquisition official, told CNBC. Regardless of the administration's new plans, Schweizer said there are diplomats and other federal workers at embassies around the world already actively promoting U.S. defense exports. "We have used foreign military sales to help friends and allies around the world and also to help U.S. defense manufacturers around the world," Schweizer said. However, Reuters said the White House's plans will be "going beyond the limited assistance" now provided by overseas American military attaches and diplomats. The White House didn't respond to CNBC's request for comment. Remy Nathan, vice president of international affairs at the Aerospace Industries Association, said the Arlington, Virginia-based industry trade group representing some top American defense companies "is very much in favor of enhancing" the current arrangement. Specifically, the administration wants to make it easier to export U.S. defense products abroad, whether drones, aircraft or ships. It comes at a time when the Chinese are getting more aggressive in selling weapons overseas. The Trump administration has already relaxed rules allowing more military sales to countries such as Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of war crimes by some human rights groups . Also, the administration lifted human rights conditions for arms sales to other countries, including Bahrain. In May, when he visited Saudi Arabia on his first foreign-nation visit, the president announced a massive, multiyear arms deal with the kingdom that he said would add hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs. But some questioned whether all of the weapons were part of a new agreement. Even so, an expanded "Buy American" program in defense helps the administration in its efforts to boost manufacturing jobs. The U.S. had nearly $42 billion in foreign military sales during fiscal 2017, up from $33.6 billion in the previous year, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. There is an expectation that foreign military sales could grow again this fiscal year due to increased global tensions and efforts by U.S. allies to increase their overall defense spending. Even neutral Sweden is increasing its defense spending due to worries about a more aggressive Russia. Also, a Cold War-era mentality in Sweden led the government to recently reissue information about civil defense to some 4.7 million households. For weapons, Sweden is looking to buy a $1.2 billion Patriot air-and-missile defense system from Raytheon. In November, Poland obtained U.S. State Department approval on a $10.5 billion purchase of the Patriot system. Romania, another NATO country, was cleared in July to buy the Patriot system. In all, Raytheon has built more than 220 units of the Patriot system, delivering them to customers in 14 nations worldwide. Raytheon also has benefited from recent anti-ballistic missile sales to Japan. Japan's government also recently approved the purchase of the Lockheed-made Aegis Ashore missile defense system. Raytheon's international sales made up about 32 percent of its total sales in the first three quarters of 2017. When it reports year-end results Thursday it's possible the company will mark the 14th consecutive year of international sales growth. Lockheed's F-35 stealth fighter aircraft is now the driver for its foreign defense sales growth. Of the nine original F-35 partner countries, six how have jets in their fleet. The planes are not manufactured only in the U.S. but also in Japan. Lockheed CEO Marillyn Hewson said in October during the previous earnings call that the company was on track in 2017 to have 30 percent of sales come from overseas, up from 27 percent in 2016. Lockheed is scheduled to report its full-year 2017 results on Monday. Lockheed won a $3.8 billion deal last year to sell F-16 fighter upgrades and new aircraft to the government of Bahrain. According to Hewson, the contract is expected to extend the F-16 production beyond the 2021 timeframe. Similarly, Boeing's F-15 fighter production stands to benefit since the U.S. government announced last month that Qatar will buy 15 of the aircraft. Production for the F-15QA could start next year and extend assembly-line work into 2022. Also, the contract is good news for numerous suppliers who get work for everything from the components to the avionics and airframe systems. WATCH: Defense contractors deploy contingency plans after shutdown show chapters Defense contractors deploy contingency plans after government shuts down 8:56 AM ET Mon, 22 Jan 2018 | 01:32

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/trump-as-us-arms-pitchman-.html

Under fire, Bannon backs off explosive comments about Trump's son

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon on Sunday sought to back away from derogatory comments ascribed to him about Trump’s son in a controversial book that sparked White House outrage and could threaten his job. Bannon, who was ousted from the White House in August, was Quote: d in “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” by journalist Michael Wolff, as saying a June 2016 meeting with a group of Russians attended by Donald Trump Jr. and his father’s top campaign officials was “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.” The president said Bannon had lost his mind, and the White House suggested the hard-right news site Breitbart News should part ways with him as its executive chairman. “Donald Trump, Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around,” Bannon said in a statement released on Sunday, adding that his comments were directed at Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, and not aimed at the president’s son. “I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president’s historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency,” Bannon said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Howard Goller)

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trump/under-fire-bannon-backs-off-explosive-comments-about-trumps-son-idUSL1N1P209J

Fed: No rate hike but more aggressive inflation expectations

1 Hour Ago | 01:38 In Janet Yellen 's final meeting as Fed chair, the central bank decided Wednesday against increasing its benchmark interest rate but indicated it expects inflation pressures to heat up as the year moves on. The policymaking Federal Open Market Committee said current conditions indicate that the overnight funds rate should remain anchored at 1.25 to 1.5 percent. The decision, which came at the end of a two-day meeting, was widely expected. Rather than looking for a move on rates, market participants were watching the January Fed meeting for clues on how the central bank might proceed for the rest of the year. According to projections released in December, officials expect three rate hikes this year so long as there is no significant disruption to market conditions. However, the market recently has been entertaining thoughts that the Fed could add another increase, likely at the final meeting of 2018. Government bond yields have been moving up considerably in anticipation of inflation pressures and a more active Fed."We had a hawkish hold here," said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM. "What that growth forecast implies is there are upward revisions coming to growth and likely a change in the balance of risks due to inflation moving toward the central bank's target." Bruseulas thinks the Fed should alter its forecast for three rate hikes this year to four. A tweak in the post-meeting statement could influence the market's view on the rate path. "Inflation on a 12-month basis is expected to move up this year and to stabilize around the Committee's 2 percent objective over the medium term," the statement said. "Near-term risks to the economic outlook appear roughly balanced, but the Committee is monitoring inflation developments closely." The observation on inflation differed from the December statement, which noted that core and headline measurements "have declined" and were "running below 2 percent." In addition, this week's statement noted that "market based measures of inflation compensation have increased in recent months but remain low," a tweak from December which simply noted that the measures "remain low." Inflation has been running consistently below the Fed's mandated target, most recently hovering around the 1.5 percent range. But there have been signs lately that wage pressure is heating up. The Employment Cost Index, a gauge believed to be watched closely within the Fed's halls, showed a 2.6 percent increase for the full year in 2017, the biggest gain since before the financial crisis. Prior to the meeting, the market was pricing in just a 28 percent or so chance of a December rate hike. The market widely expects a quarter-point increase in March. Other parts of the Fed statement were little changed from the December meeting. Committee members removed language that discussed the effects that the violent hurricane season had on economic activity. Officials had not expected the storms to have long-range impacts on growth but did note that there would be effects over the near term. The decision not to hike rates passed unanimously. The January meeting marked Yellen's last as chair; Jerome Powell will take over as chairman within the next few days.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/31/fed-no-rate-hike-but-more-aggressive-inflation-expectations.html

South Carolina stuns No. 18 Kentucky with 2nd-half rally

Junior forward Chris Silva tied his career high of 27 points and collected eight rebounds, and South Carolina overcame a 14-point, second-half deficit to register a 76-68 triumph over No. 18 Kentucky on Tuesday at Columbia, S.C. Senior guard Frank Booker scored 18 points for the Gamecocks (12-6, 3-3 Southeastern Conference), who won despite shooting just 37.7 percent from the field. Sophomore forward Maik Kotsar added 12 points as South Carolina improved to 7-1 at home. Freshman forward Kevin Knox recorded 21 points and eight rebounds for Kentucky (14-4, 4-2). Freshman forward Nick Richards scored 12 points before fouling out for the Wildcats, who shot 44.9 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers. Ballyhooed Kentucky freshman forward Jarred Vanderbilt made his debut and had six points and five rebounds in 14 minutes. Vanderbilt had been sidelined since injuring his left foot during practice on Sept. 30. The Wildcats were 1 of 11 from 3-point range to extend their NCAA record with at least one make to 1,031 consecutive games. Kentucky’s lone 3-pointer came by Knox with seven minutes left in the contest. South Carolina dominated the final 13-plus minutes and used an 11-0 burst to take the lead for good. Silva’s put-back and ensuing free throw cut Kentucky’s lead to 65-63 with 4:22 remaining, and senior guard Wesley Myers sped for a fast-break layup to tie the score 20 seconds later. Myers hit the go-ahead jumper with 3:25 left, and Kotsar added two free throws to finish the spurt and make it 69-65. The Wildcats never got within two the rest of the way, and South Carolina made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 50 seconds to seal it. Kentucky scored the first seven points of the second half as part of a 12-0 run that led to a 44-34 lead. The advantage reached 52-38 on a jumper by Richards with 13:25 to play. Kentucky battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit to hold a 37-34 lead at the break. The Gamecocks scored the game’s first seven points and led 21-12 on Booker’s two free throws. The Wildcats responded with a 14-3 burst and took their first lead at 26-24 on a layup by Richards. --Field Level Media

https://www.reuters.com/article/basketball-ncaa-soc-ken-recap/south-carolina-stuns-no-18-kentucky-with-2nd-half-rally-idUSMTZEE1HONMJW5

U.S. airport immigration computers go down temporarily: agency

January 2, 2018 / 3:38 AM / Updated 5 hours ago U.S. airport immigration computers go down temporarily: agency Reuters Staff 2 Min Read WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Immigration desk computers at various airports went down for about two hours on Monday, causing long lines for travelers entering the United States after year-end holidays, according to Customs and Border Protection and posts on social media. The processing system outage began at about 7:30 p.m. EST and was resolved about 9:30 EST, the customs agency said in a statement. All airports were back on line after wait times for travelers that were longer than usual, it said. “At this time, there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature,” the agency said. It gave no explanation for the disruption and said travelers were processed using alternative procedures. Travelers entering the United States from overseas posted photos on social media of long lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. “No one has been getting past JFK Airport immigration for the last hour. Line is a few 100 deep. Seems like their system did completely go down. Happy New Year!” said Jessica Yang, a program manager at Microsoft, in a Twitter post. Other airports, including Denver International Airport, also said they were affected. A similar computer outage occurred a year ago. “Operations returning to normal as @CustomsBorder computer issue resolved. Issue affected other US airports. Thanks for your patience,” Miami International Airport said in a Twitter post. Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Paul Tait

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-computers/u-s-airport-immigration-computers-go-down-temporarily-agency-idUSKBN1ER05I

Gold hits four-month high as dollar index slumps to three year-lows

January 15, 2018 / 4:31 AM / Updated 3 hours ago Gold hits 4-month high as dollar index falls to 3-year low Zandi Shabalala 3 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Gold prices hit a four-month peak on Monday as the U.S. dollar index slumped to its lowest in three years but analysts said the greenback’s slide could be short-lived as it was not driven by fundamentals. Gold jewels are seen in a jewellery shop in downtown Rome, Italy, December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Max Rossi/Files Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,341.92 an ounce by 1238 GMT after touching its strongest since Sept. 8 at $1,344.44. The precious metal rose for a fifth straight week last week, gaining 1.4 percent. U.S. gold futures were up 0.6 percent at $1,343.20 an ounce. “The weakness in the dollar is not justified by fundamentals. It’s a little bit weird considering the divergence in monetary policy should play in favour of a stronger dollar,” Capital Economics analyst Simona Gambarini said. She said the U.S. Federal Reserve was widely expected to raise interest rates, which would favour a stronger dollar, while the European Central Bank should keep rates on hold. The dollar index was down 0.5 percent at 90.516, having reached its weakest since January 2015 at 90.421. A weaker U.S. currency makes dollar-denominated assets such as gold cheaper for holders of other currencies, while higher rates could dent demand for non-interest-paying gold. “The main reason for the tight relationship between the dollar and gold is a lack of physical demand on the gold side in terms of ETFs (exchange-traded funds) and Indian and Chinese jewellery,” said Carsten Menke, a Julius Baer commodity analyst. Adding a touch of bullishness to gold was data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday, which showed hedge funds and money managers raised their net long positions in COMEX gold and silver in the week to Jan. 9. Iran’s president said on Sunday the United States had failed to undermine a nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers, and hailed the accord as a “long-lasting victory” for Iran, state television reported. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday delivered an ultimatum to European signatories of the deal to fix the “terrible flaws” in the agreement with Iran, or the United States would pull out. Palladium rose 0.5 percent to $1,128.50 on Monday, after hitting a record high of $1,138. The metal has seen a sustained rally from high demand in the auto industry amid a supply deficit, analysts said. Spot silver rose 0.3 percent to $17.31 an ounce, after touching a near three-month high at $17.42. Platinum was up 0.4 percent at $997.20, after touching its highest since Sept. 11 at $1,001.40. Additional reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Dale Hudson and Edmund Blair

https://in.reuters.com/article/global-precious/gold-hits-four-month-high-as-dollar-index-slumps-to-three-year-lows-idINKBN1F40C4

CORRECTED-T. Rowe Price Group Inc expected to post earnings of $1.50 a share - summary

(Corrects earnings release date in seventh bullet point) Jan 22 (Reuters) - * T. Rowe Price Group Inc is expected to show a rise in quarterly revenue when it reports results, expected on January 30. * The Baltimore, Maryland-based company is expected to report a 16.4 percent increase in revenue to $1.27 billion from $1.09 billion a year ago, according to the mean estimate of 11 analysts, according to Thomson Reuters data. * The analyst mean estimate for T. Rowe Price Group Inc is for earnings of $1.51 per share. For the same quarter last year, the company reported earnings of $1.50 per share. * The current average analyst rating on the shares is “hold” and the breakdown of recommendations is 5 “strong buy” or “buy,” 9 “hold” and 2 “sell” or “strong sell.” * The Starmine predicted earnings surprise, the difference between Wall Street’s mean estimate and Starmine’s estimate of its highest rated analysts, is positive for T Rowe Price Grp at 2.17 percent; predicted revenue surprise is positive at 0.23 percent. * The mean earnings estimate of analysts was unchanged in the last three months. * The earnings announcement is scheduled for January 30. * T. Rowe Price Group Inc belongs to the NASDAQ Composite Index. This summary was generated 01:30 p.m. GMT.

