42% in the fourth quarter of 2017, widening by 1 basis-point from the third quarter 2017 adjusted net interest margin of 3.41%.The increase in net interest margin was primarily attributable to higher yields on loans largely offset by increased deposit funding costs.Fully taxable equivalent net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2017 increased by $6.6 million, or 19.4%, from the fourth quarter of 2016, resulting from an increase in average interest-earning assets of 14.0% and the widening of the net interest margin by 15 basis-points to 3.51% from 3.36%.Included in net interest income was accretion and amortization of purchase accounting adjustments of $1.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2017 and 2016.Excluding these purchase accounting adjustments, the adjusted net interest margin was 3.42% in the fourth quarter of 2017, widening by 15 basis-points from the fourth quarter of 2016 adjusted net interest margin of 3.27%.The increase in the adjusted net interest margin was primarily attributable to a lower volume of cash balances resulting in an improved asset-mix, partially offset by increases in deposit funding costs, as well as lower yields on securities.Noninterest income totaled $2.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $1.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.The most recent quarter included a $0.5 million gain on sale of non-relationship multifamily loans, and the third quarter 2017 included a $0.3 million bank owned life insurance death benefit.Noninterest expenses totaled $16.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, a decrease of $2.0 million from $18.6 million for the third quarter of 2017 and an increase of $1.3 million from $15.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2016.The decrease from the prior sequential quarter was mainly attributable to the valuation allowance adjustment on taxi medallion loans held-for-sale, which declined to $0.3 million in the current quarter from $3.0 million in the third quarter of 2017, offset by increases salaries and employee benefits, primarily bonus accruals for non-executives ($0.5 million) and other expenses ($0.2 million).

The increase in noninterest expenses from the prior year fourth quarter was mainly attributable to increases in salaries and employee benefits ($1.5 million) and a valuation allowance adjustment on taxi medallion loans held-for-sale ($0.3 million), offset by decreases in FDIC insurance expense ($0.1 million), professional and consulting ($0.2 million) and occupancy and equipment expenses ($0.2 million).The increases over the prior year fourth quarter were the result of increased levels of business and staff resulting from organic growth.Income tax expense was $12.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to $5.6 million for the third quarter of 2017 and a $3.4 million benefit for the fourth quarter of 2016.Included in income tax expense for the fourth quarter of 2017 is an estimated $5.6 million DTA valuation charge related to the Tax Act.In addition, there was an approximately $0.2 million income tax benefit recorded during the fourth quarter of 2017, which resulted from the effect of ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting .At the present time, the Bank is projecting a 2018 effective tax rate of approximately 22%.Asset Quality The provision for loan losses was $2.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, $1.5 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $25.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.The increase from the prior sequential quarter was largely attributable to higher loan growth.The prior year quarter included $24.0 of provision for loan losses related to the taxi medallion loan portfolio.During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Bank’s entire taxi medallion loan portfolio was transferred back to loans held-for-investment from the held-for-sale designation.As of December 31, 2017, the loans secured by NYC taxi medallions, predominantly corporate medallions, had a carrying value of $46.8 million, compared to $65.6 million as of December 31, 2016.


January 31, 2018 / 8:01 PM / Updated 7 minutes ago Coding boot camp General Assembly explores potential sale: CEO Salvador Rodriguez , Liana B.Baker 3 Min Read SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Coding boot camp General Assembly, a privately held New York-based company, is exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, Chief Executive Jake Schwartz told Reuters.The news comes as closures and acquisitions pick up in a market that has become crowded with programs that promise to teach students the skills necessary to attain jobs as web developers over a matter of a few weeks.General Assembly rivals Dev Bootcamp and Iron Yard closed last year while Flatiron School was acquired by WeWork.“As has been true throughout the growth of GA, we are fortunate to have many types of investment options, including venture capital, private equity, and/or potential M&A, with some of the world’s best investors,” Schwartz said in a statement on Wednesday.Schwartz added in an interview that he was speaking to bankers about the company’s options.The company is valued at $425 million, according to research firm CB Insights.It would aim for a higher valuation in a sale, separate sources familiar with the matter added.Advance Publications, the owner of Conde Nast, led a $70-million funding round for General Assembly in 2015.The company has raised nearly $120 million total, which is more than any other company in the coding boot camp sector, according to Crunchbase.

General Assembly generated more than $100 million in annual revenue last year, according to a source familiar with the matter who did want to be named because the matter is private.General Assembly said it does not comment on revenue but that it did have a record number of students in 2017.It did not say what the number was.General Assembly has 22 campuses across six countries and offers courses in web development, data science, digital marketing and other subjects.Over the past year, General Assembly has been shifting its focus toward providing training services for corporate clients.“There’s a whole new trajectory of growth ahead of us,” Schwartz said.General Assembly has a minor financial stake in Course Report, a privately held New York company that lets students post reviews of coding boot camps, Course Report co-founder Adam Lovallo confirmed to Reuters.The investment had not previously been disclosed.Some industry executives, including Liliana Aide Monge, the CEO of Sabio, a coding academy, said having a boot camp invested in a reviews site could represent a conflict of interest.Lovallo said General Assembly’s investment does not impact the way Course Report operates and said his company would “never edit or manipulate reviews in any way.” Reporting by Salvador Rodriguez and Liana B.Baker; Editing by Frances Kerry


46 PM / in 27 minutes Mozambique takes legal action over $2 billion loans Reuters Staff 2 Min Read MAPUTO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Mozambique’s Attorney General has filed a legal complaint against officials and state-owned companies involved in securing $2 billion in loans that were not approved by parliament or disclosed publicly, her office said on Monday.Investigations into the debt found that the deals violated Mozambique’s constitution, the AG’s office said in a statement.The alleged infringements included failure to comply with the procedures and limits established by law in the issuance of guarantees by the state, it said.“Thus, on January 26, the (office) submitted a complaint to the Administrative Court on the financial accountability of public managers and state-owned companies involved in the management of financing, supply and service contracts,” the statement read.

It did not name any of the managers or the companies.The Administrative Court is responsible for ruling on the legality of public expenditure.An independent audit of the debt showed in June last year that questions remained on how the $2 billion was used and roughly a quarter of the money remained unaccounted for.The Attorney General also recommended among other issues a review of legislation related to state businesses and scrutiny and monitoring of projects benefiting from state guarantees.(Reporting by Manuel Mucari; Editing by Andrew Heavens)


Justin Timberlake gets "Filthy" 3:22am IST - 00:53 The singer releases the first single off his fourth studio album, ''Man Of The Woods.'' Alicia Powell reports. The singer releases the first single off his fourth studio album, "Man Of The Woods." Alicia Powell reports. //in.reuters.com/video/2018/01/05/justin-timberlake-gets-filthy?


The chance that Americans will learn what really happened between the FBI and Fusion GPS is growing with Thursday’s vote by the House Intelligence Committee to give every House Member access to key information.Soon the House should move to declassify all documents in the case that don’t jeopardize intelligence sources and methods so the public can get the complete story.

Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes also moved Thursday to release to the public his committee’s interview with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson.Every...


Jan 8 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times.Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.Headlines Airbus woos China with A380 industrial partnership offer ( on.ft.com/2CRaBtr ) Shell looks to shale production for rapid growth ( on.ft.com/2CPhH1w ) PwC launches specialist UK drone unit with eye to the future ( on.ft.com/2CRSqny ) BBC China editor stands down in gender pay row ( on.ft.com/2CTo9EA ) Overview Airbus was offering an industrial partnership on the A380 with China if Chinese airlines place orders for the company’s jet, whose future is in doubt unless it wins new customers.The growth of Royal Dutch Shell’s oil and gas operations in the next decade will depend on shale production, Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told the Financial Times, in the latest sign of western energy groups pinning their hopes for expansion on those “unconventional” resources.

PwC has launched a UK drones team as the company looks to increase demand from investors, local authorities and companies for real-time data that can be more easily obtained by unmanned flight systems than by humans.BBC China editor Carrie Gracie resigned from her position after learning that the broadcasting company operates a “secretive and illegal pay culture” that systematically discriminates against women.Gracie learned that two of her male peers were paid significantly more.She accused her bosses of taking a “divide-and-rule” approach to female staff in an open letter published online late on Sunday.(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler)


56 Mins Ago | 03:25 Bonds have entered a bear market, but it's not one that is necessarily extreme, bond guru Bill Gross told CNBC on Wednesday.He predicts the benchmark 10-year Treasury will go "very gradually but not significantly higher," in the next 12 months, hitting a yield of 3 percent.Rising yields mean lower prices, which in turn cut into returns for bond investors looking for capital appreciation.While bondholders will get the income from the yield, they'll lose about 3 points in terms of price "so they'll get nothing," the manager of the Janus Henderson Global Unconstrained Bond fund said in an interview with " Power Lunch ." "To me, that's a mild bear market." However, he noted that the bear market will certainly not be the extreme inverse of the 30-year bull market, where interest rates declined from 15 percent to below 2 percent."To suggest that we're going back up there, I certainly wouldn't do that," he pointed out.

Government bond yields have been moving up in anticipation of inflation pressures and a more active Federal Reserve .On Monday, the yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 2.727 percent, its highest since April 2014.As expected, the central bank decided not to raise its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday, keeping it at 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent.However, the Fed indicated it expects inflation pressures to increase as the year goes on.Another factor fueling Gross' "mildly bearish" view is the significant increase in Treasury issuance over the next 12 months.At the same time, the Fed is reducing is balance sheet, which is comprised mostly of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities."The question becomes who's going to buy these bonds," Gross said."The public must be induced to buy them if interest rates go higher." — CNBC's Jeff Cox contributed to this report.