https://www.reuters.com/article/t-rowe-price-grp-results-preview/corrected-t-rowe-price-group-incexpected-to-postearnings-of-1-50-a-share-summary-idUSL8N1PH6P8

Australia shares flat in low-volume trade; NZ shut for holiday

January 2, 2018 / 1:18 AM / in 6 hours Australia shares flat in low-volume trade; NZ shut for holiday Chris Thomas 3 Min Read Jan 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares were little changed on their first day of trade in 2018 on Tuesday, struggling for cues as major financial markets worldwide remained shut for the New Year’s holiday. The S&P/ASX 200 index was marginally higher at 0028 GMT. The benchmark fell 0.4 percent on the last trading day of 2017, but logged a 7 percent gain for the year. “We had anticipated the market to be down a bit more than where we are...there’s a bit of buying coming back in, but the volumes are non-existent,” said Chris Weston, institutional dealer at IG Markets. “Everyone’s looking ahead and trying to find out what the trends are going to be... the immediate catalysts are probably going to come from European and U.S. data.” Material stocks accounted for most the gains on the index, with iron ore miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto edging up 0.4 percent each. Rio touched its highest since Aug. 2011, and was set for its 10th straight session of gains, while BHP headed for its sixth session on top. “If you look at the last three months or so, materials and energy stocks were the place to be, and it looks like that’s spilling over into the new year,” said Weston. Chinese iron ore futures jumped nearly 3 percent on Friday as investors bet steel mills in the world’s top buyer of the ore will restock the raw material ahead of an expected end in March to steel production curbs imposed to cut pollution. Gold miners also enjoyed modest gains as the metal touched a three-month high on Friday thanks to a weak dollar, political tensions and receding concerns over the impact of U.S. interest rate hikes. Newcrest Mining was among the best performers on the index, climbing as much as 1.5 percent. Shares of Brambles rose 1.8 percent in their biggest single-day spike in almost six weeks after the pallets and container company said it estimates a $125 million to $155 million one-time benefit due to the passing of new U.S. tax laws. New Zealand is closed for a public holiday, with the financial market reopening for trade on Wednesday. The NZ benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index gained 22 percent in 2017 and extended its annual winning streak to a sixth consecutive year. Reporting by Chris Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes

https://www.reuters.com/article/australia-stocks-midday/australia-shares-flat-in-low-volume-trade-nz-shut-for-holiday-idUSL4N1OX04Y

Asia stocks set record highs, U.S. government funding woes weigh on dollar

January 19, 2018 / 12:55 AM / Updated 19 minutes ago Asia stocks rise on China growth, U.S. govt. funding woes dent dollar Shinichi Saoshiro 5 Min Read TOKYO (Reuters) - Asia stocks shook off losses on Wall Street and edged up to record highs on Friday following China’s announcement of faster-than-expected fourth quarter growth, while worries over a possible U.S. government shutdown weighed on the dollar. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS added 0.4 percent to a record top. The index had climbed 1.3 percent on the week, during which it rode a surge in global equities. Optimism over the global economic growth outlook and improved corporate earnings have helped share markets rally at the start of 2018. Supporting economic confidence was data on Thursday that showed China’s growth in 2017 accelerated for the first time in seven years. Shanghai .SSEC advanced 0.5 percent to two-year peaks and Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI reached a record high. South Korea's KOSPI .KS11 gained 0.1 percent, as did Japan's Nikkei .N225 . “We are likely to see equity markets go through temporary adjustment phases. But in the longer term, it looks to be a good year for global markets,” said Soichiro Monji, chief strategist at Daiwa SB Investments in Tokyo. “It is no longer about other markets following gains by U.S. equities. Fundamentals are strong globally, backed by major positive changes, such as the digital revolution we are currently witnessing,” he said. Wall Street fell on Thursday as losses in industrials and interest-rate sensitive sectors offset marginal gains in tech stocks. The Dow .DJI slipped 0.37 percent, dipping from record highs. [.N] Against the yen, the dollar was 0.25 percent lower at 110.840 JPY= . It rose to 111.480 on Thursday before slipping on concerns over a possible U.S. government shutdown as lawmakers struggled to cobble a federal budget deal. The focus was on whether lawmakers can reach at least a temporary agreement to fund government operations by a deadline on Friday. The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to fund government operations through Feb. 16 and avoid agency shutdowns this weekend when existing funding expires. However, a bitter fight broke out in the Senate after the House passage, leaving the legislation hanging in the balance. “There is a good chance the negotiations will take place until the last minute and keep the dollar on the defensive. That said, both the Republicans and Democrats want to avert a shutdown, especially with the U.S. midterm elections looming,” said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief forex strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo. The euro rose 0.2 percent to $1.2260 EUR= after gaining about 0.45 percent overnight. The common currency advanced to a three-year peak above $1.2300 earlier this week on expectations that the European Central Bank would take steps towards winding back on stimulus measures to normalize monetary policy. The euro’s rally was tempered later as some ECB officials voiced worries about the currency’s strength. The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies .DXY lost 0.1 percent to 90.378. It had fallen to a three-year trough of 90.113 on Thursday and was poised to shed 0.65 percent on the week. China's yuan CNY=CFXS breached the psychologically important 6.4 dollar level for the first time in more than two years the day after Beijing said annual growth was 6.8 percent in October-December, slightly above forecasts. The Australian dollar rose 0.2 percent to $0.8017 AUD=D4 , crawling back toward a four-month high of $0.8023 set on Wednesday and the New Zealand dollar was little changed at $0.7301 NZD=D4 . Brent crude futures LCOc1 lost 1 percent to $68.62 per barrel following data showing an uptick in U.S. production. U.S. crude oil futures CLc1 slipped 1.2 percent to $63.19 per barrel. [O/R] U.S. crude soared to a three-year peak near $65.00 on Tuesday, supported by supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and a weaker dollar. But the advance has stalled as the market remains wary that output cuts will eventually trigger price hikes and lead to increased supply from shale-rich United States. Spot gold XAU= gained 0.3 percent to $1,331.26 an ounce as the dollar eased. The precious metal had risen to a four-month top of $1,344.43 on Monday on the back of the dollar’s sharp downturn. Reporting by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Sam Holmes and Richard Borsuk

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-global-markets/asia-stocks-near-record-highs-us-funding-woes-weigh-on-dollar-idUKKBN1F8034

US weather starts to improve

The bitter cold that followed a massive East Coast snowstorm should begin to lessen as temperatures inch up and climb past freezing next week, weather forecasters said. Patrick Burke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said temperatures Sunday morning could hit record lows from South Carolina to Maine. But he said the wind won't be as punishing as it was on Friday and Saturday. "With the wind dying down it will probably feel significantly better although many of these areas will still be below freezing," Burke said. Sunday afternoon's high temperatures should range from the low- to mid-20s in areas from Philadelphia to Boston. They are expected to reach the 30s and 40s on Monday and Tuesday. Many Northeast residents endured jaw-clenching temperatures and brutal wind chills on Saturday as cleanup continued from the storm that dropped as much as 18 inches (46 centimeters) of snow in some places on Thursday. As aviation crews at South Carolina's busiest airport , Charleston International Airport, struggled to clear runways of snow and ice so they could be reopened, in New England water main breaks, frozen hydrants and burst pipes created new problems for officials. Hartford, Connecticut, registered 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus 20 while Burlington, Vermont, was minus 1 degree and had a wind chill of minus 30. The temperature registered minus 37 Saturday at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, one of the coldest places on the planet. The wind chill was minus 93. It tied for second place with Armstrong, Ontario, as the coldest spot in the world. Meteorologist Mike Carmon said people at the observatory were "layering up as a much as we can."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/07/us-weather-starts-to-improve.html

Peter Thiel Reportedly Interested in Starting Conservative News Outlet | Fortune

Television Peter Thiel Looking to Start Conservative News Outlet Backed by Mercer Family, Report Says Peter Thiel, PayPal founder-turned-venture-capitalist, discusses his support for US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, October 31, 2016. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images By Bloomberg 12:55 PM EST Billionaire investor Peter Thiel is exploring starting a conservative news outlet, with backing from the powerful Mercer family and a cast of Fox News celebrities, according to revelations in a new book and a report from BuzzFeed News. Last May, Thiel was set to meet with former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes to discuss the idea, according to an excerpt of the book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” by the journalist Michael Wolff. But two days before the scheduled meeting, Ailes fell, hit his head and went into a coma, and died soon thereafter. Nonetheless, Thiel, one of Facebook Inc.’s earliest backers and a prominent conservative activist, has continued to pursue the idea, according to BuzzFeed News, and is talking with the Mercer family about helping to back it. A spokesman for Thiel declined to comment. Robert Mercer, a hedge fund mogul, was a major backer of U.S. President Donald Trump and bankrolled conservative news outlet Breitbart News. In November, he said he would step down from Renaissance Technologies, where he was co-chief executive officer and sell his stake in Breitbart News to his daughters, including Rebekah Mercer, who served on Trump’s transition team. The Mercer family didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Ailes, who launched Fox News in 1996 but resigned in July 2016 after several women accused him of sexual harassment, had intended to bring star Fox anchors to the planned news outlet, Wolff writes. The potential talent included Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly was also fired from Fox over allegations of harassment. Thiel, who brought Trump some rare support from Silicon Valley during the 2016 campaign and the early days of his presidency, was warned by another billionaire not to take any offers of Trump’s friendship too seriously. But Thiel “was certain of Trump’s sincerity when he said they’d be friends for life — only never to basically hear from him again or have his calls returned,” Wolff writes. Thiel also would back former Trump aide Steve Bannon in any potential bid for president in 2020, as would other big conservative donors like casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and the Mercers, Wolff writes. Bannon was a key source for Wolff’s book and was quoted making many disparaging remarks about the president and his family. On Wednesday night, Trump’s lawyers sent Bannon a cease and desist order to attempt to prevent him from making any more comments about the Trumps. Thiel’s interest in journalism goes back to his college days at Stanford University, where he founded the Stanford Review, a libertarian newspaper. More recently, he funded a lawsuit that bankrupted media company Gawker, which had outed him as gay more than a decade ago. He has placed a bid for Gawker’s archives. SPONSORED FINANCIAL CONTENT

http://fortune.com/2018/01/05/peter-thiel-rebekah-mercer-news/

BRIEF-Synnex Corporation Posts Q4 Adj. EPS $2.79​

22 PM / Updated 9 minutes ago BRIEF-Synnex Corporation Posts Q4 Adj. EPS $2.79​ Reuters Staff Jan 9 (Reuters) - Synnex Corp: * QTRLY REVENUE $5,312 MILLION VERSUS $3,887 MILLION * QTRLY ‍NON-GAAP DILUTED EPS $2.79​ * - BOARD DECLARED A QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.35 PER COMMON SHARE * QTRLY ‍DILUTED EPS $2.26​ * ORATION REPORTS FISCAL 2017 FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR RESULTS * SEES Q1 2018 NON-GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE $2.06 TO $2.15 * SEES Q1 2018 EARNINGS PER SHARE $1.58 TO $1.68 * SEES Q1 2018 REVENUE $4.35 BILLION TO $4.55 BILLION * - EXPECTS THAT ANTICIPATED BENEFIT ASSOCIATED WITH 2017 US TAX REFORM LAW WILL BE UTILIZED FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND DEBT REDUCTION

https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-synnex-corporation-posts-q4-adj-ep/brief-synnex-corporation-posts-q4-adj-eps-2-79-idUSASB0C0G9

The Hartford Estimates Impacts Of U.S. Corporate Tax Law And Catastrophe Losses On Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results

Estimated $850 million charge principally due to the impact of lower U.S. corporate tax rates beginning in 2018 on the company’s net deferred tax assets Catastrophe losses in fourth quarter 2017 estimated at approximately $180 million, before tax, largely due to California wildfires Fourth quarter 2017 financial results and 2018 outlook to be released after market close on Feb. 8 HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Hartford today announced that it estimates fourth quarter 2017 financial results will be reduced by approximately $850 million due to the impact of the new U.S. tax law and $117 million, after tax, for catastrophe losses. The approximately $850 million charge from the new U.S. tax law is primary due to the reduction in the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent effective Jan. 1, 2018 and its impact on the company’s net deferred tax asset position. The estimate is based on current accounting guidance and the company’s net deferred tax assets as of Sept. 30, 2017, and the final amount will depend on fourth quarter 2017 financial results. The charge will not affect core earnings, a non-GAAP financial measure. Although the new U.S. tax law reduces the company’s net deferred tax asset position, the company expects a net favorable future economic impact from both the lower corporate income tax rate and the repeal and refunding of the corporate alternative minimum tax credits. In addition, the company estimates that fourth quarter financial results will include approximately $180 million of net catastrophe losses, before tax, or $117 million, after tax. This estimate includes the benefit of favorable loss reserve development on prior quarter 2017 catastrophes and anticipated reinsurance recoveries for fourth quarter 2017 catastrophe losses ceded to the company’s 2017 property catastrophe aggregate reinsurance treaty. Catastrophe losses in fourth quarter 2017 were primarily in the Personal Lines segment and from wildfires in California, with total estimated gross losses of $307 million, before tax, and before expected reinsurance recoveries. The Hartford will release its fourth quarter 2017 financial results, as well as its 2018 outlook for selected business metrics, following the close of the market on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018. The company will host a webcast at 9 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 9, to discuss the results and 2018 outlook. The webcast, along with an audio replay and transcript, will be available for at least one year on the investor relations section of the company’s website, https://ir.thehartford.com . About The Hartford The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com . Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR . The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional details, please read The Hartford’s legal notice . HIG-F Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements include statements on the financial impact of tax reform. We continue to assess the tax accounting effects of tax reform. In addition, forward looking statements include statements on fourth quarter 2017 catastrophe losses. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued. From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at https://ir.thehartford.com . In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the “Email Alerts” section at https://ir.thehartford.com . View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006832/en/ The Hartford Media Contact: Michelle Loxton, 860-547-7413 michelle.loxton@thehartford.com or Investor Contact: Sabra Purtill, CFA, 860-547-8691 sabra.purtill@thehartford.com Source: The Hartford