GRIFFON CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended December 31, 2017 2016 Revenue $ 437,303 $ 352,277 Cost of goods and services 316,459 255,533 Gross profit 120,844 96,744 Selling, general and administrative expenses 105,807 78,884 Income from operations 15,037 17,860 Other income (expense) Interest expense (16,839 ) (13,295 ) Interest income 197 6 Other, net (468 ) (140 ) Total other expense, net (17,110 ) (13,429 ) Income (loss) before taxes from continuing operations (2,073 ) 4,431 Benef

it from income taxes (24,904 ) (2,613 ) Income from continuing operations $ 22,831 $ 7,044 Discontinued operations: Income from operations of discontinued operations $ 11,466 $ 8,545 Provision for income taxes 3,308 3,325 Income from discontinued operations $ 8,158 $ 5,220 Net income $ 30,989 $ 12,264 Income from continuing operations $ 0.54 $ 0.18 Income from discontinued operations 0.19 0.13 Basic earnings per common share $ 0.74 $ 0.31 Weighted-average shares outstanding 41,923 39,336 Income from continuing operations $ 0.53 $ 0.17 Income from discontinued operations 0.19 0.12 Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.72 $ 0.


Mnuchin, Lagarde and Fink discuss global finance at Davos 5 Hours Ago Breaking News If you are experiencing issues watching this video, tap here to view it in your browser.SHARES [The stream is slated to start at 10 a.m.GMT.Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Given the sharp ascent of cryptocurrency trading and the U.S.dollar's risk of being ousted from its position as the world's reserve currency, the global financial system is entering into completely new territory.The world's top economic decision-makers speak to CNBC about what the future holds.

Steven Mnuchin , U.S.treasury secretary; Christine Lagarde , managing director of the International Monetary Fund; Laurence Fink , chairman and CEO of BlackRock; Philip Hammond, U.K.finance minister; Paul Achleitner, chairman of the supervisory board at Deutsche Bank; and Jin Keyu, professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science speak to CNBC's Geoff Cutmore for "The Remaking of Global Finance." CNBC NEWSLETTERS Get the best of CNBC in your inbox Please choose a subscription A daily email for dreamers, seekers and game changers.Breaking News


Jan 24 (Reuters) - Machvision Inc : * Says it plans to pay cash dividend of T$10/share to share

holders Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/1dk5n7 Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)


Jan 16 (Reuters) - Kornit Digital Ltd: * SENVEST MANAGEMENT, LLC REPORTS 5.03 PERCENT PASSIVE STAKE IN KOR

NIT DIGITAL LTD AS OF JANUARY 12, 2018 - SEC FILING Source text - bit.ly/2DEEevg Further company coverage:


Jan 8 (Reuters) - pSivida Corp: * PSIVIDA SUBMITS NEW DRUG APPLICATION (NDA) FOR DURASERTTM THREE-YEAR TREATMENT FOR POSTERIOR SEGMENT UVEITIS TO THE U.S.FDA * PSIVIDA CORP - SUBMITTED NDA TO U.S.

FDA FOR DURASERT THREE-YEAR TREATMENT FOR POSTERIOR SEGMENT UVEITIS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


NAIROBI, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath of office on the Bible in front of thousands of ecstatic supporters on Tuesday in a direct challenge to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s rule.

“I, Raila Omolo Odinga, do swear that I will protect the nation as people’s president, so help me God,” he said as the crowd cheered.(reporting by Maggie Fick; writing by Katharine Houreld)


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 ( ) using data from Zacks Investment Research.Access a Zacks stock report on BOFI at


House passes stopgap funding bill, but shutdown threat looms Friday, January 19, 2018 - 01:41 Legislation to avoid a U.S.government shutdown at midnight on Friday advanced in Congress as the House of Representatives on Thursday night approved an extension of federal funds through Feb.16, although the bill faced uncertain prospects in the Senate.

Legislation to avoid a U.S.government shutdown at midnight on Friday advanced in Congress as the House of Representatives on Thursday night approved an extension of federal funds through Feb.16, although the bill faced uncertain prospects in the Senate.//reut.rs/2mZgOsi


PUNE, India, January 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report " Security Control Room Market by Offering (Display, KVM Switch, Software, Services), Application (Public, Corporate, Industrial Safety), Vertical (Transportation, Utilities & Telecom, Defense, Healthcare), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 " , published by MarketsandMarketsTM, the market is expected to grow from USD 7.20 billion in 2018 to USD 10.00 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.80% between 2018 and 2023.The growth of the security control room market can be attributed to government initiatives, modernized policies, and regulations to increase public security and safety worldwide, as well as the increasing need to keep an eye on criminal activities and forecast natural disasters to avoid huge losses.(Logo: ) Browse 66 market data Tables and 54 Figures spread through 166 Pages and in-depth TOC on " Security Control Room M arket - Global Forecast to 2023 " Early buyers will receive 10% customization o n this report The security control room market for services offering is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2018 and 2023 Control room technology has various service offerings including installation, managed services, and maintenance and support services.Efficient services are an integral part of a control room as well as being able to work effectively in a critical working environment.This is expected to drive the growth of services offering during the forecast period.The market for the industrial safety application is expected to hold the largest share of the security control room market between 2018 and 2023 Industrial safety applications are evolving at a high rate as these are chiefly used in manufacturing plants such as oil & gas and nuclear plants.Along with the growing industrialization worldwide, the need for industrial safety systems is increasing to protect human resources, industrial machinery, and manufacturing plants, in case any process goes beyond the allowed control margins.A control room in industrial safety plays a critical role as it has to deal with critical operations taking place in a controlled environment.The control room and industrial safety programs play a key role in the management of industrial plants.Download PDF Brochure : The market for transportation vertical held a major share of the security control room market in 2017 Transportation is a diverse segment that requires control room solutions specific to rail control, port control, traffic management, and fleet management.

For most applications, an intelligent transportation system (ITS) minimizes congestion and improves safety, combining security and general surveillance with analysis of large transport network topologies.A typical transport control room operates 24/7 and is specifically designed to provide the best ergonomic solution for the safety and comfort of its operators.North America held the largest share of the security control room market in 2017 North America, being a technologically advanced and developed region, is a leading market for control room technologies.North America has the first-mover advantage in the adoption of new technologies such as smartphones and cloud platforms.Its strong financial position also allows it to heavily invest in leading tools and technologies for effective business operations.These advantages give North American organizations a competitive market edge.Inquiry Before Buy @ The security control room ecosystem includes manufacturers and resellers such as ABB (Switzerland), Barco (Belgium), Black Box (US), Harris (US), Motorola Solutions (US), Tyler Technologies (US), Eizo Corporation (Japan), Zetron (US), TriTech Software Systems (US), Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure (US), Christie Digital Systems (US), Superion (US), Electrosonic (US), and SAIFOR Group (Spain).Browse Related Reports Large Format Display (LFD) Market by Offering, Display Type (Video Wall & Standalone), Technology (LED-Backlit LCD, Direct-View LED, OLED, E-Paper), Size, Brightness Level, Application (Indoor & Outdoor), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 Multifactor Authentication Market by Model (Two-, Three-, Four-, and Five-Factor), Application (Banking and Finance, Government, Military and Defense, Commercial Security, Consumer Electronics, Healthcare), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022 Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ About MarketsandMarketsTM MarketsandMarketsTM provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues.Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients.Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarketsTM for their painpoints around revenues decisions.


January 18, 2018 / 6:53 PM / Updated 10 minutes ago CIBC eyes FirstCaribbean valuation around $1.4 bln -sources Matt Scuffham , John Tilak 2 Min Read TORONTO, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is targeting a valuation of 10 times earnings for the potential listing of its FirstCaribbean business in New York, which would give it a market value of around $1.4 billion, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters over the past week.That would represent a 30 percent discount to FirstCaribbean’s current market capitalization, based on the value of its thinly traded shares on the Barbados Stock Exchange.Reuters reported in December that CIBC, which holds a 91.5 percent stake in FirstCaribbean, was considering listing 20 percent of the business early in 2018, and, subsequently, selling more shares.

While CIBC is pushing ahead with the listing plan, it could still decide not to proceed if it fails to achieve its targeted valuation, the sources said.The listing is expected to take place in the first half of 2018 and possibly as early as the first quarter, one of the sources said.CIBC is working with Barclays and UBS to advise it on the potential listing, three of the sources said.CIBC declined to comment on Thursday.Sources declined to be identified as the information is not public.The bank said in December it was considering a listing of FirstCaribbean in the United States but had yet to make a decision.(Reporting by Matt Scuffham and John Tilak; Editing by Denny Thomas and David Gregorio)


NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HCA Healthcare, Inc.(NYSE: HCA) today announced that its board of directors has appointed Michael W.Michelson as an independent director, effective immediately.With his addition, HCA’s board of directors increased from 11 to 12 members.Mr.Michelson will also serve as a member of the Company’s Audit and Compliance Committee and Finance and Investments Committee.This press release features multimedia.View the full release here: HCA Healthcare Board Member Michael Michelson (Photo: Business Wire) Mr.Michelson joined KKR in 1981 and has played a significant role investing in and developing the firm’s portfolio companies.He began his professional career with the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles, where he was involved in a broad corporate practice.

He earned an A.B.from Harvard College and a J.D.from Harvard Law School.Mr.Michelson also previously served as a director of HCA from 2006 to 2016.R.Milton Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of HCA, commented, “We are very excited to have Mike rejoin our board of directors.I am confident that his extensive business experience and financial expertise, including his knowledge of HCA and the healthcare industry, will be a valuable resource to the Company going forward.” All references to “Company” and “HCA” as used throughout this document refer to HCA Healthcare, Inc.and its affiliates.View source version on businesswire.com : HCA Healthcare, Inc.Investor Contact: Mark Kimbrough, 615-344-2688 or Media Contact: Ed Fishbough, 615-344-2810 Source: HCA Healthcare, Inc.


Questions about its US strategy have intensified and its share of investment banking fees in the Americas fell to 2.7% last year from 3.5% in 2016 and 4.6% in 2014.Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said some European rivals appeared to be prioritising being national champions amid the high cost of competing globally.“There are a lot of institutions that do very well in their home market.And from time to time, particularly in good trading markets, they have tried to expand that platform globally and generally, those situations sort of get washed out.There’s a retreat back to their home market,” Gorman said.His peers in Europe say they are not dead and buried yet, however.“I do not believe in a world where investment banking is just concentrated in five US banks.That does not exist,” Societe Generale CEO Frederic Oudea said this week at Davos.He said that would over-concentrate risk, and clients don’t want that either.“It is more a world where in each region, three, four, five, six ...big players, and they will effectively interconnect so that companies can have between 10 and 15 core banks,” he told Bloomberg Television.

STRONGER FOR LONGER Non-US banks will also benefit from the tax reforms - they will get a lower tax rate on their significant US earnings - and from any upturn in capital markets, but the benefits are likely to widen the edge US banks have over rivals.JP Morgan, for example, could make an extra US$3.5bn annually from a drop in its tax rate to about 20% (compared with 28% in 2016).Morgan Stanley expects its tax rate to fall to 22%-25% from the near 32% it has been operating under and Citi has a similar expectation.US bank chiefs said some of their gain will be “competed away”, but said it should lift their returns, which are already ahead of the levels at most European rivals, perhaps by 100-200bp, bankers estimated.That in turn will enable them to step up their dividends and share buybacks.Morgan Stanley raised its medium-term ROE target to 10%-13% from 9%-11%.(Reporting by Steve Slater)


January 3, 2018 / 6:01 PM / Updated 12 hours ago Age may be a factor in facial skin cancer treatment Shereen Lehman 4 Min Read (Reuters Health) – - In very elderly patients, less aggressive skin cancers on the face might not always need to be treated, a new study suggests.Age of the patient and relative lifespan could be taken into consideration when discussing treatment for slow-growing facial nonmelanoma skin cancer, say the authors.“There are multiple ways to treat, all cancers aren’t the same, and skin cancer more often ...is not lethal,” coauthor Dr.Sunil Tholpady of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis told Reuters Health.Non-melanoma skin cancer refers to squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma, Tholpady explained.“The decision to cut them out or treat them in some fashion should take into account the patient’s lifestyle, their needs, and their wishes as long as they understand what the course of the cancer usually is,” he said.Tholpady and his colleagues studied 440 adults over age 40 with 569 non-melanoma skin cancers on the face.About 55 percent were basal cell carcinomas and 30 percent were squamous cell carcinomas, they reported in JAMA Surgery.Overall, in about a third of the cases, there was no cancer left in the skin after the lesion was removed for the biopy.This was true for roughly half of patients over age 90.During the next several years, 50 patients died.Not surprisingly, the largest percentage of deaths was among patients in their 90s.No one died of the skin cancers, however.In more than one in three patients above age 80, and in more than half of those above 90, simply removing the lesion for biopsy left the patients cancer-free.

In other words, the researchers say, “a large minority of patients” would not have needed more extensive treatments.Treatments for non-melanoma skin cancers range from immunomodulatory creams, to destructive therapies such as freezing, burning, shaving and lasers, to surgery, said Tholpady.Further, his team points out, more than half of the patients who were in their 90s died within a year.”These small (cancers) would never have caused a problem,” the authors write.Given that half of these oldest patients were free of cancer after their biopsies, “a strong argument can be made for a watchful-waiting approach for the amenable nonagenarian,” they add.Dr.Brian Gastman, director of melanoma surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said a lot of money is spent every year on non-melanoma skin cancer, much of it in the elderly.“Particularly in the oldest-old, life expectancy “in theory would be much less than any non-melanoma skin cancer would take to actually cause death, and many are not generally life-threatening,” Gastman told Reuters Health by an email.The idea that some non-melanoma skin cancers in elderly patients can be monitored without formal treatment is “intriguing,” said Gastman, but the new data are not definitive enough to change the standard of care.The authors agree.“Future studies are needed to investigate if a watchful-waiting approach is cost-effective and has higher patient satisfaction than surgical excision in this elderly population,” they conclude.SOURCE: bit.ly/2Cmo5db JAMA Surgery, online December 20, 2017.


16 Hours Ago | 03:17 Check out the companies making headlines after the bell : Intel shares fell 1 percent in extended trading, after CEO Brian Krzanich responded to allegations about the functioning of the company's chips.The chipmaker's taken heat throughout the past week after an industry blog reported a patch for a security flaw in some of its chips would hamper performance.Krzanich said Google made Intel aware of the widespread security exploit a while back and that the companies had been working together to fix it.He also said high-level devices, like speakers and phones, could be affected.Tesla stock fell more than 1 percent after the bell, after the electric automaker announced its fiscal 2017 fourth quarter production and deliveries.The financial report revealed Tesla well missed Wall Street projections on several fronts, amid production issues.On the report, Tesla updated production guidance for the highly anticipated Model 3 sedan, postponing promises to ramp up production for the second time.

Rite Aid stock plunged more than 6 percent in extended trading.The drugstore chain beat third quarter estimates for earnings and revenue, after adjusting to account for discontinued operations.Rite Aid reported a drop in year-over-year same store sales.Rite Aid has been struggling with eroding profits in its pharmacy business, amid slowing branded drug price increases and growing pressure for generic drug reimbursement, Thomson Reuters reported.Shares of Zumiez soared more than 12 percent in the extended session.The specialty clothing retailer reported a 7.9 percent increase in year-over-year same store sales for the month of December.Sales beat analyst estimates of a 4.4 percent increase, and the year-ago quarter's 3.4 percent growth in comparable store sales.On the report, Zumiez raised its fourth quarter earnings and comp sales guidance.Chloe Aiello News Associate for CNBC.com Related Securities


JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli police killed a Palestinian gunman and captured another in a clash in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, saying they were part of a cell responsible for an ambush in which a Jewish settler was shot dead.Two police commandos were wounded in the raid in the city of Jenin, a spokesman said.Such flare-ups have been rare in the West Bank, where Palestinian security forces last year resumed cooperation with Israel despite the stalling of negotiations on statehood.An official of the Palestinian health ministry said it had been informed by the Israelis the dead man was Ahmed Jarrar, a Hamas gunman and the son of a senior commander of the Islamist group, Naser Jarrar, who was killed by Israeli forces in 2002.But the official said the Palestinian side had not seen the body, and his family could not confirm the death.Three other Palestinians were wounded, the official said.Witnesses said the Israeli forces had bulldozed at least one building as they closed in on their targets, and that it was possible another gunman was buried under the rubble.Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the commandos had gone after the suspected killers of Rabbi Raziel Shevah, a resident of a settlement outpost near the Palestinian town of Nablus who was shot in his car in a drive-by attack on Jan.9.“We will reach anybody who will try to harm Israel’s citizens and we will bring them to justice,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the operation, said during a visit to India.

Members of Israeli armed forces aim their weapons during a raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, January 18, 2018.REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman Tensions in the region have risen since U.S.President Donald Trump’s announcement on Dec.6 recognizing disputed Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and at least 18 Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed since.“The cell in Jenin is not the first and will not be the last,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.Slideshow (3 Images) “The criminal role of (Palestinian) security coordination (with Israel) will not succeed in preventing the resistance from confronting Trump’s decision and protecting Jerusalem.” Hamas opposes coexistence with Israel.Trump’s reversal of decades of U.S.policy has enraged Palestinians, who want to create an independent state including Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.Israel captured those areas in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally.It says the entire city is its eternal, indivisible capital.U.S.-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2014.A bid by Trump’s administration to restart them has shown no real signs of progress.Vice President Mike Pence is due to visit the region from Jan 20 to 23.Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Andrew Roche


BEND, Ore., Jan.29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EVIO, Inc.(OTCQB:EVIO), a life sciences company and leading provider of quality control testing and advisory services for the regulated cannabis industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Russak as Vice President of Operations.Russak joins EVIO from a 17-year career at Quest Diagnostics where, as regional director, he had operational responsibility for 529 patient service centers and 228 inter-office phlebotomy sites throughout the western United States.Prior to joining Quest, Russak worked for Pennsylvania Hospital (of the University of Pennsylvania Health System) for 13 years where he served as administrative director of Laboratory Services.“After an exhaustive search, we knew immediately that Ron was the right fit for EVIO,” said Lori Glauser, EVIO’s co-founder and COO.“His experience with Quest, a Fortune 500 provider of diagnostic services with a global network of labs and service centers, aligns seamlessly with our desire to rapidly scale up our laboratory operations.” In this new role, Russak will provide operational direction and leadership for EVIO’s portfolio of labs and will drive EVIO’s profitability and growth by scaling existing and new laboratory operations.“EVIO is establishing an excellent analytical foundation that will set the standard for quality, precision and efficiency within this rapidly evolving industry,” Russak stated.“Clients and customers will increasingly turn to EVIO for their testing needs and will benefit by utilizing services from a fully accredited laboratory.” Russak’s appointment comes as EVIO is in the planning and deployment phases of several new cannabis testing labs across North America.Russak has a bachelor’s degree in life sciences from the University of Pittsburgh and an Master of Business Administration from La Salle University.About EVIO, Inc.EVIO, Inc.is a life sciences company focused on analyzing cannabis as a means for improving quality of life.

The Company provides analytical testing services, advisory services and performs product research in its accredited laboratory testing facilities.The Company’s EVIO Labs division operating coast-to-coast provides state-mandated ancillary services to ensure the safety and quality of the nation's cannabis supply.For more information, visit www.eviolabs.com , Safe Harbor Statement Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact maybe considered to be forward-looking statements.Statements may contain certain forward-looking statements pertaining to future anticipated or projected plans, performance and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations and results.Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "intends," "goal," "objective," "seek," "attempt," or variations of these or similar words, identify forward-looking statements.These forward-looking statements by their nature are estimates of future results only and involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future financial results, additional financing requirements, development of new products, our ability to complete our product testing and launch our product commercially, the acceptance of our product in the marketplace, the uncertainty of the laws and regulations relating to cannabis, the impact of competitive products or pricing, technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov or www.eviolabs.com .Company Contact: EVIO Inc.Bend, OR www.EVIOlabs.com 888.544.EVIO [REDACTED] Corporate Communications Contact: NetworkNewsWire (NNW) New York, New York www.NetworkNewsWire.com 212.418.1217 Office [REDACTED] Source:EVIO, Inc.


THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Jan.16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Talen Energy Supply, LLC, today announced the appointment of Yvonne L.Fletcher as Managing Director - Finance and Head of Investor Relations.Ms.Fletcher joins Talen Energy from Fidelity Investments, a leading asset management firm, and will report to Mr.Alex Hernandez, the Company's Chief Financial Officer."Yvonne joins Talen at an exciting time for the firm, as we continue driving the execution of our Talen 2.0 operating plan and strategy," said Hernandez."Yvonne's extensive experience in financial asset management, portfolio construction, and investment research will further enhance the depth of our communication and relationship with Talen Energy's investors." Prior to joining Talen, Ms.Fletcher spent over 13 years focused on energy investment analysis in both buy and sell side roles, including her most recent role as an equity research analyst at Fidelity Investments.Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms.

Fletcher held positions at ClearBridge Investments, Tudor Pickering Holt & Co.and Credit Suisse.Ms.Fletcher began her career in the corporate sector as a financial analyst in corporate planning and investor relations.Ms.Fletcher holds a bachelor's degree in finance and economics and a master's in business administration degree from Tulane University.About Talen Energy Talen Energy is one of the largest competitive energy and power generation companies in North America.The Company owns or controls 16,000 megawatts of generating capacity in well-developed, structured wholesale power markets, principally in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions of the United States.For more information, visit Investor Contact Yvonne Fletcher Managing Director, Investor Relations 281-203-5366 [REDACTED] Media Contact Todd L.Martin Manager, Media Relations 570-542-2881 [REDACTED] View original content with multimedia: SOURCE Talen Energy Supply, LLC


January 30, 2018 / 7:55 PM / Updated 3 hours ago 'Glee' actor Mark Salling, 35, dies before child pornography sentencing Alex Dobuzinskis 2 Min Read LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mark Salling, an actor who played a supporting role in the TV show “Glee,” has died at age 35, his attorney said on Tuesday, weeks before his March sentencing on child pornography charges.Salling’s attorney, Michael Proctor, confirmed the death but would not comment on a report on celebrity website TMZ that said law enforcement sources called it an apparent suicide in Los Angeles.Proctor also did not immediately provide the cause of death.“I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning,” Proctor said in a statement.Police and the Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed that a body had been found in Los Angeles but would not immediately identify it.Salling was arrested in 2015 after he showed child pornography on his computer to a girlfriend and she reported it to police, according to the U.S.Department of Justice.FILE PHOTO: Actor Mark Salling from the television show 'Glee' arrives at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

June 6, 2010.REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/File Photo Salling pleaded guilty on Dec.18 to a federal charge of possessing child pornography, admitting he had downloaded 25,000 sexual images of children onto his computer from the Internet.He was allowed to remain free as his case was heard, and was scheduled to appear in court on March 7 for sentencing.FILE PHOTO: U.S.actor Mark Salling arrives at the Entertainment Tonight Emmy Party in Los Angeles, California, U.S.September 19, 2011.REUTERS/Jason Redmond/File Photo Salling faced a sentence of between four to seven years in prison under the plea agreement he reached with prosecutors, the Justice Department said in December.From 2009 to 2015, Salling appeared in “Glee,” an award-winning show on Fox.He played Puck, a bully and a football player who showed a softer side when he joined the glee club at his high school.“Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment,” Proctor said.Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by David Gregorio


LONDON (Reuters) - Britain scrambled two Royal Air Force Typhoon jets on Monday from Scotland to intercept Russian planes near the United Kingdom’s airspace, a defense ministry spokesman said.The Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland.

“This is a live operation and therefore we will not be providing any additional information until the mission is complete,” the spokesman said.Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Guy Faulconbridge


dollars, except share and per share amounts) 20 16 201 7 20 16 201 7 REVENUES: Voyage revenue $ 468,189 $ 412,433 $ 110,134 $ 100,618 EXPENSES: Voyage expenses (1,887) (2,649) (431) (624) Voyage expenses – related parties (3,512) (3,093) (826) (754) Vessels' operating expenses (105,783) (103,799) (26,135) (26,924) General and administrative expenses (5,769) (5,651) (1,458) (1,330) Management fees - related parties (18,629) (18,693) (4,188) (4,338) Non-cash general and administrative expenses and non-cash other items (8,951) (3,866) (4,837) (864) Amortization of dry-docking and special survey costs (7,920) (7,627) (1,983) (1,847) Depreciation (100,943) (96,448) (25,157) (23,771) Amortization of prepaid lease rentals, net (6,779) (8,429) (2,200) (2,054) Loss on sale / disposal of vessels (4,440) (4,856) - - Loss on asset held for sale (37,161) (2,379) (37,161) (2,379) Vessels’ impairment loss - (17,959) - (17,959) Foreign exchange gains / (losses) (360) 31 (26) (1) Operating income $ 166,055 $ 137,015 $ 5,732 $ 17,773 OTHER INCOME / (EXPENSES): Interest income $ 1,630 $ 2,643 $ 490 $ 774 Interest and finance costs (72,808) (69,840) (17,718) (16,540) Swap breakage cost (9,701) - (297) - Equity gain / (loss) on investments (78) 3,381 382 849 Other 595 593 44 48 Gain/ (Loss) on derivative instruments (3,991) (916) 359 (234) Total other income / ( expenses ) $ (84,353) $ (64,139) $ (16,740) $ (15,103) Net Income / (Loss) $ 81,702 $ 72,876 $ (11,008) $ 2,670 Earnings allocated to Preferred Stock (21,063) (21,063) (5,266) (5,266) Net Income / (Loss) available to common stockholders $ 60,639 $ 51,813 $ (16,274) $ (2,596) Earnings / (Losses) per common share, basic and diluted $ 0.79 $ 0.52 $ (0.20) $ (0.02) Weighted average number of shares, basic and diluted 77,243,252 100,527,907 81,498,030 107,661,705 COSTAMARE INC.

Consolidated Balance Sheets As of December 31, As of December 31 , (Expressed in thousands of U.S.


January 10, 2018 / 4:04 AM / Updated 25 minutes ago Troubled Noble Group says goodbye to global oil trading Julia Payne , Ahmad Ghaddar 4 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Noble Group ( NOBG.SI ) is closing down its London oil desk and winding down its Asia oil operations, sources familiar with the matter said, as heavy losses and high debt force what was once Asia’s biggest commodities trader to restructure.FILE PHOTO: The reception of Noble Group is seen at its headquarters in Hong Kong March 23, 2015.REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo The closures follow the sale of its larger U.S.oil trading business to Vitol, announced in October, and a nine-month loss of some $3 billion reported in November.Since then, Noble has been winding down its remaining oil trading operations in London and Singapore, with many key traders leaving to join competitors.“That (U.S.oil business) comprised the material share of Noble’s oil business.The rest ...has either closed or is in the final process of sale,” a source familiar with the matter said.A spokeswoman for Noble Group declined to comment.The company, which had a market capitalisation of $6 billion in early February 2015, was plunged into crisis after a report by blogger Iceberg Research later that month questioning its accounting.Noble stood by its accounts and rejected the report’s allegations but coupled with a major commodities downturn, the firm was unable to recover investor confidence.Its market value has shrunk to around $215 million.The closure of its London and Singapore desks marks an effective exit from the oil trading business.In 2016, the number of employees at NCFL (Noble Clean Fuels Ltd) in London was 25, down from 35 the year before.The Singapore-listed company, founded in 1986 by Richard Elman, is returning to its roots as a hard commodities business in Asia, mainly involved in coal marketing, a business that is partly financed by Mercuria Group..

DEPARTURES Traders said that they have not seen activity from the company in several months and its head of crude, Chris McAleese, left late last year.He was hired about a year ago to rebuild the business during a brief upswing in the company’s finances.Noble’s star gasoline trader in the United States, Dimitri Sinenko, was poached by Gunvor at the end of last year.Two distillate traders recently moved from the London office to Unipec and a crude trader went to Trafigura.From Noble’s Singapore oil desk, a senior crude trader just moved to Statoil and Morten Buur-Jensen became Singapore managing director of Africa-focused oil trader Mocoh in November.A source in Asia said that the firm was winding down some old contracts with only a handful of employees left.In November, the company said that it would keep LNG and some Asia-focused distillates businesses, which complement its hard commodities.In an effort to stay afloat, the firm has been forced to sell key parts of its global business across commodities but the company continued to post major losses and some asset sales have fetched less than expected.An agreement to sell its North American gas and power business to competitor Mercuria Group concluded at $168 million, down from an original price of $250 million.Paul Brough, a restructuring specialist who oversaw part of the liquidation of Lehman Brothers, was appointed chairman last year.Brough said in December that he would take steps to avoid insolvency and was in the process of negotiating a debt restructuring programme.Noble had bank debt of about $1.2 billion and bonds aggregating to about $2.3 billion as of mid-December.Noble has sought alternative financing.Additional reporting by Florence Tan in Singapore; Editing by Adrian Croft


Jan 29 (Reuters) - Vistagen Therapeutics Inc: * VISTAGEN THERAPEUTICS INC - PREPARES TO INITIATE ITS P

HASE 2 STUDY OF AV-101 FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


U.S.House would accept bill funding government to Feb.8: Ryan 12:23pm EST - 00:49 U.S.House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Sunday that the House of Representatives would accept a bill funding the government through Feb.8 and ending the current shutdown of federal agencies if the Senate can pass the measure.Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

U.S.House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Sunday that the House of Representatives would accept a bill funding the government through Feb.8 and ending the current shutdown of federal agencies if the Senate can pass the measure.Rough Cut (no reporter narration).//reut.rs/2DsUmmC


23, 2018 Prior week week Long 69,446 61,473 Short 46,889 43,917 Net 22,557 17,556 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR (Contracts of 100,000 Aussie dollars) -$1.334 billion Jan.23, 2018 Prior week week Long 63,551 50,348 Short 46,872 40,274 Net 16,679 10,074 MEXICAN PESO (Contracts of 500,000 pesos) -$1.636 billion Jan.23, 2018 Prior week week Long 97,964 82,790 Short 36,809 35,995 Net 61,155 46,795 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR (Contracts of 100,000 NZ dollars) $0.108 billion Jan.