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/business-wire-the-hartford-estimates-impacts-of-u-s-corporate-tax-law-and-catastrophe-losses-on-fourth-quarter-2017-financial-results.html

Dimitrov, Zverev ready to step up to grand slam glory

January 13, 2018 / 7:46 AM / Updated 35 minutes ago Dimitrov, Zverev ready to step up to grand slam glory Simon cambers 3 Min Read MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev, two men who made perhaps the biggest steps forward in 2017, believe they are ready to contend for the title at the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on Monday. Tennis - ATP World Tour Finals - The O2 Arena, London, Britain - November 19, 2017 Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov reacts after winning the final against Belgium's David Goffin Action Images via Reuters/Tony O'Brien Dimitrov starts the year ranked third, having won his biggest title in November when he triumphed at the ATP Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London. Germany’s Zverev won five titles in 2017, including two Masters 1000 titles, finishing the year just behind Dimitrov as the world number four. Besides world number one Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer, Dimitrov and Zverev are considered genuine title threats. However, Bulgarian Dimitrov, a semi-finalist in Melbourne 12 months ago, is trying not to get ahead of himself. “Until it’s done, I don’t want to have any (sixth) sense, to be honest,” the Bulgarian told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday. “Obviously I’ve achieved certain things that I’ve always wanted to. I always wanted to be a top-five player. I did it. I wanted to win a Masters 1000 event and I did it. I haven’t dreamt that much about winning at the O2, but I did it.” Dimitrov admitted it was a different feeling to see himself as the third seed in a grand slam event, but that the hard work was still to be done. “It doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “Of course, I‘m pretty happy and excited with what I have achieved. Obviously, I have high expectations of myself. I want to do the best that I can.” Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne, Australia, January 13, 2018. Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts during a news conference before the Australian Open tennis tournament. REUTERS/Thomas Peter GRAND SLAM DISAPPOINTMENT Zverev emerged from the pack in 2017 with his five titles, including Masters 1000 victories at Rome and Montreal. The only thing lacking from the German’s list of honours is success at the grand slams, having only made it to the last 16 just once, at Wimbledon last summer. “I think improving the grand slam performances is one thing (he needs),” he said. ”The furthest I’ve got was to the fourth round of Wimbledon. A lot of times not because I played bad, but because I played very good opponents. “I lost to Nadal here. I lost to (Milos) Raonic in Wimbledon. Every time in five sets. That’s nothing to worry about too much. But obviously that’s one goal for me this year.” Zverev, who is now coached by former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero, said he had no doubts about his ability. “I’ve showed on multiple occasions over the year that I can play and beat the best guys in the world,” he said. ”I mean, I‘m number four in the world for a reason. Not trying to sound cocky or anything, but I’ve always said that I’ve always been working hard physically, I‘m always trying to improve the performance at the grand slams. “Hopefully I can do so this week.” Reporting by Simon Cambers; Editing by John O'Brien

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tennis-ausopen-challengers/dimitrov-zverev-ready-to-step-up-to-grand-slam-glory-idUKKBN1F206Y

Saudi Arabia asks banks for proposals to refinance $10 billion loan, raise more debt

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has asked banks for proposals to refinance its $10 billion international syndicated loan and to help the sovereign raise funds through other means, the country’s debt management office said on Sunday. In addition to the request for proposals (RFP) on the loan refinancing, the government has issued RFPs covering further U.S. dollar debt capital market issuance and financing supported by other countries’ export credit agencies, the office said. The refinancing of the loan, which was raised in 2016, will include a repricing of the facility and the extension of its maturity to 2023 from 2021. An Islamic finance tranche using a murabaha structure will be added to the loan. The plans are a step toward Saudi Arabia’s ambition of establishing a prominent position in international debt markets as part of its economic reforms, said Fahad al-Saif, president of the debt management office. ”We look forward to a satisfactory conclusion of the process over the coming months,” he said. The Saudi government started issuing debt in the international markets through loans and bonds two years ago in order to refill state coffers hit by a slump in oil prices. Its $10 billion syndicated loan in early 2016 was followed later that year by a $17.5 billion debut bond issue, the largest bond ever sold by an emerging market issuer. Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Andrew Torchia

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-arabia-debt/saudi-arabia-asks-banks-for-proposals-to-refinance-10-billion-loan-raise-other-funds-idUSKBN1FA13Y

Japan stocks eke out small gains as strong financials offset resources-related stocks

TOKYO, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks eked out small gains on Monday, with strength in securities and insurers offsetting falls in resources-related sectors including trading houses, steelmakers and shippers. The Nikkei index was flat at 23,816.33 and the broader Topix added 0.1 percent to 1,891.92. Nomura Holdings gained 0.7 percent, Daiwa Securities Group advanced 1.1 percent and T&D Holdings soared 1.6 percent. Shippers were the worst performers, falling 1.6 a more than 0.8 percent drop in non-ferrous metal shares and steelmakers. (Reporting by Hideyuki Sano and Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

https://www.reuters.com/article/japan-stocks-close/japan-stocks-eke-out-small-gains-as-strong-financials-offset-resources-related-stocks-idUSL4N1PH2G4

Zambia closes main passport offices to curb cholera spread

LUSAKA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Zambia has closed its main passport offices in the capital, a hub which is always thronged with people, as part of measures to curb the spread of cholera which is sweeping the country, the government said. Street vending and public gatherings have also been banned in Lusaka to counter the disease, which has killed 67 people since September, 62 of them in the capital alone. Home Affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo said the Passports and Citizenship Office in Lusaka would remain closed until further notice. “In the meantime officers will only attend to travel emergencies. This is to allow for measures to be put in place to avoid the spread of cholera,” Kampyongo said. On Sunday, Zambia declared a curfew in a poor Lusaka township badly affected by a cholera outbreak to avoid crowding and street vending at night. The curfew in Kanyama, a densely populated slum of iron-roofed shacks and dirt tracks runs from between 1800 hrs and 0600 hrs. Zambia on Wednesday started vaccinations against cholera targeting 2 million people as the total number of those who have fallen sick since the disease broke out peaked at 2,905. The cholera outbreak was initially ascribed to contaminated water from shallow wells, but investigations suggest that contaminated food may also be to blame. President Edgar Lungu on Dec. 30 directed the military to help to fight the spread of the waterborne disease. Cholera causes acute watery diarrhea. It can be treated with oral hydration solutions and antibiotics but spreads rapidly and can kill within hours if not treated. (Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Richard Balmforth) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://www.reuters.com/article/zambia-cholera/zambia-closes-main-passport-offices-to-curb-cholera-spread-idUSL8N1P53C6

Dollar under pressure, euro bolstered by hawkish ECB minutes

TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar slumped against rivals on Friday on the back of weak factory inflation data, while the euro enjoyed solid support after the European Central Bank hinted that it could be gearing up to trim its massive monetary stimulus. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rival currencies, edged down slightly to 91.814 .DXY. A move below the Jan. 2 low of 91.751 would put it at its weakest since Sept. 20. The index was on track to shed 0.2 percent for the week, pressured by data on Thursday that showed U.S. producer prices fell for the first time in nearly 1-1/2 years in December, which could temper expectations that inflation will accelerate in 2018. Against the yen, the dollar was almost flat on the day at 111.27 JPY= , after plumbing a six-week low of 111.05 yen on Thursday. It was still down a steep 1.6 percent for the week in which the Japanese currency soared as a routine operational reduction in bond purchases by the Bank of Japan triggered speculation that the central bank would unwind its massive stimulus. “Yen short positions had been building, and investors seem to be looking for opportunities to trim them,” said Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities. While the domestic economy is in its best shape in years, tame inflation meant that most market participants aren’t expecting Japan’s central bank to explicitly shift its easy policy stance anytime soon. Japan’s economy minister on Friday suggested it is possible for the government to declare an end to deflation before consumer prices reach the BOJ’s 2 percent inflation target. “The market is very cautious about the Bank of Japan’s policy changes, but it is not expected that they will change their policies any time soon, since CPI is still lower than 1 percent,” said Harumi Taguchi, principal economist at IHS Markit in Tokyo. “It’s not only for Japan, but for the ECB and U.S., that markets are sensitive about anything that suggests tapering,” she said. The euro was up 0.2 percent at $1.2050 EUR= , approaching its nearly four-month high of $1.2089 set last week. It was up 0.2 percent for the week. The single currency rallied on Thursday, after ECB policymakers said in minutes of the bank’s December meeting that they could revisit their communication stance in early 2018, boosting expectations that they are preparing to reduce their vast monetary stimulus program. Investors took the relatively hawkish statement as a further signal that the ECB will wind down its 2.55 trillion euro ($3.07 trillion) bond purchase scheme this year if Europe’s economy continues to hum along. Bitcoin BTC=BTSP was up 2.8 percent at $13,618.78 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange. It skidded over 11 percent in the previous session after the government of South Korea, a crucial source of global demand for cryptocurrency, said it is considering a plan to ban cryptocurrency trading. ($1 = 0.8295 euros) Reporting by Lisa Twaronite; Editing by Shri Navaratnam

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-forex/dollar-slumps-euro-lifted-by-hawkish-ecb-minutes-idUSKBN1F1039

Morocco's king appoints five new ministers

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco’s king appointed five new ministers on Monday, a government statement said, after several top officials were dismissed in October for failing to improve the economic situation in a region shaken by protests. King Mohammed VI named ministers for education, planning, housing, health and for African relations, the statement said. In October the king had dismissed ministers and top officials after an economic agency found “imbalances” in implementing a development plan. Protests erupted in the Rif region around the northern city of Al-Hoceima in 2016, triggered by the death of a fishmonger whose produce was confiscated by police. The man’s crushing to death in a garbage truck during a confrontation with police became a symbol of corruption and official abuse. Protests, also fueled by economic underdevelopment, continued there this year. Political protests are rare in Morocco, where the palace remains the ultimate power. The protests, the largest in Morocco since the days of the 2011 “Arab Spring”, were directed at the government and the king’s entourage rather than the monarch himself. Police confiscated fish they said the fishmonger had bought illegally and then dumped it in a garbage truck. Desperate to recover his stock, Fikri jumped inside and was killed by a rubbish crusher. In July the king pardoned dozens of people arrested in the protests and blamed local officials for failing to quickly implement development projects which stoked public anger. Reporting by Zakia Abdennebi; Writing by Ulf Laessing

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-morocco-government/moroccos-king-appoints-five-new-ministers-idUSKBN1FB34Q

French calls for emergency Security Council meeting on Syria

PARIS (Reuters) - France has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over Syria following a Turkish incursion into northern Syria’s Afrin province, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday. “Ghouta, Idlib, Afrin - France asks for an urgent meeting of the Security Council,” Le Drian said on his Twitter feed. He added that he had spoken with his Turkish counterpart on Sunday morning. Turkish ground forces pushed into northern Syria’s Afrin province on Sunday, the army said, after Turkey launched artillery and air strikes on a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia it aims to sweep from its border. Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Susan Fenton

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-france/french-calls-for-emergency-security-council-meeting-on-syria-idUSKBN1FA0K5

U.S. says not a good idea for Venezuela's Maduro to run again

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Tuesday she did not think it would be a good idea for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to run for re-election though it would be up to the Venezuelans to decide. Asked if it would be good for Venezuela if Maduro ran again, as he has expressed a willingness to do, Nauert told reporters: “That is news to me. I don’t think so. I don’t think that that’s a good idea. Certainly the people would have to decide.” Reporting By Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Andrew Hay

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/u-s-says-not-a-good-idea-for-venezuelas-maduro-to-run-again-idUSKBN1FC2Y5

E&P Promotes Jennifer Presley to Executive Editor

HOUSTON, Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hart Energy's E&P magazine is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennifer Presley to executive editor. Presley also will continue in her role as senior editor, drilling, covering technology trends for the drilling market sector of the upstream oil and gas industry. "Jennifer's technical knowledge coupled with her industry contacts across drilling, completion and production services make her the preferred choice to lead the E&P editorial team in 2018 and beyond," said Russ Laas, E&P vice president of publishing. Presley joined Hart Energy in 2012 as E&P's senior editor of production technologies. She then took on the senior offshore editor role for three years before accepting the senior drilling editor position, thus gaining a broad and deep knowledge of major upstream sectors that have prepared her for overseeing E&P moving forward. Presley also develops content for Hart Energy's numerous techbooks, playbooks and yearbooks. She works closely with the company's conferences team to develop program content for conferences, technology showcases and forums. Her Hart Energy columns and articles have garnered numerous awards. In a related move, Rhonda Duey has retired from Hart Energy after 22 years. Duey was a part of the early beginnings of E&P as the associate editor of its predecessor, Oil and Gas World. She became senior editor in 1999 with the formation of E&P, and served as executive editor since 2012. Fortunately for Hart Energy, Duey will continue to contribute content to E&P magazine as senior editor, exploration. "During Rhonda's many years at Hart Energy, she won the respect, confidence and admiration of her fellow employees and her many contacts in the industry," said Peggy Williams, editorial director. "She has been a tremendous asset – and we are delighted she will continue to represent us going forward." About Hart Energy Since 1973, Hart Energy editors and experts have delivered market-leading insights to investors and energy industry professionals. The Houston-based company produces award-winning media platforms (Oil and Gas Investor, E&P and Midstream Business) and data online, in print and mobile; in-depth industry conferences (like the DUG ™ series); GIS data sets and mapping solutions; and research and consulting services across the energy value chain. For more information, visit hartenergy.com . Contact: Kate Clark 713.260.4657 View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ep-promotes-jennifer-presley-to-executive-editor-300578261.html SOURCE Hart Energy

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/05/pr-newswire-ep-promotes-jennifer-presley-to-executive-editor.html

LIVE MARKETS-Bund milestone weighs on European income stocks

* European shares dip after flat start * Heavy earnings week begins * AMS soars after raising outlook, doubling revenue * Sanofi buys Ablynx for 3.9 bln euros, Ablynx +20% Jan 29 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Helen Reid. Reach her on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: helen.reid.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net BUND MILESTONE WEIGHS ON INCOME STOCKS (1200 GMT) The benchmark German five-year bond yield just turned positive for the first time since 2015 and the 10-year U.S. treasury yield is at its highest since early 2014. The equity market seems to be following the usual pattern of selling solid dividend payers -- consumer staples, utilities, telecoms -- when fixed-income yields start looking more attractive. All those categories have helped propel the STOXX 600 lower in late morning trading, while banks whose business benefits from higher rates are up. However, JPMorgan sees a sustained pick-up in bond yields as very important for the Euro zone's performance: "A sustained pickup in yields is required for Eurozone equities to perform better again ... If bond yields keep moving higher, as we expect, value should work and thus help the performance of the European market." (Tom Pfeiffer) STRONG EARNINGS NEEDED TO BUOY STOXX 600 ABOVE 400 (1119 GMT) What could push the STOXX 600 sustainably above the 400-point level? It's flirted with it previously but never held out at those altitudes for long. Earnings are the key, JP Morgan analysts say. "Poor profitability was a major drag on Euro zone performance in the current upcycle," they note. European earnings per share haven't yet reached their pre-crisis 2008 levels while MSCI World earnings surpassed those highs long ago (see chart). But earnings beat expectations last year and should do so again in 2018, JPM says. Euro zone earnings are highly geared to GDP, which the bank's economists see growing 2.9 percent this year. On top of that valuations aren't demanding, relatively speaking. Both the STOXX price-to-earnings and price-to-book multiples relative to MSCI World are lower than at each of the past three market peaks, JPM notes. JPM has a year-end target of 430 for the STOXX 600, betting on the 'sustained breakout' above 400 which has for so long eluded the index. Their one note of caution? "FX is a wild card..." (Helen Reid) IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A HAPPY VALENTINE'S FOR EUROPEAN FIRMS (1101 GMT) Sometimes you've got to break up to make up, at least with your shareholders - BAML's credit strategists are expecting to see an increase in Europe's big conglomerates slimming down this year. "We believe that the corporate "break up" theme is likely to grow in prominence this year as activist investors continue to warm to Europe, and rising equity markets expose the inefficiencies of big conglomerate companies," write BAML's credit strategists. BAML cites recent examples of Continental and Thyssenkrupp, pointing to Germany, France and the Netherlands as having the greatest share of conglomerates - thus the most likely areas to watch for corporate divorces. (Kit Rees) CHIPMAKER SHARES PARE GAINS AFTER NIKKEI IPHONE REPORT (1045 GMT) The euphoria among European chip stocks after the blow-out guidance from AMS just faded a little after Nikkei Asian Review said Apple had told suppliers it will halve its Q1 production target for the flagship iPhone X to 20 million units from 40 million envisaged in November. Nikkei did not disclose the source for its report. Link: s.nikkei.com/2njmW Dialog Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Infineon and IQE have given up a chunk of their earlier gains. AMS is still up 18 percent, with analysts speculating that the Austrian company's upgraded guidance is driven partly by prospects for new business with smartphone makers beside Apple. (Tom Pfeiffer) **** AMS SEEN FROM THE STREET (1015 GMT) A 25 percent surge in ams has made the chipmaker the main focus in Europe's share trading this morning. The outstanding move comes after a surprisingly solid update that could help ease worries over the sustainability of a rally in richly valued tech stocks in a week where results from Facebook, Amazon and Apple will put the sector back at the fore of investors minds. We'll tell you more about tech but meanwhile here's a quick recap of sell-side vies on ams' results. Baader Bank: "ams referred to a range of sales pipeline opportunities in smartphone and consumer applications (3D, optical and spectral sensing) that were clearly coming into view.... Accordingly, the current valuation corresponds with a significant discount to the peer group average of about 14x, reflecting the single customer risk with Apple." UBS: "ams AG pre announced Q4 results with revenues expected to reach €470.3m vs UBSe €460m and cons €456.5m driven by 3D sensing and advanced light sensing (we believe Apple)." ZKB: "Guidance for 2019 has been increased considerably from EUR 1.5 bn to EUR 2.2 bn. Significantly visible growth opportunities in smartphone and consumer applications were put forward as the reason" Tech stocks remain the biggest sectoral gainers in Europe over the last 12 months but their rally has stalled as investors switched into banks and autos as the new year started. (Danilo Masoni)

https://www.reuters.com/article/europe-stocks/live-markets-bund-milestone-weighs-on-european-income-stocks-idUSL8N1PO34S

CorVel Announces Revenues and Earnings

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CorVel Corporation (NASDAQ:CRVL) announced the results for the quarter ended December 31, 2017. Revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 were $141 million, an increase of 10% from revenues of $128 million in the same quarter of the prior year. Earnings per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 were $0.50, an increase of 39% from earnings per share of $0.36 in the same quarter of the prior year. Revenues for the nine months ended December 31, 2017 were $415 million, up 8% from $385 million in the same period of the prior year. Earnings per share for the nine months ended December 31, 2017 were $1.41 and were $1.09 for the same period of the prior year. Revenue growth for the quarter was driven by an increase in the Company’s claims management services. The successful implementation and evolution of the Company’s adjuster interface, Care MC Edge SM , has gained interest in the marketplace. The Company’s Network Solutions sold in the wholesale market increased revenues as well. The solutions, particularly in the CERiS segment, continue to expand services into the clinical and coding areas of line item hospital bill payment integrity. The Company is launching a Managed Accounts Payable Automation service under its Symbeo business franchise. The Treasury and fulfillment service under Symbeo eliminates the manual functions associated with preparing invoices for payment. The Company remains committed to the strategy of using technology to differentiate the solutions delivered to customers, integrating previously siloed information to improve financial and healthcare outcomes. A bout CorVel CorVel Corporation is a national provider of innovative workers’ compensation, liability, auto, and health solutions for employers, insurance companies, third party administrators and government agencies seeking to control costs and promote positive outcomes. We apply technology, intelligence, and a human touch throughout the risk management process so our clients can intervene early and often while being connected to the critical intelligence they need to proactively manage risk. With a robust technology platform at its core, our connected solution is delivered by a national team of associates who are committed to helping clients design and administer programs that meet their organization’s performance goals. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 All statements included in this press release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by the Company, and events beyond the Company’s control, all of which are subject to change. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company’s results of operations, including product investment strategies, bill review and claims management services. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. The risks and uncertainties referred to above include, but are not limited to, factors described in this press release and the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2017 and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason. CorVel Corporation Quarterly Results – Income Statement Quarters and Nine Months Ended December 31, 2016 (unaudited) and December 31, 2017 (unaudited) Quarter Ended December 31, 2016 December 31, 2017 Revenues $128,403,000 $140,734,000 Cost of revenues 102,826,000 115,165,000 Gross profit 25,577,000 25,569,000 General and administrative 14,134,000 15,496,000 Income from operations 11,443,000 10,073,000 Income tax provision 4,394,000 504,000 Net income $7,049,000 $9,569,000 Earnings Per Share: Basic $ 0.36 $ 0.51 Diluted $ 0.36 $ 0.50 Weighted Shares Basic 19,426,000 18,849,000 Diluted 19,549,000 19,121,000 Nine Months Ended December 31, 2016 December 31, 2017 Revenues $385,081,000 $414,777,000 Cost of revenues 308,010,000 334,675,000 Gross profit 77,071,000 80,102,000 General and administrative 42,239,000 43,794,000 Income from operations 34,832,000 36,308,000 Income tax provision 13,340,000 9,571,000 Net income $21,492,000 $26,737,000 Earnings Per Share: Basic $ 1.10 $ 1.42 Diluted $ 1.09 $ 1.41 Weighted Shares Basic 19,526,000 18,806,000 Diluted 19,679,000 19,029,000 CorVel Corporation Quarterly Results – Condensed Balance Sheet March 31, 2017 (audited) and December 31, 2017 (unaudited) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2017 Cash $28,611,000 $53,593,000 Customer deposits 32,471,000 41,900,000 Accounts receivable, net 62,841,000 63,487,000 Prepaid taxes and expenses 4,944,000 7,610,000 Property, net 63,042,000 63,657,000 Goodwill and other assets 43,474,000 41,748,000 Total $235,383,000 $271,995,000 Accounts and taxes payable $16,583,000 $16,907,000 Accrued liabilities 73,468,000 92,968,000 Deferred tax liability 6,686,000 1,940,000 Paid-in capital 135,686,000 141,669,000 Treasury stock (419,802,000 ) (430,988,000 ) Retained earnings 422,762,000 449,499,000 Total $235,383,000 $271,995,000 Contact: Stefani P. Wendel Phone: 949-851-1473 http://www.corvel.com Source:CorVel Corp.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/globe-newswire-corvel-announces-revenues-and-earnings.html

Meg Whitman Joins NewTV as CEO

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NewTV (working name), the mobile-first media platform incubated at WndrCo and founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, today announced that Meg Whitman is joining the company as CEO, effective March 1. Whitman will be headquartered in Los Angeles. Katzenberg will serve as Chairman. NewTV will bring the highest quality Hollywood production values and storytelling to mobile, in bite-sized formats of 10 minutes or less. NewTV will provide a custom-designed, purpose-built technology platform for mobile, on-the-go viewing of the highest caliber curated content. Whitman’s more than 30 years of executive leadership experience span the technology and media industries. Most recently, Whitman served as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) where she continues to serve on the board. From 2011 through 2015, she served as President and CEO for Hewlett-Packard Company, leading the company’s turnaround and subsequent separation into two Fortune 100 companies: Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. From 1998 to 2008, Whitman served as President and CEO of eBay Inc. where she oversaw its growth from 30 employees and $4 million in annual revenue to more than 15,000 employees and $8 billion in annual revenue. She has also held executive-level positions at Procter and Gamble Company, Hasbro Inc., The Walt Disney Company and Bain & Company. She currently serves as a director for Dropbox, The Procter & Gamble Company, Teach For America, and The Nature Conservancy and previously served on the board of DreamWorks Animation SKG. “Meg is one of the most accomplished and sought-after executives of our time. She has built and scaled some of the most important global companies today,” said Katzenberg. “To say I am thrilled that Meg will be at the helm would be an understatement. Her leadership, operational expertise, and deep understanding of technology and consumer behavior will be invaluable in creating the future of mobile entertainment.” “NewTV is one of the most disruptive and timely ideas I’ve come across during my career,” said Whitman. “I share Jeffrey’s vision that top-quality programming tailored to our mobile lifestyles is the next big touchpoint in entertainment. I’m very excited to bring my experience to a company that I believe will transform an industry and I am thrilled to be employee #1.” About WndrCo WndrCo is a holding company that acquires and develops businesses operating at the intersection of media and technology. Founded by entertainment and technology veterans, Ann Daly, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Sujay Jaswa, WndrCo leverages its expertise and relationships to help companies recruit talent, expand operations, and grow revenue. WndrCo is co-headquartered in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Please visit www.wndrco.com for more information. About NewTV NewTV is a mobile-first media platform incubated at WndrCo and founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg. NewTV will bring the highest quality Hollywood-style productions to mobile, in bite-sized formats of 10 minutes or less. NewTV is headquartered in Los Angeles. View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180124005836/en/ Media: Dena Cook Brew PR dena@brewpr.com m: 310-600-7160 Source: WndrCo

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/business-wire-meg-whitman-joins-newtv-as-ceo.html

Tennis - Brazil's Bellucci banned five months for doping

January 4, 2018 / 11:48 PM / Updated 2 hours ago Tennis - Brazil's Bellucci banned five months for doping Reuters Staff 2 Min Read (Reuters) - Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci was given a five-month, back-dated doping suspension but was considered not guilty of any “significant fault or negligence,” the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme said on Thursday. Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - 31/5/17 Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci in action during his second round match against France's Lucas Pouille Reuters / Benoit Tessier Bellucci, who reached a career-high 21st in the world rankings in 2010 but has fallen to 112th, provided a urine sample at last July’s Swedish Open that contained hydrochlorothiazide, which can mask other substances. The 30-year-old Brazilian, who said the positive test was the result of a contaminated vitamin supplement, refused to accept a voluntary provisional suspension and so was free to compete pending resolution of his case. The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme said in a statement it accepted Bellucci’s account of how the banned substance got in his system. It also said that his period of ineligibility was backdated due to the player’s prompt admission and for delays not attributable to him. Bellucci can start competing again from Feb. 1, meaning he will miss the Jan. 15-28 Australian Open. Bellucci, who has never been beyond the second round at Melbourne Park, would have had to qualify for the tournament given his low ranking. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-sport-doping-tennis-bellucci/tennis-brazils-bellucci-banned-five-months-for-doping-idUKKBN1ET2K0

FDA issues recall on J&J heart device

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday issued a recall of a heart device made by a unit of Johnson & Johnson due to a faulty valve. The valve, which prevents blood from flowing back through it, is part of a device used to insert and position cardiovascular catheters in the heart. ( bit.ly/2A7nOIj ) About 110 Agilis Steerable Introducer Sheath devices made and distributed between Jan. 1 and May 5 are a part of the Class I recall, according to the FDA. ( bit.ly/2lFe3N6 ) A Class I recall is the strictest form of recall issued by the health regulator, in situations where the use of faulty devices may cause serious injury or death. Johnson & Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta

https://in.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-fda/fda-issues-recall-on-jj-heart-device-idINKBN1ER1L6