23, 2018 Prior week week Long 24,620 17,795 Short 26,086 25,786 Net -1,466 -7,991 (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Additional reporting by Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Leslie Adler)


PARIS & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Veolia Environmental (Paris:VIE) Services North America, LLC, a subsidiary of Veolia North America, Inc.(“Veolia”) and Clean Harbors, Inc.(“Clean Harbors”) (NYSE: CLH) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement whereby Clean Harbors will acquire Veolia North America’s U.S.Industrial Cleaning Services Division for $120 million in an all-cash transaction.The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018, subject to approval by U.S.regulators and other customary closing conditions.Veolia North America’s U.S.Industrial Cleaning Services Division includes Industrial Vacuuming, Hydro-Blasting, Tank Cleaning & Separations and many other cleaning and maintenance services for industrial customers.William “Bill” DiCroce, President and CEO of Veolia North America, said, “Clean Harbors is an ideal acquirer for our U.S.Industrial Cleaning Services Division.In divesting this business, we sought a partner that would provide a seamless transition and great continuity for our customers and our employees in that business.” “All of our businesses across North America – water, energy, waste and regeneration – are poised for growth,” added DiCroce.“The proceeds of this sale will help fuel and accelerate that growth.” The sale does not affect industrial cleaning operations in Canada or any other region of the world.Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management.With over 163 000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries.Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them.

In 2016, the Veolia group supplied 100 million people with drinking water and 61 million people with wastewater service, produced 54 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 30 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy.Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.39 billion in 2016.www.veolia.com Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) is North America’s leading provider of environmental, energy and industrial services.The Company serves a diverse customer base, including a majority of the Fortune 500, across the chemical, energy, manufacturing and additional markets, as well as numerous government agencies.These customers rely on Clean Harbors to deliver a broad range of services such as end-to-end hazardous waste management, emergency spill response, industrial cleaning and maintenance, and recycling services.Through its Safety-Kleen subsidiary, Clean Harbors also is North America’s largest re-refiner and recycler of used oil and a leading provider of parts washers and environmental services to commercial, industrial and automotive customers.Founded in 1980 and based in Massachusetts, Clean Harbors operates throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.For more information, visit www.cleanharbors.com View source version on businesswire.com : Veolia Environmental Group Media Relations Laurent Obadia - Sandrine Guendoul Stéphane Galfré Tel.+ 33 1 85 57 42 16 [REDACTED] or Veolia North America Media Relations Alethea Harvey, Tel.[REDACTED] [REDACTED] or Analysts & Investor Relations Ronald Wasylec - Ariane de Lamaze Tel.+ 33 1 85 57 84 76 / 84 80 or Terri Anne Powers (USA) Tel.[REDACTED] Source: VEOLIA ENVIRONMENTAL


4Q17 Operating-Basis Results Include EPS of $1.83, ROE of 14.1%, and Revenue of $3.0 Billion Expects Beacon Target Savings of $550 Million to Be Realized by Mid-2019, 18 Months Ahead of Schedule Assets under Custody and Administration of $33.1 Trillion and Assets under Management of $2.8 Trillion, Reached Record Levels at Year-End Achieved Previously Announced 2017 Financial Objectives (2) BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In announcing today’s financial results, Joseph L.Hooley, State Street’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our full-year 2017 results reflect strength across our asset servicing and asset management businesses, with record levels of assets under custody and administration and assets under management, and importantly, achievement of our 2017 financial objectives.We also made significant progress with our Beacon program, achieving benefits for our clients while also realizing $150 million in savings.I am pleased that we have already exceeded our Beacon target to achieve an operating-basis pre-tax margin of 31% by 2018, and generated 210 basis points of positive fee operating leverage in 2017." This press release features multimedia.View the full release here: (1) The effects of the TCJA described in this News Release are estimates.Actual effects of the TCJA may differ from these estimates, among other things, due to additional tax and regulatory guidance and changes in State Street assumptions and interpretations.(2) Operating-basis 2017 financial objectives (relative to 2016) consist of: revenue growth of 4-6%; positive fee operating leverage of 100-200 basis points; a 4-6% increase of NII; and a reduction in average interest earning assets of 0-5%.

Hooley added, "Our strong fourth-quarter results included a 7% increase in servicing fees from the year-ago quarter.Excluding the impact related to the recent tax law changes, we achieved double-digit EPS growth as well as an increase in return on equity.We continue to benefit from our strong market position and our ability to deliver servicing solutions evidenced by the approximately $445 billion of new servicing commitments in the fourth quarter.Our business is well-positioned for growth in 2018 including the further advancement and benefits from Beacon.We now expect to realize Beacon's financial objectives by the middle of 2019." Hooley concluded, "We’ve maintained a strong capital position, enabling significant return of capital to shareholders.In 4Q17, we purchased approximately $350 million of our common stock and declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.42 per share." 4Q17 Highlights Selected Results: GAAP-basis (a) (Dollars in millions, except per share data, or where otherwise noted) 4Q16 GAAP-basis Financial Results 4Q17 GAAP-basis Financial Results % change ex notable items As reported 4Q16 notable items 4Q16 ex notable items As reported Tax law change impact 4Q17 notable items Diluted earnings per share $ 1.43 $ 0.13 $ 1.30 $ 0.89 $ (0.72 ) $ 1.61 24 % Return on average common equity 12.1 % 1.1 % pts 11.0 % 6.9 % (5.5 )% pts 12.4 % 1.4 % pts Total revenue $ 2,530 $ — $ 2,530 $ 2,846 $ (20 ) $ 2,866 13 % Fee revenue 2,014 — 2,014 2,230 (18 ) 2,248 12 % Total expenses 2,183 249 1,934 2,131 — 2,131 10 % Pre-tax operating margin 13.6 % (9.9 )% pts 23.5 % 25.2 % (0.5 )% pts 25.7 % 2.2 % pts Fee Operating Leverage 1.


* Canadian dollar at C$1.2523, or 79.85 U.S.cents * Bond prices lower across the yield curve TORONTO, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar edged higher against its U.S.counterpart on Thursday as the greenback fell broadly and oil prices rose, while investors awaited U.S.and Canadian jobs data on Friday.A report showing that the U.S.economy created more private-sector jobs than expected last month lent some support to the U.S.dollar .But the greenback was still lower against a basket of major currencies.The price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, rose to its highest since May 2015, supported by unrest in Iran that has fueled concerns about supply risks, cold weather in the United States which is boosting demand and OPEC-led output cuts.U.S.crude prices were up 0.28 percent at $61.80 a barrel.At 9:12 a.m.EST (1412 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at C$1.2523 to the greenback, or 79.85 U.S.cents, up 0.1 percent.The currency traded in a range of C$1.2513 to C$1.2555.On Wednesday, it touched its strongest in 2-1/2 months at C$1.2499.Canada's employment report for December and November trade data are due on Friday, which could help guide expectations for Bank of Canada interest rate hikes in 2018.

The central bank raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in seven years in July and then again in September, putting it at 1 percent.Money markets expect three further rate hikes this year.In domestic data, producer prices rose by 1.4 percent in November from October, on higher prices for energy and petroleum products, Statistics Canada said.Home sales in Toronto, Canada's largest city, fell 18.3 percent in 2017 from the previous year's record as provincial government measures to cool the housing market weighed on demand.Canadian auto sales fell for a second straight month in December, but yearly sales rose by 4.6 percent.Canadian government bond prices were lower across the yield curve in sympathy with U.S.Treasuries.The two-year fell 2.5 Canadian cents to yield 1.697 percent and the 10-year declined 15 Canadian cents to yield 2.07 percent.On Tuesday, the 10-year yield touched its highest level in more than two months at 2.093 percent.(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)


Augusta, Maine Obesity is a problem in America, and it’s a problem in Maine.In 1990, my state’s obesity rate was 11%.Now it’s 30%, putting us 26th in the nation.I’d like to be in the middle of the pack when it comes to the tax burden, but not to obesity.

That’s why Maine has twice asked for a federal waiver to exclude purchases of candy...


(Adds prices, detailed purchase breakdown from paragraph 1) HAMBURG, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Taiwan Flour Millers’ Association last week bought 73,635 tonnes of milling wheat to be sourced from the United States, European traders said on Wednesday.The wheat was bought in two consignments for shipment from the U.S.Pacific North West coast.The first consignment for shipment between Feb.19 and March 5 involved 18,575 tonnes of U.S.dark northern spring wheat of 14.5 percent protein content bought at $284.64 a tonne FOB U.S.Pacific North West coast; 12,375 tonnes of hard red winter wheat of 12.5 percent protein content bought at $238.95 a tonne FOB; and 6,005 tonnes of soft white wheat with 9 percent protein bought at $196.84 a tonne FOB, the traders said.The first consignment has an additional freight charge of $37.60 a tonne for ocean shipping from the United States to Taiwan, they said.

The second consignment for shipment between March 8 and March 22 involved 19,200 tonnes of dark northern spring wheat of 14.5 percent protein content bought at $284.64 a tonne FOB; 11,900 tonnes of hard red winter wheat of 12.5 percent protein content bought at $240.83 a tonne FOB; and 5,580 tonnes of western white wheat with 9 percent protein bought at $199.43 a tonne FOB.The second consignment has an additional charge of $37.92 a tonne for ocean shipping from the United States to Taiwan, they said.The wheat was all sold by trading house ADM, they said.(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Mark Potter) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


BUDAPEST, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) plans to make its new interest rate swap (IRS) facility for commercial banks fixed- rate instead of variable-rate, three banking sources told Reuters on Wednesday.Access to the IRS will be proportional to the size of the assets of bidders according to a new rule, two of the sources said.The NBH informed commercial banks about the changes at a meeting earlier on Wednesday, the sources said.