Dougherty’s Pharmacy, Inc. Announces Resignation of President and Chief Financial Officer

DALLAS, Jan. 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dougherty’s Pharmacy, Inc. (the “Company”) (OTCQB:MYDP) today announced that Mr. Mark Heil, the Company’s President and Chief Financial Officer, has resigned from the Company to pursue other professional business opportunities. Mr. Heil will continue in his present capacity until January 28, 2018, after which time he will work in a transitional role through March 2, 2018. Mr. Heil has served as the Company’s President since April 2014 and as its Chief Financial Officer since 2007. Mr. James C. Leslie, the Company’s Chairman of the Board, will serve as the Company’s interim President and Chief Financial Officer until the Company’s Board of Directors has determined Mr. Heil’s successor. During this transitional period, the Company has expanded its engagement with a national consulting firm with experience in the pharmaceutical industry to provide assistance to Mr. Leslie and the Company’s Board of Directors. “For the past decade, Mark has been an integral part of the Dougherty’s leadership team, and he will certainly be missed,” said Mr. Leslie. “We want to thank him for his contributions to Dougherty’s, and sincerely wish him the best in his future professional endeavors. "As discussed previously, we continue to focus on enhancing the strategic growth and financial strength of Dougherty's,” continued Mr. Leslie. “Our emphasis on streamlining operations, improving sales, and enhancing the efficiency of Dougherty's pharmacy operations continues, and we are stepping up our sales and marketing efforts throughout the organization. We believe these initiatives will strengthen our business and lead to enhanced long-term value for our shareholders." About Dougherty’s Pharmacy, Inc. Dougherty’s Pharmacy, Inc. is a retail pharmacy chain focused on successfully acquiring, managing and growing community-based pharmacies in the Southwest Region of the United States. On June 9, 2017, the Company changed its name from Ascendant Solutions, Inc. to Dougherty’s Pharmacy, Inc. to better reflect the corporate vision and operating structure. Dougherty’s currently has approximately $48 million in net operating loss carryforwards which can be used to shelter future income, thus enhancing free cash flow or debt service capabilities. Interested investors can access financials and stock trading information for Dougherty’s at OTCMarkets.com or at www.doughertys.com . Contacts: Mark S. Heil Geralyn DeBusk or Tom Carey President and CFO Halliburton Investor Relations 972-250-0945 972-458-8000 Source:Dougherty's Pharmacy, Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/22/globe-newswire-doughertyas-pharmacy-inc-announces-resignation-of-president-and-chief-financial-officer.html

East Timor president dissolves parliament to hold new elections

January 26, 2018 / 2:07 AM / Updated 36 minutes ago East Timor president dissolves parliament to hold new elections Reuters Staff 1 Min Read DILI (Reuters) - East Timor President Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres said on Friday he was dissolving parliament and would call new elections in a bid to end a prolonged political impasse in the tiny country since polls last year. “The president believes that only the people can help solve the new challenges we face. Humbly, the president asks the people to vote again in fresh elections,” Guterres told reporters in the presidential palace. The president said the election date would be determined according to regulations in the constitution. Reporting by Nelson Da Cruz; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Paul Tait

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-timor-politics/east-timor-president-dissolves-parliament-to-hold-new-elections-idUKKBN1FF07U

Great Elm Capital Corp. Prices Public Offering of $43.0 Million of 6.75% Notes Due 2025

WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Elm Capital Corp. (NASDAQ:GECC) (the “Company”) announced today the pricing of its public offering of $43.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 6.75% notes due 2025 (the “Notes”), which will result in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $41.2 million after payment of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Notes will mature on January 31, 2025, and may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at the Company’s option on or after January 31, 2021. The Notes will bear interest at a rate of 6.75% per year payable quarterly on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year, beginning on March 31, 2018. The Company has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional approximately $6.5 million aggregate principal amount of Notes to cover over-allotments, if any. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and the Notes are expected to be delivered on or about January 19, 2018. The Company intends to apply to list the Notes on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the trading symbol “GECCM,” and if the application is approved, expects trading in the Notes to begin within 30 days from the original issue date. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to make investments consistent with its investment objectives and for general corporate purposes. The Company may also invest the net proceeds of this offering in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities and other high-quality debt instruments that mature in one year or less, or "temporary investments", as appropriate. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., a subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSEMKT:LTS), Janney Montgomery Scott LLC and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. are acting as book-running managers for the offering. Incapital LLC and Wedbush Securities Inc. are acting as co-managers for the offering. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in this offering or any other securities nor will there be any sale of these securities or any other securities referred to in this press release in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. A registration statement relating to these securities is on file with and has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained, when available, from: Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. 277 Park Avenue, 26th Floor New York, New York 10172 or: 1-800-573-2541 or: prospectus@ladenburg.com Investors are advised to carefully consider the investment objectives, risks and charges and expenses of the Company before investing. The preliminary prospectus, dated January 9, 2018, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, contains a description of these matters and other important information about the Company and should be read carefully before investing. About Great Elm Capital Corp. Great Elm Capital Corp. is an externally managed, specialty finance company focused on investing in debt instruments of middle market companies. GECC elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. GECC focuses on special situations and catalyst-driven investments as it seeks to generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns through both current income and capital appreciation. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this communication that are not historical facts are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “planned,” “will,” “may,” “intend,” “estimated,” “aim,” “target,” “opportunity,” “tentative,” “positioning,” “designed,” “create,” “seek,” “would,” “could”, “continue,” “ongoing,” “upside,” “increases,” and “potential,” and similar expressions. All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in the statements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: conditions in the credit markets, the price of GECC common stock, performance of GECC’s portfolio and investment manager. Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in GECC’s registration statement. GECC assumes no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any duty to, update any forward-looking statements contained in this document or to conform prior statements to actual results or revised expectations except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Media & Investor Contact: Meaghan K. Mahoney Senior Vice President +1 (617) 375-3006 investorrelations@greatelmcap.com Source:Great Elm Capital Corp.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/11/globe-newswire-great-elm-capital-corp-prices-public-offering-of-43-point-0-million-of-6-point-75-percent-notes-due-2025.html

Dixons Carphone CEO quits - Sky News

26 PM / a few seconds ago Dixons Carphone CEO quits: Sky News Reuters Staff 1 Min Read (Reuters) - Britain’s Dixons Carphone Plc’s CEO Sebastian James is quitting to join Boots, the high street chemist, Sky News reported on Friday. James’s reported resignation comes just days after Dixons’ finance chief Humphrey Singer quit to join Marks and Spencer Group Plc. Dixons could not immediately be reached for comment. The electricals and mobile phones retailer reported a 60 percent slump in first-half profits in December. Dixons Carphone is set to release a trading statement on Jan. 23. The chief executive's resignation will be formally notified to the London Stock Exchange on Monday, Sky News reported, citing unidentified sources. bit.ly/2BeLZoH Reporting by Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru; Editing by Adrian Croft

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-dixons-carphone-moves-ceo/dixons-carphone-ceo-quits-sky-news-idUSKBN1F82MW

Poor health literacy can be dangerous for heart failure patients

(Reuters Health) - People with heart failure have higher odds of hospitalization and death if they have trouble getting and understanding good health information, a new study suggests. “This study points to an important need to address low health literacy in heart failure and find effective strategies that can help overcome the risk,” said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, co-chief of University of California, Los Angeles’ division of cardiology, who was not involved in the study. Dr. Matteo Fabbri and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota surveyed 2,647 people with heart failure in the southeastern region of their state in 2013-2015. After the survey, they tracked the patients for an average of about 15 months. Nearly 11 percent of the study participants had poor health literacy, and these patients had a nearly two-fold higher risk of death, and a 30% increased likelihood of hospitalization, compared to the rest, the investigators report in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The risk of poor outcomes increased as people’s health literacy decreased, the researchers found. Health literacy is defined as the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions, according to the non-profit National Academy of Medicine. The organization estimates that 90 million American adults have limited health literacy, which is associated with higher rates of hospitalization and higher use of emergency services and can result in billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs. About 5.7 million adults in the U.S. have heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC estimates the condition costs $30.7 billion each year in medicines, healthcare services and lost productivity. Patients with a low level of health literacy are less likely to recognize the signs and symptoms of worsening heart failure, making hospitalization and death more likely, the researchers wrote. The finding that health literacy “stood up against important other traditional risk factors as an independent predictor is important,” said Dr. Christopher O’Connor, editor-in-chief of the medical journal JACC: Heart Failure, who was not involved in the study. The Fabbri team assessed participants’ health literacy by asking three questions: How confident are you filling out forms by yourself? How often do you have someone help you read hospital materials? How often do you have problems learning about your medical condition because of difficulty reading hospital materials? Mauricio Avendano Pabon, professor of public policy and global health at King’s College London, told Reuters Health by email that the current study can’t prove that poor health literacy itself is what causes poor outcomes. “We cannot tell from their analysis whether it is health literacy or other unmeasured confounding factors associated with both literacy and outcomes, e.g., cognitive decline,” said Pabon, who was not involved in the study. The study authors acknowledged some study limitations, most notably that people with lower health literacy could have been less likely to participant in the survey, and that the study was conducted in a homogeneous population with higher-than-average education. Still, said study coauthor Dr. Veronique Roger in an email, “While these results have been generated in a population composed of mainly non-Hispanic whites, the association between outcomes and health literacy has been studied in different hospital settings and among minorities - and similar results were found, affirming that our results could be generalizable to all patients with heart failure in the United States.” SOURCE: bit.ly/2DDlIXv Mayo Clinic Proceedings, online December 6, 2017.

https://in.reuters.com/article/us-health-literacy-heart-failure/poor-health-literacy-can-be-dangerous-for-heart-failure-patients-idINKBN1FD2O3

BRIEF-Marathon Partners Urges J. Alexander's To Release Preliminary Voting Results From Special Meeting

January 31, 2018 / 5:44 PM / in 16 minutes BRIEF-Marathon Partners Urges J. Alexander's To Release Preliminary Voting Results From Special Meeting Reuters Staff 1 Min Read Jan 31 (Reuters) - Marathon Partners Equity Management LLC: * MARATHON PARTNERS APPALLED BY J. ALEXANDER‘S ADJOURNMENT OF SPECIAL MEETING TO DELAY THE FAILED SHAREHOLDER VOTE ON THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF 99 RESTAURANTS * MARATHON PARTNERS EQUITY MANAGEMENT - CALL ON J. ALEXANDER‘S TO RELEASE PRELIMINARY VOTING RESULTS FROM TUESDAY‘S ADJOURNED SPECIAL MEETING * MARATHON PARTNERS - REMAIN SKEPTICAL THAT MAJORITY OF SHAREHOLDERS VOTED TO APPROVE PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF 99 RESTAURANTS LLC * MARATHON PARTNERS - TO URGE REVIEW OF ALL STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES IF J ALEXANDERS SHAREHOLDERS REJECT 99 RESTAURANTS​ DEAL Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Bengaluru Newsroom: +91 806 749 1136)

https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-marathon-partners-urges-j-alexande/brief-marathon-partners-urges-j-alexanders-to-release-preliminary-voting-results-from-special-meeting-idUSASB0C3AA

Bids for Italy's Serie A soccer TV rights did not reach minimum amount - source

MILAN, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The bids received in the auction to broadcast Italy’s Serie A soccer matches for the 2018-2021 seasons did not reach the minimum amount required, a source told Reuters on Monday. The bids for the various packages amounted to a total of just under 800 million euros, below the 1.05 billion euro minimum threshold set for the auction, the source added. Private talks to assign the different lots are now being considered, the person said. A previous tender had failed given that Italian private broadcaster Mediaset had deserted the auction and the offers put forward by the remaining operators did not reach the minimum amount required. Reporting by Elvira Pollina, writing by Giulia Segreti; editing by Agnieszka Flak

https://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-italy-tender-tv-rights/bids-for-italys-serie-a-soccer-tv-rights-did-not-reach-minimum-amount-source-idUSI6N1OK022

CDL hires Georgeson to woo investors in M&C Hotels bid -sources

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The Singaporean billionaire trying to buy Millennium & Copthorne Hotels(M&C) has hired advisory firm Georgeson to help to drum up investor support for the deal in the face of shareholder opposition that could derail the bid. City Developments Limited (CDL), the vehicle of businessman Kwek Leng Beng, has offered 620 pence per share to acquire the 34.8 percent of M&C that it does not already own in a bid that values the London-listed hotelier at 2 billion pounds ($2.74 billion). However, the offer has been criticised by three of M&C’s minority investors, who have spurned the bid and called on other shareholders to follow suit. The trio -- International Value Advisers, MSD Partners and Classic Fund Management -- have said they represent about 37 percent of the stock that Kwek, who also acts as M&C’s chairman, has offered to buy. If opposition to CDL’s bid mounts, the offer is at risk of failing because the Singaporean suitor needs acceptance from minority shareholders holding more than 50 percent of the stock not already owned by Kwek. CDL has enlisted the help of Georgeson to galvanise support for its offer, said four people close to the matter. Georgeson is one of the leading shareholder advisory firms, which work to help clients to understand the views of investors and profile shareholder bases. It is not known when CDL first appointed Georgeson. CDL has declared its offer final, meaning it cannot be increased under Britain’s takeover rules. It initially proposed buying out M&C’s minorities for 552.5 pence a share but was forced to raise its bid after some minority shareholders argued that it undervalued the hotelier. M&C’s global business spans 137 hotels it either invests in, owns, franchises or operates. The first closing date for investors to tender their shares to CDL is Jan. 23, though that deadline can be extended. CDL, Georgeson and M&C declined to comment. ($1 = 0.7306 pounds) Reporting by Ben Martin; Editing by David Goodman

https://www.reuters.com/article/mill-cop-hotels-ma-cdl/cdl-hires-georgeson-to-woo-investors-in-mc-hotels-bid-sources-idUSL8N1P753S