The first of the NBH’s bi-weekly 5-year and 10-year IRS auctions, held last Thursday, led to a sharp rebound in IRS and government bond yields in the market because the offered amounts and yield spreads disappointed some investors.The central bank was not immediately reachable for comment.(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Sandor Peto; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)


40 AM / in an hour LIVE MARKETS-Telecoms back on investors' radar Reuters Staff 10 Min Read * European shares steady * Draghi in focus as euro hits 3-year high * FTSE inches up Jan 25 (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: [REDACTED] TELECOMS BACK ON INVESTORS' RADAR (1135 GMT) In an otherwise muted market where FX and the ECB are stealing the spotlight, telecoms are standing out in Europe today with a gain of 0.8 percent. The unloved sector has recently come back into focus on fresh talk of potential M&A and with some investors upbeat that telecoms group could capitalise on big infrastructure investments by selling more data. Possible interest in telcos however has still to materialise into market gains and their sectoral index is flat over the past year. That may suggest investors are seeking more tangible sings of dealmaking and earnings growth. Just today in a Bloomberg TV interview from Davos Orange CEO Stephane Richard poured cold water on talk about deals in Europe's telecom industry after reports his group discussed a potential merger with Deutsche Telekom in 2017. We spoke to an Geneva hedge fund trader on telcos. Here some snippets of the exchange: Q: Do you buy into the idea of French telcos M&A at some point?A: "Nope not in France" Q: So Richard's comments contain no real news?A: "Indeed. Macron wants to lower unemployment and mobile cost to clients... No way he will allow a merger" Q: Any particular reason as to why telco stocks are moving up a touch today?A: "Anytime anyone talks about M&A traders get excited..." (Danilo Masoni and Sudip Kar-Gupta) FOMO IS A POWERFUL DRIVER (1105 GMT) This is now a well-established idea across markets participants as the melt up theme grows: investors are aware that the pace at which markets are rising is unsustainable but Fomo (fears of missing out-or simply put greed) is preventing any pullback. "Could there be a melt up, like 1999/2000?Well anything is possible and FOMO can be a powerful driver," BAML's James Barty said, noting that the S&P 500 has enjoyed its longest period without a 5 percent pullback. His Q&A tells the story: "Can we carry on at 6%+ per month?

No. Are markets overbought?Yes. Are our models telling us it is getting a bit frothy?Yes. Are we finally meeting clients who are more bullish than us?Yes." His conclusion is that one should consider taking off some risk and that adding some hedges rather than selling positions could be a good way to do so. (Julien Ponthus) EUROPEAN ECONOMY SHOWS FURTHER STRENGTH BUT EURO A CONCERN (0958 GMT) We've just had the Ifo survey showing that German business morale improved in January, despite the lack of a new government. So far the macro is pointing to strength in the Euro zone economy, but investors are still concerned about a rising euro which will likely be a focus of the ECB meeting later on. "The ECB does not want a strong Euro as it hurts exports, but more importantly, makes it difficult for them to achieve the near term inflation targets," Jordan Hiscott, chief trader at Ayondo Markets, said. "In addition, events out of their control, including a notably a weaker US dollar across the board, means the ECB board face an uphill task.” (Kit Rees) OPENING SNAPSHOT: EARNINGS DOMINATE QUIET START (0812 GMT) Ahead of the ECB meeting, European shares have opened slightly lower, while earnings are the main driver behind early moves. Software AG is down sharply after its results. Swiss chemicals maker Clariant is taking a hit after activist White Tale sold its stake of almost 25 percent. White Tale managed to scupper Clariant's planned merger but failed more recently to secure an independent strategic review and board seats. Elekta, Elior Group, and STMicro are all gaining ground following updates. Shares in Diageo have advanced a meagre 0.8 percent after its sales growth was curbed by forex - is this a taste of things to come on the currency side for big international firms?Incidentally, Next is up after RBC turned bullish on the stock, citing a strong pound and improved sales outlook.


Jan 10 (Reuters) - AMERI Holdings Inc: * AMERI HOLDINGS TO EXPAND OFFERING WITH BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTIONS TO BRING TRUST, TRANSPARENCY AND EFFICIENCY TO CUSTOMER SUPPLY CHAINS * AMERI HOLDINGS INC - ANNOUNCED THAT IT INTENDS TO EXPAND ITS SERVICE OFFERING WITH BLOCKCHAIN FUNCTIONALITY * AMERI HOLDINGS INC - WILL DEVELOP ITS EXPANDED OFF

ERING THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT OF AN IN-HOUSE BLOCKCHAIN PRACTICE * AMERI HOLDINGS INC - WILL DEVELOP EXPANDED OFFERING THROUGH FORMATION OF NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES * AMERI HOLDINGS INC - WILL DEVELOP EXPANDED OFFERING THROUGH ACQUISITION OF STARTUP COMPANIES THAT OFFER BLOCKCHAIN FUNCTIONALITY


27 minutes ago Bannon steps down from Breitbart News after comments critical of Trump Reuters Staff 1 Min Read WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Steve Bannon has stepped down as executive chairman of Breitbart News, the right-wing news organisation said on its website on Tuesday, after the former White House chief strategist was quoted in a book criticizing President Donald Trump.FILE PHOTO: Political strategist Stephen Bannon speaks at a Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore campaign rally in Midland City, Alabama, U.S., December 11, 2017.

Picture taken December 11, 2017.REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo “Steve is a valued part of our legacy, and we will always be grateful for his contributions, and what he has helped us to accomplish,” Breitbart Chief Executive Larry Solov said in a statement on the website.Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann


Jan 25 (Reuters) - GVC Holdings has made a provision of about 200 million euros ($249.64 million) in its 2017 accounts after its Greek subsidiary received a tax bill from the local tax authority, the sports betting firm said on Thursday.The company said tax bill was 186.77 million euros and this was substantially higher than the revenues generated by the Greek business during the period of assessment, 2010 and 2011.

GVC said it planned to appeal.During the period of assessment, the business was owned by Sportingbet Plc, prior to its acquisition by GVC, the gaming company said in a statement.Earlier in the month, the GVC said its gaming revenue for the fourth quarter rose 21 percent to 279.5 million euros ($334 million).($1 = 0.8012 euros) (Reporting by Hanna Paul in Bengaluru; Editing by Jane Merriman)


* Softbank fund invests 460 mln euros in used-car platform * Investment values business at 2.9 billion euros * Auto1 operates in 30 countries, with 35,000 dealers (Updates with interview with co-founder, background) BERLIN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - German used-car dealing platform Auto1 said a 460 million euro ($561 million) financial infusion from Japan's Softbank meant it was under no pressure to launch an initial public offering to fund its pan-European growth plans.Softbank, through its Vision Fund, will make around half of its investment via new shares, valuing Auto1 at 2.9 billion euros and supporting the auto trader's international expansion.That money is of the order that Berlin-based Auto1 might have raised with a stock market flotation, co-founder Hakan Koc told Reuters on Monday."That's why we aren't considering going to the market for now," he said.The Financial Times earlier reported the investment by the Softbank Vision Fund, which was set up by Japan's Masayoshi Son and has raised more than $90 billion, chiefly from the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.Berlin-based Auto1, founded in 2012, buys cars using its vehicle pricing database to calculate an offer within minutes.It then sells the vehicles on to one of its roughly 35,000 dealerships for a commission.Auto1 is virtually unknown to consumers except through its used car buying arm Wir Kaufen dein Auto (We Buy Your Car) in Germany and similar names elsewhere.

It operates from Finland to Romania to Portugal, 30 countries in all, but not Britain.The company was set up in Berlin by entrepreneur Christian Bertermann after having trouble selling two old cars owned by his grandmother, along with Koc, who previously worked at Rocket Internet-backed firms Zalando and Home24.Competitors include vehicle distributors Emil Frey AG of Switzerland and AVAG Holding SE of Germany, plus, further afield, U.S.based, used-car retailing behemoths Carmax and Mannheim, a unit of Cox Enterprises.Vroom, which applies a strategy similar to Auto1 to the U.S.used-car market, has taken in $329 million in funding from T.Rowe Price, General Catalyst and Allen & Co.since its founding in 2013, according to venture funding database Crunchbase.Auto1 said it now sells more than 40,000 cars per month.The company achieved revenues of 1.5 billion euros in 2016.Following its investment, Softbank will own 20 percent of Auto1 while its founders will retain just over 30 percent, ensuring that together they have majority control.With the new funding, Auto1 has raised more than $1 billion in outside financing, according to Crunchbase.Akshay Naheta, a partner at Softbank Investment Advisers, will become a member of the supervisory board.($1 = 0.8201 euros) (Additional reporting by Eric Auchard; Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Mark Potter)


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan.9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading facility management provider, Vixxo has named a new chief financial officer and a chief marketing and strategy officer to join its already seasoned executive team.Travis Chester will take on the role as chief financial officer and will serve as Vixxo's financial steward and provide strategic counsel that will help guide the organization as it accelerates its growth strategy.As part of his responsibilities, he will oversee Vixxo's finance teams as well as develop and implement the company's ambitious long-term financial plan heading into 2018.Prior to joining Vixxo, Travis served as vice president and chief financial officer of Honeywell International's Aerospace group, where he implemented the company's financial strategy.Previous senior leadership roles include Invitrogen Corporation and General Electric Corporation.In addition, Vixxo also confirms the appointment of Julie Jones, in the newly created role of chief marketing and strategy officer.She joins the company with technology expertise spanning over 20 years and will be responsible for increasing Vixxo's brand identity and developing a robust brand and marketing strategy within the marketplace.Julie hails from Tech Data (formerly Avnet Technology Solutions) where she most recently served as vice president of supplier marketing for the Enterprise Solutions division.

Prior to Tech Data, Julie drove the marketing and solutions strategy for global technology solutions provider Insight Enterprises.Both roles will report directly to Jim Reavey, Vixxo's CEO.Commenting on the appointments, Jim Reavey said, "Both Travis and Julie's wealth of industry knowledge and experience have already made them key additions to the Vixxo family.Both appointments are a clear sign of our commitment to be the leaders in our field as we continue to grow and lead our industry.I'm confident that Travis and Julie will play key roles in providing and implementing high quality solutions for our clients." To learn more about Vixxo, please visit us at www.vixxo.com , or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn .About Vixxo Vixxo is a leading technology-enabled facility and asset management provider for many Fortune 500 clients in the restaurant, retail, convenience, and supermarket industries.Their solutions are designed to revolutionize and optimize clients' multi-site portfolios by improving service delivery, reducing costs and providing strategic insights – all aimed at lowering total cost of ownership.Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Vixxo maintains a national network of 150,000 service provider technicians and serves more than 65,000+ client locations.View original content with multimedia: SOURCE Vixxo


FRANKFURT/MUNICH (Reuters) - Insurers will have to pay claims of around $135 billion for 2017, the most ever, following a spate of hurricanes, earthquakes and fires in North America, according to a report published on Thursday.German reinsurer Munich Re ( MUVGn.DE ), in its annual natural catastrophe review, also said last year’s total losses, including those not insured, were $330 billion, the second-worst in history after 2011 when an earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc in Japan.Although individual events could not be linked directly to climate change, global warming is playing a role, Munich Re said.It expected more frequent extreme events in future.“We have a new normal,” said Ernst Rauch, head of Munich Re’s Corporate Climate Center, which monitors climate change risks.“2017 was not an outlier,” he said, noting insured losses have surpassed $100 billion multiple times since 2005.“We must have on our radar the trend of new magnitudes.” Last year’s hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in the United States and Caribbean, wildfires in California and earthquakes in Mexico destroyed homes, infrastructure and numerous lives.The disasters also rocked global insurers.Munich Re and Hannover Re ( HNRGn.DE ) both issued profit warnings.That dealt a blow to a sector already struggling with thin margins, stiff competition and falling prices.