SE Asia Stocks-Most rise; Philippines, Indonesia scale record highs

By Nicole Pinto Jan 22 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Monday with the Philippine and Indonesia indexes scaling record levels, while broader Asian equities pulled back slightly after the U.S. government was forced to shut down. The Philippine Stock Exchange PSEi Index rose as much as 0.7 percent to an all-time high of 8,975.12 on optimism about the economy a day ahead of the release of fourth-quarter GDP data. DBS Group Research said in a note that it forecast GDP growth of 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter. "Overall domestic demand is likely to remain strong in 2018, supported by the government's infrastructure push. Our current forecast pencil in steady GDP growth of 6.7 percent in 2018/19," said DBS Group. The country's statistics agency revised last Friday the third-quarter GDP growth rate to 7 percent from 6.9 percent. Industrial and real estate stocks led the rise. Property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc rose as much as 1.3 percent, while property investment company LT Group Inc gained as much as 5.4 percent to its highest in over four years. Indonesian shares extended gains into a sixth session and hit a life high. Energy stocks led the gains. Coal miners Indo Tambangraya Megah Tbk PT and Adaro Energy Tbk PT climbed as much as 6.6 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively. An index of the country's 45 most liquid stocks rose 0.4 percent. Vietnam shares gained as much as 1.3 percent to a more than 10-year high. Utilities and financials were the top performers, with Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam hitting a record high and Petrovietnam Gas Joint Stock Corp rising 4.3 percent. Singapore shares were flat as gains in industrials were offset by lagging financial and consumer discretionary stocks. Index heavyweight Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd rose as much as 3.1 percent, while United Overseas Bank Ltd fell up to 1.1 percent. Thai shares rose slightly, helped by gains in energy and industrial stocks. Data released earlier in the day showed that the country's customs-cleared annual exports rose for a tenth straight month in December, but at a slower pace than the previous month and below expectations, and posted the first trade deficit in five months. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0419 GMT STOCK MARKETS Change on the day Market Current previous close Pct Move Singapore 3553.24 3550.36 0.08 Bangkok 1824.77 1821.34 0.19 Manila 8965.13 8915.92 0.55 Jakarta 6515.258 6490.896 0.38 Kuala Lumpur 1826.52 1828.83 -0.13 Ho Chi Minh 1079.19 1062.07 1.61 Change so far this year Market Current End 2017 Pct Move Singapore 3553.24 3402.92 4.42 Bangkok 1824.77 1753.71 4.05 Manila 8965.13 8558.42 4.75 Jakarta 6515.258 6355.654 2.51 Kuala Lumpur 1826.52 1796.81 1.65 Ho Chi Minh 1079.19 984.24 9.65 (Reporting by Nicole Pinto in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

https://www.reuters.com/article/southeast-asia-stocks/se-asia-stocks-most-rise-philippines-indonesia-scale-record-highs-idUSL4N1PH20H

TCP Capital Corp. Schedules Earnings Release and Conference Call for the Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TCP Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: TCPC) announced today that it will report its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, prior to the opening of the financial markets. TCP Capital Corp. will host a conference call at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 to discuss its financial results. All interested parties are invited to participate in the conference call by dialing (866) 393-0571; international callers should dial (206) 453-2872. Participants should enter the Conference ID 5979218 when prompted. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously in the investor relations section of TCPC's website at http://investors.tcpcapital.com/ . An archived replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the live call, through March 6, 2018. For the replay, please visit http://investors.tcpcapital.com/events.cfm or dial (855) 859-2056. For international replay, please dial (404) 537-3406. For all replays, please reference program ID number 5979218. ABOUT TCP CAPITAL CORP.: TCP Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: TCPC) is a specialty finance company focused on performing credit lending to middle-market companies as well as small businesses. TCPC lends primarily to companies with established market positions, strong regional or national operations, differentiated products and services and sustainable competitive advantages, investing across industries in which it has significant knowledge and expertise. TCPC's investment objective is to achieve high total returns through current income and capital appreciation, with an emphasis on principal protection. TCPC is a publicly-traded business development company, or BDC, regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is externally managed by its advisor, Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC, a leading alternative investment manager. For more information, visit www.tcpcapital.com . FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Prospective investors considering an investment in TCP Capital Corp. should consider the investment objectives, risks and expenses of the company carefully before investing. This information and other information about the company are available in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Copies are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the company's website at www.tcpcapital.com . Prospective investors should read these materials carefully before investing. This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs and assumptions of management of the company at the time of such statements and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, changes in general economic conditions or changes in the conditions of the industries in which the company makes investments, risks associated with the availability and terms of financing, changes in interest rates, availability of transactions, and regulatory changes. Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements are included in the "Risks" section of the company's shelf registration statement declared effective on May 3, 2017 and the company's subsequent periodic filings with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the company's website at www.tcpcapital.com . Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and are subject to change without notice. The company has no duty and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements based on the occurrence of future events, the receipt of new information, or otherwise. View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tcp-capital-corp-schedules-earnings-release-and-conference-call-for-the-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-year-ended-december-31-2017-300589135.html SOURCE TCP Capital Corp.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/pr-newswire-tcp-capital-corp-schedules-earnings-release-and-conference-call-for-the-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-year-ended-december-31-2017.html

Protesters demanding jobs clash with police in Tunisian town

January 21, 2018 / 9:41 PM / Updated 28 minutes ago Protesters demanding jobs clash with police in Tunisian town Tarek Amara 3 Min Read TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators demanding jobs in the southern town of Metlaoui on Sunday, witnesses said, days after violent protests across the country against price hikes subsided. The protesters closed roads and burned tyres to demand jobs after the state-owned phosphate company Gafsa (CPG) released the results of a recruitment campaign. “Police are pursuing protesters and firing gas bombs, as youths closed the streets in Metlaoui,” Issam Chahbani, a resident, told Reuters. “There is feeling of injustice and marginalization here ... We’re only asking for jobs and development.” In Mdihla town in the same region, protesters clashed with police to press for jobs in CPG, witnesses told Reuters. Violent protests erupted this month in several towns and cities across Tunisia following tax and price hikes imposed on Jan. 1 by a government seeking to reduce a budget deficit to meet an agreement with its international donors. One demonstrator was killed during the protests. The unrest subsided last week after the government responded by pledging extra aid for poor families and those in need. Tunisian unemployment is running at 15.6 percent, rising to about 30 percent among the young. Once one of the world’s largest producers of phosphates, Tunisia saw its market share fall after a 2011 uprising against then president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. Since then protests and strikes have steadily cut into production and caused billions of dollars in losses. The CPG is the biggest employer in Gafsa, one of Tunisia’s poorest areas. Tunisia has been hailed as the only democratic success of the Arab Spring: the one Arab country to topple a long-serving leader in that year’s uprisings without triggering widespread violence or civil war. But Tunisia has had nine governments since Ben Ali’s overthrow, none of which have been able to resolve deep-rooted economic problems. The economy has worsened since the vital tourism sector was nearly wiped out by a wave of deadly militant attacks in 2015, and has yet to recover despite improved security. Reporting By Tarek Amara, Editing by William Maclean

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tunisia-protests/protesters-demanding-jobs-clash-with-police-in-tunisian-town-idUKKBN1FA15B

New Ocado ecommerce deal turns screw on bearish hedge funds

LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds which have bet on a fall in the share price of Ocado will have taken a hit after the online retailer unveiled a new international technology deal which sent its stock up by more than a fifth. Canadian retailer Sobeys [SOBEF.UL] has agreed to use Ocado’s e-commerce technology to expand its online business. It follows a similar deal in November between Ocado and French rival Casino that also helped to boost Ocado’s shares.. Ocado was a favored as a “short” bet amongst hedge funds throughout 2017 partly because of divergent views among investors over whether the company is a food retailer or a technology provider able to command a high valuation. Short selling occurs when a fund borrows shares and sells them, hoping to buy them back at a later date for a lower price, before returning them and booking a profit. According to market data provider Astec Analytics, around 10 percent of the company’s shares are held by short sellers. The number of Ocado shares out on loan had fallen by around a quarter from a mid-November high of around 85 million, before the Casino deal was announced, to around 60 million heading into the weekend, data from Astec Analytics showed. But a number of hedge funds were still heavily invested, with around 60 percent of the shares that had been put up for loan by pension funds and other long-term investors actually out on loan to hedge funds, the data showed. Regulatory filings up to the close of business on Friday showed 10 funds had short positions in Ocado shares in excess of 0.5 percent of its issued share capital, the level at which British finance industry regulator the Financial Conduct Authority requires disclosure. Funds also have to make a public announcement for every 0.1 percent increase or decrease above that level. The biggest position heading into Monday was held by Discovery Capital Management, with 3.1 percent, the FCA said. Other big holders included GMT Capital Corp, with a 2.3 percent short position; Marshall Wace, with 1.7 percent; and JPMorgan Asset Management, with a 1.1 percent position, the FCA data showed. “The shares have surged from 2.38 pounds in November to close last week at 4.13 pounds, a rise of some 74 percent,” David Lewis at Astec Analytics said. “Short sellers, who had made substantial sums on the rollercoaster-like performance of the company’s share price, have been hurriedly closing out of their positions as the shares recover.” With so many shares out on loan, any positive news has the potential to spook funds into trying to buy back the shares, fuelling share price gains in what is known as a “short squeeze”. At 1445 GMT, shares in Ocado were up 20 percent. If every fund with a short position in Ocado tried to exit the trade at the same time, it would take around 24.7 days, based on the average daily traded volume in the shares, the Astec Analytics data showed. Reporting by Simon Jessop. Editing by Jane Merriman

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ocado-group-sobeys-hedge-funds/new-ocado-ecommerce-deal-turns-screw-on-bearish-hedge-funds-idUSKBN1FB20K

MOVES-Houlihan Lokey hires Pund from Lazard

January 9, 2018 / 5:15 PM / in 21 minutes MOVES-Houlihan Lokey hires Pund from Lazard Philip Scipio 1 Min Read NEW YORK, Jan 9 (IFR) - Houlihan Lokey hired Nathan Pund as a managing director in its consumer group working out of Dallas and focusing on the active lifestyle sector. Pund joins Houlihan from Lazard’s middle market group, where he was a managing director. Prior to Lazard, he was a managing director at DA Davidson, which hired Pund in 2010 as part of a deal to acquire Silver Steep Partners, the boutique investment banking firm he co-founded in 2005. (Reporting by Philip Scipio; Editing by Jack Doran)

https://www.reuters.com/article/moves-houlihan-lokey-hires-pund-from-laz/moves-houlihan-lokey-hires-pund-from-lazard-idUSL1N1P411F

EUROPE POWER-Day-ahead up on tighter supply, week 2 up on cooler trend

FRANKFURT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - European wholesale power prices for next day delivery rose on Monday, along with those for the week starting Feb. 5, due to bullish weather and demand patterns that overrode comfortable thermal supply in mid-winter. * “January will turn out to have been a warm winter month while February could be a lot colder,” one trader said. “Nearby, there is rising demand, wind will be slow to arrive, and a French nuclear plant is out,” he added. * German baseload for Tuesday delivery, at 37.5 euros ($45.94) a megawatt hour (MWh), was up 4.2 percent from Monday’s over-the-counter closing price. * The equivalent French contract, at 38.5 euros, was up 9.2 percent. * Thomson Reuters data showed German wind production on Tuesday would be slow to arrive, but then ramp up strongly late in the day to hit 12.1 gigawatts (GW) for the entire day, compared with 10.9 GW expected for Monday. * On Wednesday, it may reach 26.1 GW, but this could possibly be the peak seen for the next fortnight. * French nuclear supply, meanwhile, remains at a comfortable 91.6 percent of total availability but the Tricastin 1 plant is due to remain offline in an unscheduled stoppage at least up to Tuesday. * On the demand side, day-on-day increases of 2 GW and 2.5 GW were respectively forecast for Germany and France. * Prices for the week starting Feb. 5 gained 7.9 percent in Germany and 12.2 percent in France, when a cold front is due to arrive and protective buying took account of this. * Along the forward power curve, Germany’s Cal ‘19 baseload contract, the European benchmark, nudged 5 cents higher to 35.4 euros/MWh. * The equivalent French contract was at 40.6 euros/MWh, up 20 cents from its close. * December 2018 expiry European carbon emissions permits lost 0.6 percent to 8.71 euros a tonne. * Cif Europe coal for 2019 was down 0.4 percent at $85.5 a tonne. * In eastern Europe, the Czech baseload contract for Tuesday delivery was at 38 euros, down from 52.5 euros paid for Monday. Czech year-ahead power shed 15 cents to 36.3 euros. ($1 = 0.8163 euros) (Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by Mark Potter)

https://www.reuters.com/article/europe-electricity/europe-power-day-ahead-up-on-tighter-supply-week-2-up-on-cooler-trend-idUSL8N1PH3FU

Avino Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Production Results from its Avino Property

VANCOUVER, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (ASM: TSX/NYSE American, GV6: FSE, "Avino" or "the Company") is pleased to report its fourth quarter 2017 and full year 2017 production results from its Avino property near Durango, Mexico. Consolidated Production Highlights for 2017 (Compared to 2016) Silver equivalent production increased 1% to 2,700,585 oz* Silver production decreased 14% to 1,394,203 oz Gold production increased 11% to 7,935 oz Copper production increased 4% to 4,373,166 lbs Consolidated Production Highlights for Fourth Quarter, 2017 (Compared to Fourth Quarter, 2016) Silver equivalent production decreased 10% to 637,012 oz* Silver production decreased 24% to 319,678 oz Gold production decreased 43% to 1,472 oz Copper production increased 47% to 1,108,800 lbs *In 2017, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $17.05 oz Ag, $1,258 oz Au and $2.80 lb Cu. In 2016, AgEq was calculated using $17.10 oz Ag, $1,248 oz Au and $2.21 lb Cu "We are very pleased to have achieved another year of consistent production which was in line with our 2017 internal projections. Although there were a few challenges throughout the year, our operations teams were successful in resolving issues that arose. At the Avino Mine, the expansion is now 90% complete and we are looking forward to increasing throughput capacity within months. 2018 will be a busy year for Avino, which is also our 50 th Anniversary, and within the coming weeks we expect to release drill results, 2017 in review, outlook for 2018, and an updated NI 43-101 mineral resource from the Avino Mine. I would like to thank the teams in Mexico and Canada for their dedicated efforts." - David Wolfin, President, CEO & Director, Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. Consolidated 2017 Production Highlights Comparative production numbers from 2017 and 2016 are presented below: 2017 2016 % Change Total Silver Produced (oz) calculated 1,394,203 1,612,060 -14% Total Gold Produced (oz) calculated 7,935 7,119 11% Total Copper Produced (lbs) calculated 4,373,166 4,206,585 4% Total Silver Eq. Produced (oz) calculated* 2,700,585 2,679,334 1% *In 2017, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $17.05 oz Ag, $1,258 oz Au and $2.80 lb Cu. In 2016, AgEq was calculated using $17.10 oz Ag, $1,248 oz Au and $2.21 lb Cu Consolidated Fourth Quarter 2017 Production Highlights Comparative production numbers from the fourth quarters of 2017 and 2016 are presented below: Q4 2017 Q4 2016 % Change Total Silver Produced (oz) calculated 319,678 419,355 -24% Total Gold Produced (oz) calculated 1,472 2,581 -43% Total Copper Produced (lbs) calculated 1,108,800 755,645 47% Total Silver Eq. Produced (oz) calculated* 637,012 707,775 -10% *In 2017, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $17.05 oz Ag, $1,258 oz Au and $2.80 lb Cu. In 2016, AgEq was calculated using $17.10 oz Ag, $1,248 oz Au and $2.21 lb Cu Avino Mine Production Highlights Comparative figures for the years ended December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, as well as the fourth quarter 2017 and the fourth quarter of 2016 for the Avino Mine are as follows: Q4 2017 Q4 2016 % Change 2017 2016 % Change Notes Tonnes Mined 111,040 103,266 8% 462,279 450,281 3% 1,7 Underground Development (m) 648 756 -14% 2,898 4,005 -28% 1,7 Mill Availability (%) 90.3 95.6 -6% 95.5 94.0 2% 2 Total Mill Feed (dry tonnes) 109,088 101,157 8% 460,890 429,289 7% 3,8 Feed Grade Silver (g/t) 50 65 -23% 64 67 -4% 4,9 Feed Grade Gold (g/t) 0.322 0.69 -53% 0.516 0.42 23% 4,9 Feed Grade Copper (%) 0.523 0.37 41% 0.484 0.50 -3% 4,9 Recovery Silver (%) 87% 85% 2% 85% 85% 0% 5 Recovery Gold (%) 69% 69% 0% 69% 64% 8% 5 Recovery Copper (%) 88% 91% -3% 89% 90% -1% 5 Copper Concentrate (dry tonnes) 2,281 2,094 9% 9,782 9,390 4% 6,10 Copper Concentrate Grade Silver (kg/t) 2.09 2.67 -22% 2.56 2.62 -2% 6,10 Copper Concentrate Grade Gold (g/t) 10.59 22.87 -54% 16.72 12.23 37% 6,10 Copper Concentrate Grade Copper (%) 22.05 16.37 35% 20.28 20.32 0% 6,11 Total Silver Produced (kg) 4,756 5,584 -15% 24,990 24,552 2% 6,11 Total Gold Produced (g) 24,161 47,891 -50% 163,582 114,812 42% 6,11 Total Copper Produced (Kg) 502,944 342,755 47% 1,983,637 1,908,077 4% 6,11 Total Silver Produced (oz) calculated 152,908 179,536 -15% 803,438 789,372 2% 6,11 Total Gold Produced (oz) calculated 777 1,540 -50% 5,259 3,691 42% 6,11 Total Copper Produced (Lbs) calculated 1,108,800 755,645 47% 4,373,166 4,206,585 4% 6,11 Total Silver Equivalent Produced (oz) calculated 417,182 394,149 6% 1,911,428 1,606,272 19% 6,11 *In 2017, AgEq was calculated using metals prices of $17.05 oz Ag, $1,258 oz Au and $2.80 lb Cu. In 2016, AgEq was calculated using $17.10 oz Ag, $1,248 oz Au and $2.21 lb Cu Avino Mine Fourth Quarter 2017 Production Highlights 1. Tonnage mined increased by 8%, whereas the underground development decreased by 14% as we transition to production mining on the levels that have already been developed to provide mill feed on a sustained basis. 2. Mill availability was down 6% for the quarter due to the downtime associated with the commissioning of the new HP5 crusher in October. There was insufficient crushed mill feed for the Avino circuit. This has been rectified with the technical assistance from Metso, who are the suppliers of the crusher. 3. Tonnage processed increased by 8% as Circuit 2 was dedicated to processing Avino material rather than the San Gonzalo for the entire quarter. 4. Feed material for the quarter primarily came from the main Avino vein, resulting in higher copper, and lower gold and silver, and therefore reflective of the changes of 41%, -53%, and -23% respectively. 5. With the change in feed and minerology, copper recovery was down 3%, no change in gold recovery and silver recovery increased by 2%. 6. The changes in the quality of the mill feed resulted in 9% more concentrate produced and the grade of copper increased by 35%, whereas the gold and silver grades decreased by 54% and 22% respectively. In addition, copper production increased by 47%, gold decreased by 50% and silver decreased by 15% resulting in an increase of 6% in silver equivalent ounces for the quarter. Avino Mine 2017 Year-End Production Highlights 7. The year over year change in mined tonnes and development is attributed primarily to the transition from development to production mining. 8. Tonnage processed increased by 7% as Circuit 2 was used exclusively to process Avino material. 9. Gold feed grade increased by 23% whereas copper and silver decreased by 3% and 4% respectively; the changes in grades are due to the mineralisation in the areas being mined. 10. Concentrate production increased by 4% with little to no change in the copper and silver grades but the gold increased by 37% due to the higher mill feed. 11. Gold production increased by 42%, copper by 4% and silver by 2% resulting in 19% more silver equivalent ounces of production. San Gonzalo Mine Production Highlights Comparative figures for the years ended December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, as well as the fourth quarter 2017 and the fourth quarter of 2016 for the San Gon

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/pr-newswire-avino-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2017-production-results-from-its-avino-property.html

36-year-old retiree Steve Adcock: This is the secret to getting rich

Do you want to know one of the secrets to accumulating large amounts of wealth? Here's a hint: It's not about making a ton of money. In truth, one of the keys to saving a bunch of cash is actually quite simple: Automate your finances . One of the biggest reasons why so many people don't save enough money comes down to discipline. When we're forced to think about saving our hard-earned dollars , month after month, our chances of success diminish. Things get in the way, don't they? Life gets too hectic. It happens to all of us. It's happened to me, too. We forget. We make other choices. The solution is automation. Take discipline out of the equation and that completely streamlines the savings process. Courtesy of Steve Adcock Steve and Courtney Adcock hiking the Valley of Fire State Park After we automate our savings, we don't have to think about saving money. Ever. Once it's set up, which is typically very easy to do, all you'll have to focus on is enjoying your life with the understanding that things are happening behind the scenes, things that will dramatically improve our quality of life when we get older. Automation means money will be there when we retire. And it's easier than it might seem. The idea is to use your company's payroll system, bank or investment company to fund your retirement and savings accounts automatically. Follow these three steps to ensure you're set up to make saving easy: 1. If your company offers a 401(k), use it These retirement accounts are pre-tax, which means you're using earnings before it is taxed as income. 401(k) contributions also lower your taxable income, which means you will owe less money to the government. It's a win-win! The advantages don't stop there. Some companies will match a certain percentage of your contributions, commonly around 4 percent. That means if you contribute 4 percent of your income into a 401(k), the company will throw in another 4 percent on top of your salary. That's free money. Take advantage of it. Keep in mind that 401(k)s are retirement accounts, which means you'll need to wait until you're 59 ½ before withdrawing your contributions (without incurring a 10 percent penalty). Any money that you withdraw from a 401(k) will be taxed as income at that time. show chapters Suze Orman says this mental shift is the key to saving money 7:59 AM ET Wed, 1 Nov 2017 | 00:59 2. Open an individual retirement account (IRA) There are two flavors of IRA accounts: Traditional and Roth. The biggest difference between a traditional and Roth IRA is when taxes are paid. Traditional IRAs are taxable when the money is withdrawn (it's treated as regular income). However, all contributions are pre-tax, just like with a 401(k). A Roth IRA, however, front loads your tax burden (post-tax), but that money is not taxed when you take it out. Note there are some restrictions on who can invest in Roth IRAs based on income. How much should you save? Strive for 10 percent. If you can't save 10 percent yet, start small and work your way up. Even if it's only 1 percent, that's OK. Start there. Over time, make a point to increase your savings percentage. In a few months, try 2 percent, then 3 percent. Now, make your 401(k) and/or IRA contributions automatic by asking your employer or payroll service to automatically deduct money from your paycheck before you even see it. This way, you aren't writing checks or initiating bank transfers. It all happens behind the scenes. This is called paying yourself first . Before you see any money, your retirement accounts are already funded. Automatically. show chapters The definitive guide to retirement savings plans 10:50 AM ET Wed, 9 Aug 2017 | 01:51 3. Open a savings account for emergencies Use a savings account, rather than your existing checking account, to separate your emergency fund from your spendable cash. I have an interest-bearing Ally savings account that, currently, offers over 1 percent interest every month. Depending on how much you have saved, this can easily add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars a year. A money market account is another excellent avenue to save money and earn interest at the same time. How much should you save? I like to keep at least three months of living expenses in my savings account. That money can carry me through most emergency situations and even an unexpected job loss. But don't worry if you don't have that much saved yet. Even if it's $50 a month, start saving. It all adds up. Make it automatic by setting up a recurring money transfer from your checking account to your savings account. Pick a day to make the transfer each month, then let the system work for you on its own. Most banks offer this capability online. show chapters Suze Orman explains how much money you'll need to have when an emergency happens 12:46 PM ET Thu, 15 June 2017 | 01:01 Remember: Money in your savings account is earmarked for a rainy day. Don't touch it unless you have a crisis that requires cash fast. The point of a savings account is to separate that cash from your spendable pot of money to reduce the chances of accidentally spending it. Don't cheat yourself. Let the system work for you and the cash will pile up. Ultimately, the key to saving a ton of cash is automation. Once it is set up, you won't have to think about it: Saving just happens. Use automation to pay yourself first by fully funding your retirement accounts, then use recurring bank transfers to ensure your emergency savings account has plenty of cash to withstand an emergency or sudden job loss. Automation makes saving easy. Steve Adcock retired from full-time work in his mid-30s and writes about personal finance and financial independence. Steve can be reached on his website at ThinkSaveRetire.com and Twitter at @ThinkSaveRetire. Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook ! Don't miss: This couple retired in their 30s and are now traveling full time in an Airstream Video by Luqman Adeniyi show chapters Here's how this North Carolina couple could retire in their 30s 8:25 AM ET Thu, 6 April 2017 | 01:13

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/03/36-year-old-retiree-steve-adcock-this-is-the-secret-to-getting-rich.html

AmeriServ Financial, Inc. Announces Quarterly Common Stock Cash Dividend

JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Jan. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AmeriServ Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASRV) announced that its Board of Directors declared a $0.015 per share quarterly common stock cash dividend. The cash dividend is payable February 20, 2018 to shareholders of record on February 5, 2018. This cash dividend represents an approximate 1.5% annualized yield using the January 19, 2018 closing common stock price of $4.05. For the full year 2017, the Company's common stock dividend payout ratio approximated 33% based upon the reported 2017 EPS of $0.18. Note that the Company's 2017 earnings were negatively impacted by a previously disclosed $2.6 million charge to revalue its deferred tax asset which reduced 2017 EPS by $0.14. The Company's 2017 dividend payout ratio, adjusted for this tax related charge, would have approximated of 19%. AmeriServ Financial, Inc. is the parent of AmeriServ Financial Bank and AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company in Johnstown. The Company's subsidiaries provide full-service banking and trust and wealth management services through fifteen community offices in southwestern Pennsylvania. At December 31, 2017, AmeriServ had total assets of $1.17 billion, a book value of $5.25 per common share and a tangible book value of $4.59 per common share. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, information regarding AmeriServ's dividend program and future payment obligations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause AmeriServ's results to differ materially from management's current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties are detailed in AmeriServ's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of AmeriServ's management and on currently available information. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by AmeriServ on its website or otherwise. AmeriServ undertakes no responsibility to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement. View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ameriserv-financial-inc-announces-quarterly-common-stock-cash-dividend-300587358.html SOURCE AmeriServ Financial, Inc.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/pr-newswire-ameriserv-financial-inc-announces-quarterly-common-stock-cash-dividend.html

Juniper reports 4Q loss

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) _ Juniper Networks Inc. (JNPR) on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $148.1 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier. The Sunnyvale, California-based company said it had a loss of 40 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 53 cents per share. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 13 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 52 cents per share. The computer network equipment maker posted revenue of $1.24 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.23 billion. For the year, the company reported profit of $306.2 million, or 80 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $5.03 billion. For the current quarter ending in April, Juniper expects its per-share earnings to range from 22 cents to 28 cents. The company said it expects revenue in the range of $1.02 billion to $1.08 billion for the fiscal first quarter. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $1.15 billion. Juniper shares have dropped nearly 1 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has risen almost 6 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $28.32, an increase of 7 percent in the last 12 months. This story was generated by Automated Insights ( http://automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on JNPR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/JNPR