Munich Re’s tally for the industry comes on the back of other estimates that underscored the severity of 2017.In December, Swiss Re ( SRENH.S ) estimated global insured losses from catastrophes would hit $136 billion in 2017, the third-highest on record for the sector, with the United States hardest hit.That figure is not directly comparable to Munich Re’s estimates as it includes man-made disasters.Reinsurers, which are in the business of insuring insurance, are experts in managing risk and rarely get caught off guard.Analysts have said reinsurers may need to take a fresh look at their risk models as the planet warms and storms become more intense.A big question for the industry has been whether the run of catastrophes would allow them to achieve higher prices for their coverage, which have been in decline for years.Early indications suggest modest increases.Global property reinsurance prices rose less than expected in the key Jan.1 renewal season, with strong competition limiting increases to single digit percentages, brokers said this week.A turnaround in prices would be the first major reversal since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Editing by Maria Sheahan and Mark Potter


January 23, 2018 / 5:15 PM / Updated 31 minutes ago U.S.appeals court decertifies class action in Hyundai fuel economy settlement Tina Bellon , Jonathan Stempel 3 Min Read NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S.appeals court on Tuesday overturned a lower court’s decision to grant class certification to car owners who settled with Hyundai Motors ( 005380.KS ) and its Kia affiliate over the fuel efficiency of its vehicles.In their 2-1 order, the judges of the U.S.Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said the lower judge had erred in concluding that common questions existed to justify a class action status.The companies in 2013 agreed to pay $395 million to resolve claims from vehicle owners who had sued the company over misrepresenting its vehicles’ average mileage claims.The lawsuits were filed after an investigation by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, which found that the companies used improper test procedures to develop their fuel efficiency data.A 2012 restatement by Hyundai and Kia reduced the automakers’ fleetwide average fuel economy from 27 miles to 26 miles per gallon for the 2012 model year.

Vehicles included the Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Veloster and Santa Fe and the Kia Rio and Soul.Hyundai did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.Lawyers representing the car owners did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A U.S.District Court judge in 2015 gave the final approval of the class settlement, but the companies appealed, saying the agreement was not fair and adequate and that the attorney fees were unreasonable in proportion to the payout the class members would receive.The majority of the appeals court judges on Tuesday agreed with those arguments, finding that the lower court had failed to define a relevant class by also including owners of used cars who were not exposed to misleading advertising.But the circuit judges added that the lower court, on reconsideration, could decide to certify a class again, but must first determine what value is created by a settlement.Lawyers representing the car owners had been awarded roughly $9 million in attorneys fees and costs.Editing by Bernadette Baum


U.S.HEATING OIL FUTURES PARE GAINS IN POST-SETTLEMENT TRADE AFTER API DATA SHOW SMALLER-THAN-EXPECTED DRAW IN INVENTORIES


5 ) Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 4,843,847 $ 4,808,150 $ 35,697 0.7 Consolidated capital ratios Equity to assets 20.42 % 21.09 % -0.67 % Tangible equity to tangible assets 18.59 % 19.27 % -0.68 % Share data Outstanding shares 79,527 81,548 (2,021 ) (2.5 ) Equity per share $ 12.44 $ 12.44 $ - - Tangible equity per share (1) $ 11.07 $ 11.10 $ (0.03 ) (0.3 ) (1) Tangible equity equals total stockholders' equity reduced by goodwill and core deposit intangible assets.Summary Income Statement (Dollars and Shares in Thousands, Except Per Share Data, Unaudited) For the three months ended Variance or Change Variance or Change Pct.December 31, September 30, 2017 2017 Interest income Loans $ 30,610 $ 30,473 $ 137 0.4 Mortgage-backed securities 2,848 2,896 (48 ) (1.7 ) Debt securities: Taxable 3,229 2,960 269 9.1 Tax-exempt 641 621 20 3.2 Other interest-earning assets 704 642 62 9.7 Total Interest Income 38,032 37,592 440 1.2 Interest expense Deposits 6,649 6,219 430 6.9 Borrowings 4,548 4,563 (15 ) (0.3 ) Total interest expense 11,197 10,782 415 3.8 Net interest income 26,835 26,810 25 0.1 Provision for loan losses 936 630 306 48.6 Net interest income after provision for loan losses 25,899 26,180 (281 ) (1.1 ) Non-interest income Fees and service charges 1,409 1,261 148 11.7 Gain on sale of loans 200 331 (131 ) (39.6 ) Gain (loss) on sale of real estate owned 23 (109 ) 132 (121.1 ) Income from bank owned life insurance 1,264 1,267 (3 ) (0.2 ) Electronic banking fees and charges 302 278 24 8.6 Miscellaneous 65 66 (1 ) (1.5 ) Total non-interest income 3,263 3,094 169 5.5 Non-interest expense Salaries and employee benefits 12,926 12,867 59 0.5 Net occupancy expense of premises 2,122 1,981 141 7.1 Equipment and systems 2,193 2,190 3 0.1 Advertising and marketing 748 710 38 5.4 Federal deposit insurance premium 343 360 (17 ) (4.7 ) Directors' compensation 688 689 (1 ) (0.1 ) Merger-related expenses 1,193 - 1,193 - Miscellaneous 2,551 2,489 62 2.5 Total non-interest expense 22,764 21,286 1,478 6.9 Income before income taxes 6,398 7,988 (1,590 ) (19.9 ) Income taxes 5,129 2,756 2,373 86.1 Net income $ 1,269 $ 5,232 $ (3,963 ) (75.7 ) Net income per common share (EPS) Basic $ 0.02 $ 0.07 $ (0.


(Reuters) - Beijing-based Naura Microelectronics Equipment Co Ltd has completed a deal to buy U.S.semiconductor manufacturing equipment company Akrion Systems LLC, in a rare instance of the U.S.government approving such an acquisition, attorneys for Naura said on Wednesday.The deal, worth just $15 million, is small by dealmaking standards, yet it comes as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews deals for potential national security risks, has made it more difficult for Chinese companies to buy U.S.assets.CFIUS’ stance has toughened as U.S.President Donald Trump seeks to put pressure on China to help tackle North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and be more accommodative on trade and foreign exchange issues.Unfilled political vacancies at several government departments and agencies have also made it more difficult for CFIUS to approve deals.“As far as we are aware, this is the first Chinese acquisition of a U.S.company to be approved by CFIUS under the Trump administration,” said Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP partner Fang Xue, one of the deal lawyers representing Naura.CFIUS has been traditionally wary of semiconductor deals with Chinese entities, because it is concerned about the transfer of potentially sensitive technology.Canyon Bridge Capital Partners LLC, a U.S.-based private equity firm funded by the Chinese government, saw its $1.3 billion acquisition of U.S.chip maker Lattice Semiconductor Corp collapse last year after it was blocked by CFIUS, a rejection subsequently upheld by the White House.

But Akrion, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a supplier of equipment to manufacturers of semiconductors and technology companies.It provides machinery that prepares the chips for use.CFIUS’ approval of the Akrion deal bodes well for Xcerra Corp, a U.S.semiconductor testing company whose deal to be acquired for $580 million by Unic Capital Management, a subsidiary of China’s Sino IC Capital and the Hubei Xinyan Equity Investment Partnership, is also under CFIUS review.Like Akrion, Xcerra does not manufacture any chips itself.The most high-profile Chinese acquisition of a U.S.company to be shot down by CFIUS since Trump’s inauguration a year ago was Ant Financial’s acquisition of U.S.money transfer company MoneyGram International Inc, which was terminated earlier this month.Xue said the Akrion deal was approved by CFIUS during the standard 75-day review period, even as other deals have had to refile their applications to secure extensions.Akrion faces financial difficulties because it lacked scale, and the deal with Naura will boost its ability to compete, Xue added.Naura, a semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, is a subsidiary of Naura Technology Group Co, a Chinese state-backed company.Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in Washington; Additional reporting by Liana B.Baker in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s Sharp Corp, an Apple Inc supplier, reported on Wednesday its fifth consecutive quarterly net profit, boosted by gains in sales of its televisions.Sharp, which is controlled by Taiwan’s Foxconn, posted a net profit of 20.6 billion yen ($189.5 million) in October-December, nearly five times what it logged in the same period a year earlier and slightly beating the 19.14 billion yen average of estimates by five analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.The company maintained its full-year net profit forecast at 69 billion yen.“Sales of TVs grew in China,” said Executive Vice President Katsuaki Nomura, adding that the company is continuing to make use of Foxconn’s sales network there.While Sharp is faring well under Foxconn, the future is less certain.