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/the-associated-press-juniper-reports-4q-loss.html

Gold holds near 4-mth peak, buoyed by weaker dollar

January 16, 2018 / 3:50 AM / Updated 7 hours ago PRECIOUS-Gold holds near 4-mth peak, buoyed by weaker dollar Reuters Staff 3 Min Read * Spot gold may test $1,357.54/oz - technicals * Palladium slips below Monday's record high * Silver off 3-mth top, platinum off 4-mth high (Adds comment, updates prices) By Sethuraman N R Jan 16 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday to hold just below a four-month high touched in the previous session, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar languishing near three-year lows. Spot gold was up 0.1 percent at $1,340.98 an ounce by 0650 GMT, after touching its strongest since Sept. 8 at $1,344.44 on Monday. U.S. gold futures rose 0.4 percent to $1,340.80 an ounce. "Gold seems to be moving higher on account of rising inflationary expectations and a steep drop in the dollar," said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir. "We are not sure if gold could withstand the higher yield environment going into 2018, especially if the dollar eventually reverses course. In addition, we don't see the recent spike in U.S. inflation lasting." The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell on Monday to its lowest since December, 2014 at 90.279. It was last down 0.6 percent at 90.417. The euro stood near a 3-year peak on rising expectations that the European Central Bank could pare its monetary stimulus. ECB rate-setter Ardo Hansson on Monday said the central bank could end its bond purchase scheme in one go after September if the economy and inflation develop as expected. The dollar has weakened as markets grow increasingly confident that a global recovery would outpace U.S. growth and prompt other major central banks, led by the ECB, to unwind their easy money strategy faster than has been expected. "We are likely to see further short squeezes over the near-term as the metal (gold) edges toward $1,350 and above this the September 2017 high around $1,357 will be the ultimate target for bulls," MKS PAMP Group trader Sam Laughlin said. "Supportive interest around $1,330 should restrict any further declines. However, should we see a period of weakness, support broadly around $1,305 - $1,310 will act as a pivot point for the metal and will need to hold to continue the recent upward momentum." Spot gold may revisit its Sept. 8, 2017 high of $1,357.54 per ounce, as suggested by a retracement analysis, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. Palladium , which marked a record high of $1,138 an ounce on Monday, was last down 0.3 percent at $1,123.10 on Tuesday. The metal has seen a sustained rally from high demand in the auto industry amid a supply deficit, analysts said. Spot silver was down 0.6 percent to $17.24 an ounce. It hit a three-month high of $17.42 on Monday. Platinum dropped 0.3 percent to $993.20, after touching its strongest since Sept. 11 at $1,001.40 on Monday. (Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Pullin and Sunil Nair)

https://uk.reuters.com/article/global-precious/precious-gold-holds-near-4-mth-peak-buoyed-by-weaker-dollar-idUKL3N1PB1BE

India to set up $350 million fund to finance solar projects

January 18, 2018 / 6:31 AM / Updated 15 hours ago India to set up $350 million fund to finance solar projects Reuters Staff 2 Min Read NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will set up a $350 million fund to finance solar projects, Power Minister R.K. Singh said, as the country steps up efforts to achieve its ambitious target of adding 175 gigawatts (GW) in renewable energy by 2022. India will need at least $125 billion to fund a plan to increase the share of renewable power supply in the country’s grid by 2022, underlining the immense financing challenge ahead. The country, which receives twice as much sunshine as European nations, wants to make solar central to its renewable expansion. It expects renewable energy to make up 40 percent of installed power capacity by 2030, compared with 18.2 percent at the end of 2017. “The country would achieve its target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity well before 2020,” Singh said on Wednesday at an event organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Abu Dhabi. Installed renewable power capacity is currently about 60 GW, and India plans to complete the bidding process by the end of 2019/20 to add a further 115 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022. India’s Yes Bank Ltd has committed to financing solar projects worth $5 billion, while state-run NTPC Ltd will contribute $1 million to an ISA fund, the power ministry said in a statement. India wants foreign capital to account for a bulk of its investments to meet its renewable energy target. But industry experts say most of the financing for the country’s renewables drive so far has come from domestic banks and such banks have to account for the lion’s share of new renewable investments in the future. Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath

https://in.reuters.com/article/india-solar/india-to-set-up-350-million-fund-to-finance-solar-projects-idINKBN1F70MD

UPDATE 3-Snowstorm, deep freeze leaves 4 dead in U.S. South

(Adds snowfall amounts, winter storm warnings, traffic accidents, wind-chill effect details) By Rich McKay ATLANTA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - A winter storm that caused at least four deaths in the U.S. South brought record low temperatures on Wednesday to parts of the region, where it coated roads with ice, snapped power lines and prompted public school closures. Frigid temperatures and snow were also forecast for the mid-Atlantic region and much of New England through Thursday. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter weather advisories and storm warnings for northern Georgia into Virginia and from Massachusetts to Maine. In Austin, Texas, a vehicle plunged more than 30 feet (9 meters) off a frozen overpass late on Tuesday, killing a man in his 40s, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service said on its Twitter feed. An 82-year-old woman who suffered from dementia was found dead on Wednesday behind her Houston-area home, likely the victim of exposure to the cold, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said. In Georgia, two people were fatally struck by a car that slid on an ice patch near Macon, local media said. At Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the nation’s busiest with a typical volume of 2,700 arrivals and departures a day, about 470 flights had been canceled by Wednesday afternoon, according to tracking service Flightaware.com. The sheriff’s office in Oconee County, Georgia, east of Atlanta, tried humor to keep people off icy roads. “I know you need cigarettes, beer and wine to get you through having your kids at home. Can you just do without for a day? Stay home,” the office said on its Facebook page. FROSTY SOUTH Wednesday’s storm was not the first this winter to bring a blast of frosty weather to the South, where parts of Florida and the Louisiana coast saw their first measurable snowfall in decades. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were posted across portions of the Carolinas and southern Virginia. The governors of Georgia, North Carolina and Louisiana declared states of emergency because of severe conditions that made roads treacherous. In North Carolina, where more than 2,000 snow-plow personnel worked to clear roads, the state Highway Patrol reported nearly 1,600 traffic accidents during the first 12 hours of Wednesday. More than 9 inches (23 cm) of snow has fallen in Durham, North Carolina, since Monday, with 6 inches (15 cm) or more measured at various locations across southern Virginia, the NWS said. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned at a news briefing that cold temperatures Wednesday night would make travel conditions even more hazardous. “The snow is pretty but don’t be fooled,” Cooper said. In Atlanta, many people appeared to be heeding Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s plea to stay off the roads as only a few cars crept along on typically packed highways. A few people bundled up to go out in temperatures that were well below freezing in a city known for its sweltering summer heat. “We don’t dare try to get the car out of the garage,” said teacher Kimberly Hodges, 40, who was walking her puppy in the city’s East Atlanta Village neighborhood. “It’s a mess out here.” The weather in Atlanta is not expected to get above freezing until Thursday afternoon. State government offices and many schools were expected to remain closed until at least then. Wind chill advisories in the mountains of North Carolina warned that temperatures would feel like they had fallen to 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. In Houston, the nation’s fourth most populous city, most freeways were closed on Wednesday morning after icing over, the city’s Office of Emergency Management said. In storm-hit North and South Carolina, more than 32,000 homes and businesses were without power by Wednesday afternoon, utilities data showed. (Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York, Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Tom Brown and Paul Tait)

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-weather/update-2-snowstorm-deep-freeze-leaves-4-dead-in-u-s-south-idUSL1N1PC1IW

Energy Transfer Partners Announces Quarterly Cash Distribution

Earnings Release and Earnings Call Dates Also Announced DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) today announced a quarterly cash distribution of $0.565 per ETP common unit ($2.26 on an annualized basis) for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017. This cash distribution is the same as the distribution for the third quarter of 2017 and will be paid on February 14, 2018 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on February 8, 2018. The Partnership’s quarterly distributable cash flow (DCF) continued to increase as its existing asset base provided solid DCF. The Partnership’s decision to keep the quarterly cash distribution flat reflects its commitment to deleveraging and prudently managing its balance sheet. ETP plans to release earnings for the fourth quarter of 2017 on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, after the market closes. ETP and Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE), which owns the general partner of ETP, will conduct a joint conference call on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time to discuss quarterly results. The conference call will be broadcast live via an internet webcast, which can be accessed through energytransfer.com . The call will also be available for replay on Energy Transfer’s website for a limited time. Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) is a master limited partnership that owns and operates one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States. Strategically positioned in all of the major U.S. production basins, ETP owns and operates a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary natural gas midstream, intrastate and interstate transportation and storage assets; crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and refined product transportation and terminalling assets; NGL fractionation; and various acquisition and marketing assets. ETP’s general partner is owned by Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE). For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. website at energytransfer.com . Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE:ETE) is a master limited partnership that owns the general partner and 100% of the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) and Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN). ETE also owns Lake Charles LNG Company. On a consolidated basis, ETE’s family of companies owns and operates a diverse portfolio of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and refined products assets, as well as retail and wholesale motor fuel operations and LNG terminalling. For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. website at energytransfer.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release may include certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond management’s control. An extensive list of factors that can affect future results are discussed in the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Partnership undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect new information or events. This release serves as qualified notice to nominees as provided for under Treasury Regulation section 1.1446-4(b)(4) and (d). Please note that 100 percent of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.’s distributions to foreign investors are attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, all of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.’s distributions to foreign investors are subject to federal tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Nominees are treated as withholding agents responsible for withholding distributions received by them on behalf of foreign investors. The information contained in this press release is available on our website at energytransfer.com . View source version on businesswire.com : http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180129006133/en/ Energy Transfer Partners Investor Relations: Helen Ryoo, Lyndsay Hannah, Brent Ratliff, 214-981-0795 or Media Relations: Vicki Granado, 214-840-5820 Source: Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.

http://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/business-wire-energy-transfer-partners-announces-quarterly-cash-distribution.html

REVIEW-Cricket-Australia triumph over limited but willing England

36 AM / Updated 23 minutes ago REVIEW-Cricket-Australia triumph over limited but willing England Nick Mulvenney 5 Min Read SYDNEY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Seven weeks of intense Ashes battle across Australia ended, as most of them have over the last three decades, with the hosts revelling in a comprehensive series triumph after an emphatic victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The series included several singular elements, including a farewell to Perth’s perpetually sunbaked WACA ground and the introduction of day-night cricket under lights at the Adelaide Oval. But for the English contingent among the more than 850,000 fans who streamed through the gates at the five venues, there was a depressingly familiar story arc to the start of the series at least. England’s preparations had been disrupted by the saga over whether one of their best players, all-rounder Ben Stokes, would be allowed to tour after being filmed fighting outside a nightclub in September. He wasn‘t. There were the breathless stories in the Australian media, the most damaging breaking during the opening match of the series about how wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow had greeted Australia’s Cameron Bancroft with a ‘friendly’ head-butt a month previously. England were beaten at Brisbane, as most touring teams are, and put up a strong showing without being able to drive home their advantage with the pink ball in Adelaide before meekly relinquishing the urn with an innings defeat in Perth. There, though, the story took something of a diversion - at least from the narrative of the ill-fated 2014-15 tour when the squad simply disintegrated in the face of a humiliating whitewash. “The games may not have not gone well but there has been no infighting within the squad,” said Bairstow, who was on both tours, as the fifth test took a negative turn. “There have been a few things thrown at us while we have been here but there have been no fractures within the group which is a huge positive for us as people and players moving forward.” “POOR” PITCH They were robbed of the chance of a consolation victory in the drawn Boxing Day test in Melbourne at least in part by a dead pitch that was rated “poor” by the International Cricket Council, and showed considerable fight before another innings loss in Sydney. Not giving up, while admirable, is not going to win a test series, however, and England have now gone 10 matches and seven years since winning a test in Australia, and 11 matches since an away win anywhere. The bowling attack for the large part was not good enough to limit the scoring of the Australian batsmen, let alone take 20 wickets a match, and Moeen Ali enjoyed the dismal fate of most visiting frontline spinners in Australia. Captain Joe Root typified the batting of the top order, getting a start in most innings but unable to turn any one of them into a century, and the tail, with the hapless Ali completely out of form, mostly failed to wag. Dawid Malan was one bright spot with his maiden test century and Alastair Cook hit a magnificent unbeaten 244, albeit at Melbourne after the series had been lost. Ranged against that was consistent brilliance of Australia skipper Steve Smith, who matched England’s series tally of three centuries on his own - two of them unbeaten and the third a double. Apparently unmoveable at times, the cricket world’s most famous fidgeter was the inevitable choice as Player of the Series after a Bradmanesque 687 runs at an average of 137.4. There were six other centuries from Australians - two apiece from the controversially selected Marsh brothers - which was a reward, Smith said, for their patience. BRAVURA BOWLING Batting is, of course, a considerably less pressured occupation when your bowlers are doing their job and Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all took more than 20 wickets over the series in a bravura display of pace bowling. Off spinner Nathan Lyon also managed 21 in a superb series and his nickname of GOAT - Greatest Of All Time - might be starting to lose the original tongue-in-cheek inflection were Shane Warne not still ever-present in the commentary box. That the other initially controversial selection, Tim Paine, was solid as a rock behind the stumps might embolden the selectors to trust their gut instincts for further changes as Australia head on to a series in South Africa. Smith is hoping not and thinks the existing team might just be able to take Australia back to the top of the test rankings, and more importantly perform the tricky task of retaining the Ashes on English soil in 2019. “This team has been magnificent in this series, the cricket we’ve played has been great so I think the more we play together the more we are going to get better as a group,” he said. “We have just got to keep getting better and improving as a team.” (Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

https://uk.reuters.com/article/cricket-ashes/review-cricket-australia-triumph-over-limited-but-willing-england-idUKL4N1P34UD