Domestic display makers such as Sharp and Japan Display Inc are struggling to respond to smartphone makers’ shift to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens, letting South Korean rivals Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and LG Display Co Ltd take the lead.OLED screens are generally thinner, more flexible, and richer in color than liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels, leading Apple to adopt them for its iPhone X.Sharp will begin mass producing OLED panels, mainly for its own smartphone line-up, between April and June this year.Its chief executive, Tai Jeng-wu, has said he would like to join forces with Japan Display in OLED technology to better compete with South Korean rivals.Reporting by Minami Funakoshi; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman


CHENNAI, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Yamini Karunagaran was on the bus to work in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru when a man sat in a women-only seat where he leered at her, and then followed her when she disembarked. Almost as disturbing as the incident itself were reactions from many of those she related it to. “It angered me that so many people later asked me what I was wearing,” Karunagaran told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. That attitude is almost as common as harassment and assault, which affect almost four out of every five women in India, according to a 2016 survey by non-profit ActionAid UK. Rather than hold perpetrators accountable, many people shift blame to the victim, accusing her of inviting attention by wearing revealing clothes or laughing too loudly. In protest, Karunagaran decided to donate the clothes she was wearing at the time to Blank Noise. The advocacy group started the “I never ask for it” campaign, which has become part of a nationwide conversation about harassment. Blank Noise travels to different cities collecting clothes women were harassed in and putting them on display in spaces where they hold healing circles and other events. “Some have brought their aging aunt’s clothes, while others have drawn the dress they were wearing when they were abused as a child,” said founder Jasmeen Patheja. “Women told us how they had tucked away their garment in the corner of their cupboards,” she said. “It was a memory that didn’t quite go away.” Karunagaran was “traditionally clad” when she was harassed. Her orange leggings and kurta, a loose knee-length shirt, now hang on racks alongside outfits of all styles. They include the pants, pink tank top and pink shirt that twenty-six-year-old fashion designer Eeshita Kapadiya was wearing when she was harassed. “Garments help people see it as it was and realize that it doesn’t matter what you are wearing when you are harassed or abused,” said Kapadiya, who declined to give details of the harassment she suffered. The ActionAid survey found that almost 80 percent of Indian women in India are subject to harassment and assault that ranges from staring, insults and wolf-whistling, to being followed, groped or even raped. It occurs on the street, in parks, at community events, on college campuses and on public transport, campaigners say. Sameera Khan, co-author of Why Loiter?

, a book about the risks for women on Mumbai’s streets, said that Blank Noise, as well as women like Kapadiya and Karunagaran, are making a powerful and long overdue statement. “Campaigns like this firmly put the blame back on the perpetrators,” she said. Reporting by Anuradha Nagaraj, Editing by Jared Ferrie; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit www.trust.org


You are here: Home / Bitcoin / Judges to Rule Whether Government Can Regulate Bitcoin Judges to Rule Whether Government Can Regulate Bitcoin January 30, 201

8 Judges to Rule Whether Government Can Regulate Bitcoin | Fortune A Court Is Going to Decide Whether the Government Can Regulate Bitcoin Like Stocks Search


26 PM / in 8 minutes CANADA STOCKS-TSX futures lifted by higher oil prices Reuters Staff 3 Min Read Jan 26 (Reuters) - Canada’s main stock index futures rose on Friday, with a weaker U.S.dollar supporting a rise in crude prices.March futures on the S&P TSX index were up 0.18 percent at 7:15 a.m.ET.CPI inflation data for December is due at 8:30 a.m.ET Canada’s main stock index suffered its biggest drop since mid-December on Thursday as pipeline operators led declines for energy companies, while gold miners were pressured by a pullback in the price of the precious metal.Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures were up 0.22 percent at 7:15 a.m.ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures were up 0.31 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures were up 0.42 percent.(Morning News Call newsletter here ; The Day Ahead newsletter here ) ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS First Majestic Silver: National Bank of Canada cuts rating to sector perform from outperform Rogers Communications: National Bank of Canada cuts to sector perform rating from outperform TSO3 Inc: RBC cuts rating to sector perform from outperform COMMODITIES AT 7:15 a.m.ET Gold futures: $1351.6; -0.79 pct U.S.crude: $65.57; +0.09 pct Brent crude: $70.36; -0.09 pct LME 3-month copper: $7120; -0.25 pct U.S.

ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON FRIDAY 0830 Durable goods for Dec: Expected 0.8 pct; Prior 1.3 pct 0830 Durables ex-transport for Dec: Expected 0.5 pct; Prior -0.1 pct 0830 Durables ex-defense mm for Dec: Expected 0.3 pct; Prior 1.0 pct 0830 Nondefense cap ex-air for Dec: Expected 0.5 pct; Prior -0.2 pct 0830 GDP advance for Q4: Expected 3.0 pct; Prior 3.2 pct 0830 GDP sales advance for Q4: Expected 3.2 pct; Prior 2.4 pct 0830 GDP cons spending advance for Q4: Prior 2.4 pct 0830 GDP deflator advance for Q4: Expected 2.3 pct; Prior 2.1 pct 0830 Core PCE prices advance for Q4: Expected 1.6 pct; Prior 1.3 pct 0830 PCE prices advance for Q4: Expected 1.8 pct; Prior 1.5 pct 0830 Advance goods trade balance for Dec: Prior -70.00 bln 0830 Wholesale inventories advance for Dec: Prior 0.8 pct 0830 US retail inventories advance: Prior 0.2 pct 1030 ECRI Weekly Index: Prior 150.3 1030 ECRI weekly annualized: Prior 4.5 pct FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES: TSX market report Canadian dollar and bonds report Reuters global stocks poll for Canada Canadian markets directory ($1= C$1.23) (Reporting by Nandi Kaul in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D‘Silva)


January 3, 2018 / 5:13 AM / Updated 9 minutes ago UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Jan 3 Reuters Staff 2 Min Read Jan 3 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 2 points at 7,649.6 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers. * ICAG: A group representing airline passengers has taken legal action to shift insolvency proceedings for budget airline Niki to Austria from Germany, in a move that could endanger the sale of the Air Berlin unit to Britain's IAG. * RYANAIR: Ryanair recently applied for a British air operating licence in a move it said on Tuesday may be required to keep its small domestic UK service operating in the event of a hard Brexit. * UBS/FCA: A former junior UBS trader, who is challenging a plan by Britain's regulator to ban him from financial services over Libor-related conduct, is alleging in a London court this week that his actions were sanctioned and mandated by managers. * The UK blue chip index ended the session 0.5 percent lower at 7,648.10 points on Tuesday, slightly underperforming European peers, with dollar-earning exporters hit hardest as sterling rose. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?

pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Next Plc Christmas Trading Update TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit topnews.session.rservices.com * For Top News : topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru)


January 12, 2018 / 11:15 AM / Updated 17 minutes ago Puig appointed Repsol Honda team boss Reuters Staff 1 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - Former racer Alberto Puig has been appointed manager of MotoGP champions Repsol Honda following the departure of Livio Suppo last year.The 50-year-old Spaniard was a race winner in 500cc, the category that became MotoGP, with Honda in 1995 at his home grand prix.

Italian Suppo announced his departure in November, a day after Repsol Honda’s Spaniard Marc Marquez secured his fourth top-flight world championship in five years.Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis


Jan 12 (Reuters) - Govind Rubber Ltd: * SAYS SAJJAN KUMAR BAWRI RESIGNED A

S CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:


January 2, 2018 / 10:11 AM / Updated an hour ago SE Asia Stocks-Singapore hits near 3-wk high on growth data Reuters Staff 3 Min Read By Aditya Soni Jan 2 (Reuters) - Singapore shares climbed nearly 1 percent on Tuesday, buoyed by data showing the city-state's economy grew last year at its fastest pace since 2014, while Indonesia reversed course to end lower after touching a record high.The Singapore index closed at its highest since Dec.14, with financials leading the gainers.Index heavyweight DBS Group Holdings Ltd was up 1.4 percent, while Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd rose 0.8 percent."Today's data affirm that the recovery is broadening out," said Irvin Seah, an economist at DBS Bank."The services sector is likely to take over from the manufacturing sector as the main engine of growth in 2018." Although advance estimates showed Singapore's economic growth slowing in the fourth quarter as factories lost steam, a services sector recovery has bolstered expectations the central bank could tighten monetary policy as early as April.The affluent-state's full-year growth came in at the top end of the government's official 3.0-3.5 percent forecast range, its fastest expansion in three years.In Indonesia, shares closed down 0.3 percent, dragged down by financials and stocks of telecommunication services providers.It hit a record high earlier in the session.

Bank Mandiri lost 1.9 percent, while clove cigarettes maker Gudang Garam fell 2.7 percent.Malaysia snapped three consecutive sessions of gains, led by consumer staples and telecommunication services."This is most likely the reaction towards strong share prices in the previous (trading) days," said Jolynn Kek, investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management."It's only the first day of trading for the year, so it's hard to say (if) it's indicative of a longer term trend." Sime Darby Plantation Bhd slumped 8.5 percent, while Malayan Banking Bhd slipped 1.4 percent.Vietnam shares rose for a seventh straight session to end at their highest since November 2007, with financial stocks leading.BIDV climbed to a more than two-year high, while VPBank hit a record high.Stock markets in Thailand and the Philippines were closed for a holiday.For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 3430.3 3402.92 0.80 Jakarta 6339.238 6355.654 -0.26 Kuala Lumpur 1782.7 1796.81 -0.79 Ho Chi Minh 995.77 984.24 1.17 Change on year Market Current End 2017 Pct Move Singapore 3430.3 3402.92 0.80 Jakarta 6339.238 6,355.65 -0.26 Kuala Lumpur 1782.7 1796.81 -0.79 Ho Chi Minh 995.77 984.24 1.17 (Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Liz Lee from Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)


(Reuters) - National Grid Plc said on Monday it filed a proposal to update rates for one of its U.S.electric and gas distribution utilities in a bid to boost its performance in the country.The three-year rate proposal for the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation electric and gas distribution utility would increase revenue, before the impact of deferred credits, by $206 million in 2018-2019, compared to the company’s initial request of $317 million, National Grid said.For 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 incremental year-on-year revenue increases would be $36 million and $60 million, respectively.The company also expects to invest a total of $2.5 billion over the three-year period, down from the initial proposal of $2.7 billion.

The proposal, filed jointly with the New York Public Service Commission, also includes an allowed 9 percent return on equity for the utilities and estimates customer savings of $76 million from the prospective impact of U.S.tax reform.The settlement will contribute to the improving financial performance of U.S.operations, National Grid said.Niagara Mohawk gas and electricity utility serves 2.2 million customers in the upstate New York region and represents about 30 percent of the company’s U.S.rate base.The final decision of the Commission is expected in the spring of 2018 with new rates effective as of April 2018.Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair