Showing posts with label World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World. Show all posts

Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders






Berevan Omer graduated on a Friday in February with an associate’s degree from Nashville State Community College and started work the following Monday as a computer-networking engineer at a local television station, making about $ 50,000 a year.


That’s 15% higher than the average starting salary for graduates — not only from community colleges, but for bachelor’s degree holders from four-year universities.






“I have a buddy who got a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting who’s making $ 10 an hour,” Omer says. “I’m making two and a-half times more than he is.”


Omer, who is 24, is one of many newly minted graduates of community colleges defying history and stereotypes by proving that a bachelor’s degree is not, as widely believed, the only ticket to a middle-class income.


Nearly 30% of Americans with associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.


The average wage for graduates of community colleges in Tennessee, for instance, is $ 38,948 — more than $ 1,300 higher than the average salaries for graduates of the state’s four-year institutions.


In Virginia, recent graduates of occupational and technical degree programs at its community colleges make an average of $ 40,000. That’s almost $ 2,500 more than recent bachelor’s degree recipients.


“There is that perception that the bachelor’s degree is the default, and, quite frankly, before we started this work showing the value of a technical associate’s degree, I would have said that, too,” says Mark Schneider, vice president of the American Institutes for Research, which helped collect the earning numbers for some states.


And while by mid-career, many bachelor’s degree recipients have caught up in earnings to community college grads, “the other factor that has to be taken into account is that getting a four-year degree can be much more expensive than getting a two-year degree,” Schneider says.


A two-year community college degree, at present full rates, costs about $ 6,262, according to the College Board. A bachelor’s degree from a four-year, private residential university goes for $ 158,072.


The increase in wages for community college grads is being driven by a high demand for people with so-called “middle-skills” that often require no more than an associate’s degree, such as lab technicians, teachers in early childhood programs, computer engineers, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals, and machinists.


With a two-year community college degree, air traffic controllers can make $ 113,547, radiation therapists $ 76,627, dental hygienists $ 70,408, nuclear medicine technologists $ 69,638, nuclear technicians $ 68,037, registered nurses $ 65,853, and fashion designers $ 63,170, CareerBuilder.com reported in January.


“You come out with skills that people want immediately and not just theory,” Omer says.


The Georgetown center estimates that 29 million jobs paying middle class wages today require only an associate’s, and not a bachelor’s, degree.


“I would not suggest anyone look down their nose at the associate’s degree,” says Jeff Strohl, director of research at the Georgetown center.


“People see those programs as tracking into something that’s dead end,” Strohl says. “It’s very clear that that perception does not hold up.”


The bad news is that not enough associate’s degree holders are being produced.


Only 10% of American workers have the sub-baccalaureate degrees needed for middle-skills jobs, compared with 24% of Canadians and 19% of Japanese, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports.


Over the last 20 years, the number of graduates with associate’s degrees in the United States has increased by barely 3%. And while the Obama administration has pushed community colleges to increase their numbers, enrollment at these schools fell 3.1% this year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. Graduation rates also remain abysmally low.


Meanwhile, many people with bachelor’s degrees are working in fields other than the ones in which they majored, according to a new report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.


“We have a lot of bartenders and taxi drivers with bachelor’s degrees,” says Christopher Denhart, one of the report’s coauthors.


Still, the salary advantage for associate’s degree holders narrows over time, as bachelor’s degree recipients eventually catch up, says Schneider.


Although these figures vary widely by profession, associate’s degree recipients, on average, end up making about $ 500,000 more over their careers than people with only high school diplomas, but $ 500,000 less than people with bachelor’s degrees, the Georgetown center calculates.


As for Omer, he’s already working toward a bachelor’s degree.


“Down the road a little further, I may want to become a director or a manager,” he says. “A bachelor’s degree will get me to that point.”


This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet based at Teachers College, Columbia University. It’s one of a series of reports about workforce development and higher education.


View this article on CNNMoney


More From CNNMoney.com


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





Title Post: Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/community-college-grads-out-earn-bachelors-degree-holders/
Link To Post : Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders






Berevan Omer graduated on a Friday in February with an associate’s degree from Nashville State Community College and started work the following Monday as a computer-networking engineer at a local television station, making about $ 50,000 a year.


That’s 15% higher than the average starting salary for graduates — not only from community colleges, but for bachelor’s degree holders from four-year universities.






“I have a buddy who got a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting who’s making $ 10 an hour,” Omer says. “I’m making two and a-half times more than he is.”


Omer, who is 24, is one of many newly minted graduates of community colleges defying history and stereotypes by proving that a bachelor’s degree is not, as widely believed, the only ticket to a middle-class income.


Nearly 30% of Americans with associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.


The average wage for graduates of community colleges in Tennessee, for instance, is $ 38,948 — more than $ 1,300 higher than the average salaries for graduates of the state’s four-year institutions.


In Virginia, recent graduates of occupational and technical degree programs at its community colleges make an average of $ 40,000. That’s almost $ 2,500 more than recent bachelor’s degree recipients.


“There is that perception that the bachelor’s degree is the default, and, quite frankly, before we started this work showing the value of a technical associate’s degree, I would have said that, too,” says Mark Schneider, vice president of the American Institutes for Research, which helped collect the earning numbers for some states.


And while by mid-career, many bachelor’s degree recipients have caught up in earnings to community college grads, “the other factor that has to be taken into account is that getting a four-year degree can be much more expensive than getting a two-year degree,” Schneider says.


A two-year community college degree, at present full rates, costs about $ 6,262, according to the College Board. A bachelor’s degree from a four-year, private residential university goes for $ 158,072.


The increase in wages for community college grads is being driven by a high demand for people with so-called “middle-skills” that often require no more than an associate’s degree, such as lab technicians, teachers in early childhood programs, computer engineers, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals, and machinists.


With a two-year community college degree, air traffic controllers can make $ 113,547, radiation therapists $ 76,627, dental hygienists $ 70,408, nuclear medicine technologists $ 69,638, nuclear technicians $ 68,037, registered nurses $ 65,853, and fashion designers $ 63,170, CareerBuilder.com reported in January.


“You come out with skills that people want immediately and not just theory,” Omer says.


The Georgetown center estimates that 29 million jobs paying middle class wages today require only an associate’s, and not a bachelor’s, degree.


“I would not suggest anyone look down their nose at the associate’s degree,” says Jeff Strohl, director of research at the Georgetown center.


“People see those programs as tracking into something that’s dead end,” Strohl says. “It’s very clear that that perception does not hold up.”


The bad news is that not enough associate’s degree holders are being produced.


Only 10% of American workers have the sub-baccalaureate degrees needed for middle-skills jobs, compared with 24% of Canadians and 19% of Japanese, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports.


Over the last 20 years, the number of graduates with associate’s degrees in the United States has increased by barely 3%. And while the Obama administration has pushed community colleges to increase their numbers, enrollment at these schools fell 3.1% this year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. Graduation rates also remain abysmally low.


Meanwhile, many people with bachelor’s degrees are working in fields other than the ones in which they majored, according to a new report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.


“We have a lot of bartenders and taxi drivers with bachelor’s degrees,” says Christopher Denhart, one of the report’s coauthors.


Still, the salary advantage for associate’s degree holders narrows over time, as bachelor’s degree recipients eventually catch up, says Schneider.


Although these figures vary widely by profession, associate’s degree recipients, on average, end up making about $ 500,000 more over their careers than people with only high school diplomas, but $ 500,000 less than people with bachelor’s degrees, the Georgetown center calculates.


As for Omer, he’s already working toward a bachelor’s degree.


“Down the road a little further, I may want to become a director or a manager,” he says. “A bachelor’s degree will get me to that point.”


This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet based at Teachers College, Columbia University. It’s one of a series of reports about workforce development and higher education.


View this article on CNNMoney


More From CNNMoney.com


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





Title Post: Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/community-college-grads-out-earn-bachelors-degree-holders/
Link To Post : Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders






Berevan Omer graduated on a Friday in February with an associate’s degree from Nashville State Community College and started work the following Monday as a computer-networking engineer at a local television station, making about $ 50,000 a year.


That’s 15% higher than the average starting salary for graduates — not only from community colleges, but for bachelor’s degree holders from four-year universities.






“I have a buddy who got a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting who’s making $ 10 an hour,” Omer says. “I’m making two and a-half times more than he is.”


Omer, who is 24, is one of many newly minted graduates of community colleges defying history and stereotypes by proving that a bachelor’s degree is not, as widely believed, the only ticket to a middle-class income.


Nearly 30% of Americans with associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.


The average wage for graduates of community colleges in Tennessee, for instance, is $ 38,948 — more than $ 1,300 higher than the average salaries for graduates of the state’s four-year institutions.


In Virginia, recent graduates of occupational and technical degree programs at its community colleges make an average of $ 40,000. That’s almost $ 2,500 more than recent bachelor’s degree recipients.


“There is that perception that the bachelor’s degree is the default, and, quite frankly, before we started this work showing the value of a technical associate’s degree, I would have said that, too,” says Mark Schneider, vice president of the American Institutes for Research, which helped collect the earning numbers for some states.


And while by mid-career, many bachelor’s degree recipients have caught up in earnings to community college grads, “the other factor that has to be taken into account is that getting a four-year degree can be much more expensive than getting a two-year degree,” Schneider says.


A two-year community college degree, at present full rates, costs about $ 6,262, according to the College Board. A bachelor’s degree from a four-year, private residential university goes for $ 158,072.


The increase in wages for community college grads is being driven by a high demand for people with so-called “middle-skills” that often require no more than an associate’s degree, such as lab technicians, teachers in early childhood programs, computer engineers, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals, and machinists.


With a two-year community college degree, air traffic controllers can make $ 113,547, radiation therapists $ 76,627, dental hygienists $ 70,408, nuclear medicine technologists $ 69,638, nuclear technicians $ 68,037, registered nurses $ 65,853, and fashion designers $ 63,170, CareerBuilder.com reported in January.


“You come out with skills that people want immediately and not just theory,” Omer says.


The Georgetown center estimates that 29 million jobs paying middle class wages today require only an associate’s, and not a bachelor’s, degree.


“I would not suggest anyone look down their nose at the associate’s degree,” says Jeff Strohl, director of research at the Georgetown center.


“People see those programs as tracking into something that’s dead end,” Strohl says. “It’s very clear that that perception does not hold up.”


The bad news is that not enough associate’s degree holders are being produced.


Only 10% of American workers have the sub-baccalaureate degrees needed for middle-skills jobs, compared with 24% of Canadians and 19% of Japanese, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports.


Over the last 20 years, the number of graduates with associate’s degrees in the United States has increased by barely 3%. And while the Obama administration has pushed community colleges to increase their numbers, enrollment at these schools fell 3.1% this year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. Graduation rates also remain abysmally low.


Meanwhile, many people with bachelor’s degrees are working in fields other than the ones in which they majored, according to a new report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.


“We have a lot of bartenders and taxi drivers with bachelor’s degrees,” says Christopher Denhart, one of the report’s coauthors.


Still, the salary advantage for associate’s degree holders narrows over time, as bachelor’s degree recipients eventually catch up, says Schneider.


Although these figures vary widely by profession, associate’s degree recipients, on average, end up making about $ 500,000 more over their careers than people with only high school diplomas, but $ 500,000 less than people with bachelor’s degrees, the Georgetown center calculates.


As for Omer, he’s already working toward a bachelor’s degree.


“Down the road a little further, I may want to become a director or a manager,” he says. “A bachelor’s degree will get me to that point.”


This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet based at Teachers College, Columbia University. It’s one of a series of reports about workforce development and higher education.


View this article on CNNMoney


More From CNNMoney.com


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





Title Post: Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/community-college-grads-out-earn-bachelors-degree-holders/
Link To Post : Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders






Berevan Omer graduated on a Friday in February with an associate’s degree from Nashville State Community College and started work the following Monday as a computer-networking engineer at a local television station, making about $ 50,000 a year.


That’s 15% higher than the average starting salary for graduates — not only from community colleges, but for bachelor’s degree holders from four-year universities.






“I have a buddy who got a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting who’s making $ 10 an hour,” Omer says. “I’m making two and a-half times more than he is.”


Omer, who is 24, is one of many newly minted graduates of community colleges defying history and stereotypes by proving that a bachelor’s degree is not, as widely believed, the only ticket to a middle-class income.


Nearly 30% of Americans with associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.


The average wage for graduates of community colleges in Tennessee, for instance, is $ 38,948 — more than $ 1,300 higher than the average salaries for graduates of the state’s four-year institutions.


In Virginia, recent graduates of occupational and technical degree programs at its community colleges make an average of $ 40,000. That’s almost $ 2,500 more than recent bachelor’s degree recipients.


“There is that perception that the bachelor’s degree is the default, and, quite frankly, before we started this work showing the value of a technical associate’s degree, I would have said that, too,” says Mark Schneider, vice president of the American Institutes for Research, which helped collect the earning numbers for some states.


And while by mid-career, many bachelor’s degree recipients have caught up in earnings to community college grads, “the other factor that has to be taken into account is that getting a four-year degree can be much more expensive than getting a two-year degree,” Schneider says.


A two-year community college degree, at present full rates, costs about $ 6,262, according to the College Board. A bachelor’s degree from a four-year, private residential university goes for $ 158,072.


The increase in wages for community college grads is being driven by a high demand for people with so-called “middle-skills” that often require no more than an associate’s degree, such as lab technicians, teachers in early childhood programs, computer engineers, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals, and machinists.


With a two-year community college degree, air traffic controllers can make $ 113,547, radiation therapists $ 76,627, dental hygienists $ 70,408, nuclear medicine technologists $ 69,638, nuclear technicians $ 68,037, registered nurses $ 65,853, and fashion designers $ 63,170, CareerBuilder.com reported in January.


“You come out with skills that people want immediately and not just theory,” Omer says.


The Georgetown center estimates that 29 million jobs paying middle class wages today require only an associate’s, and not a bachelor’s, degree.


“I would not suggest anyone look down their nose at the associate’s degree,” says Jeff Strohl, director of research at the Georgetown center.


“People see those programs as tracking into something that’s dead end,” Strohl says. “It’s very clear that that perception does not hold up.”


The bad news is that not enough associate’s degree holders are being produced.


Only 10% of American workers have the sub-baccalaureate degrees needed for middle-skills jobs, compared with 24% of Canadians and 19% of Japanese, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports.


Over the last 20 years, the number of graduates with associate’s degrees in the United States has increased by barely 3%. And while the Obama administration has pushed community colleges to increase their numbers, enrollment at these schools fell 3.1% this year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. Graduation rates also remain abysmally low.


Meanwhile, many people with bachelor’s degrees are working in fields other than the ones in which they majored, according to a new report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.


“We have a lot of bartenders and taxi drivers with bachelor’s degrees,” says Christopher Denhart, one of the report’s coauthors.


Still, the salary advantage for associate’s degree holders narrows over time, as bachelor’s degree recipients eventually catch up, says Schneider.


Although these figures vary widely by profession, associate’s degree recipients, on average, end up making about $ 500,000 more over their careers than people with only high school diplomas, but $ 500,000 less than people with bachelor’s degrees, the Georgetown center calculates.


As for Omer, he’s already working toward a bachelor’s degree.


“Down the road a little further, I may want to become a director or a manager,” he says. “A bachelor’s degree will get me to that point.”


This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet based at Teachers College, Columbia University. It’s one of a series of reports about workforce development and higher education.


View this article on CNNMoney


More From CNNMoney.com


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





Title Post: Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/community-college-grads-out-earn-bachelors-degree-holders/
Link To Post : Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Stock index futures signal mixed open

LONDON (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a mixed Wall Street open on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indexes slipping 0.1 percent, while futures for the Dow Jones rose 0.1 percent by 0933 GMT.


U.S. durables goods and homes data due out at 1330 and 1500 GMT respectively should provide further clues on the health of the world's largest economy.


The Pentagon program chief for the F-35 warplane slammed its commercial partners Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to "squeeze every nickel" out of the U.S. government and failing to see the long-term benefits of the project.


Pratt & Whitney is 99 percent sure the fan blade problem that grounded the Pentagon's 51 new F-35 fighter jets was not caused by high-cycle fatigue, which could force a costly design change, according to two sources familiar with an investigation by the enginemaker.


Airbus parent EADS predicted higher profit this year on the heels of stronger than expected 2012 earnings and a clampdown on costs, with the development of its A350 jet remaining the biggest wild card in its bid to match rival Boeing .


Partner Communications , Israel's second-largest mobile phone operator, reported weaker-than-expected quarterly profit and said it could have weak earnings throughout 2013 due to fierce competition that has slashed calling rates.


The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> was up 0.1 percent at 1,151.69 points by 1010 GMT on Wednesday while the euro zone's Euro STOXX 50 index <.stoxx50e> also advanced 0.1 percent, although concerns over Italy's political stalemate were likely to cap gains.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 115.96 points, or 0.84 percent, to 13,900.13 at the close on Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 9.09 points, or 0.61 percent, to 1,496.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> advanced 13.40 points, or 0.43 percent, to close at 3,129.65.


(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Susan Fenton)



Read More..

King of Prussia Dentists Eliminate the Need for Dentures in a Single Day






KING OF PRUSSIA, PA–(Marketwire – Feb 26, 2013) – The team of King of Prussia dental implant doctors at By Design Dental Implant Center offer patients an alternative to dentures and a solution for missing teeth. Their All-on-4™ procedure uses four dental implants to give patients new permanent teeth.


The All-on-4™ procedure utilizes four titanium anchor points to secure a full new row of teeth. These new teeth look, feel, and function like the patients’ previous natural teeth.






First performed in Europe, the All-on-4™ procedure is now FDA-approved with a high success rate, eliminating the need for dentures. By Design Dental Implant Center is fully equipped with the latest technology the field has to offer, including 3D CAT scanning and CAD/CAM modeling.


According to the dentists at By Design Dental Implant Center, individuals who have dentures, teeth that are in disrepair, missing teeth, loose teeth, or no teeth at all are candidates for the All-on-4™ procedure. Unlike traditional methods of dental implants, the structure of the patient’s jawbone does not affect candidacy. Due to the advanced technology of the procedure and the fact that All-on-4™ requires no bone grafting, the dentists are able to perform successful implants on a wide variety of bone types.


According to the dentists at By Design Dental Implant Center, the benefits of the implant supported dentures include:


  • Saving the patient time

  • Saving the patient money

  • Offering a less painful alternative to traditional implants

The All-on-4™ procedure is completed in a single day, whereas traditional dental implant procedures can take up to a year. The All-on-4™ procedure is also less expensive because the dentists use four implants as opposed to the six or eight required with other methods. Since there is not as much surgical work and no bone grafting required, All-on-4™ patients experience less postoperative pain.


By Design Dental Implant Center’s on-site lab helps the dentists build customized teeth for each patient in a single day. Dr. Robert Mogyoros, the practice’s implant surgeon, says the procedure involves some tooth extractions and placement of titanium tooth anchors to begin with. Then, records are taken of what changes were made in the patients mouth. “We eventually finish up with the prosthodontist subtly adjusting the bite on the teeth provided by the lab. Patients leave the office with a wonderful new set of teeth and start smiling again.”


The patients that visit By Design Dental Implant Center for the All-on-4™ procedure say the experience is life-changing. Patients who never thought they would have teeth again can leave the practice with teeth in one day.


About By Design Dental Implant Center
By Design Dental Implant Center is comprised of a team of experienced specialists working under one roof to ensure quality patient care. Dr. Robert Mogyoros serves as the practice’s implant surgeon and Dr. John J. Thaler II serves as the practice’s prosthodontist. The doctors are available for interview upon request.


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance





Title Post: King of Prussia Dentists Eliminate the Need for Dentures in a Single Day
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/king-of-prussia-dentists-eliminate-the-need-for-dentures-in-a-single-day/
Link To Post : King of Prussia Dentists Eliminate the Need for Dentures in a Single Day
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Stock index futures point to small rebound

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 up 0.3-0.4 percent at 0916 GMT.


U.S. stocks had suffered their biggest drop since November on Monday after later results pointed to a strong showing in Italian elections by groups opposed to the country's economic reforms. That triggered worry that Europe's debt problems could once again destabilize the global economy.


European markets were playing catchup with that move in early trade on Tuesday, falling sharply as a result.


Standard & Poor's releases its S&P Case/Shiller Home Price Index for December at 1400 GMT, expected to show a rise of 0.5 percent versus a 0.6 percent rise in the previous month.


One hour later, the Conference Board's February consumer confidence was forecast to come in at 61.0 compared with 58.6 in January.


Also at 1500 GMT, new home sales data for January were seen at 381,000 annualized units, compared with 369,000 in December.


Ben Bernanke delivers the first of two days of congressional testimony on the Federal Reserve's semi-annual monetary policy report. Investors will examine Bernanke's words before the Senate Banking Committee closely for any sign he is growing nervous that the potential costs of the U.S. central bank's bond buying might soon outweigh its benefits.


Goldman Sachs Group Inc will begin its annual job cutting process as early as this week, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday, with its equities-trading business bracing for bigger cuts than fixed-income trading.


JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon leads his new team of managers in an annual day of presentations to Wall Street about the outlook for businesses operated by the biggest U.S. bank. The firm named a new head of auto finance on Monday.


Intel Corp has agreed to make chips on behalf of Altera ALTR.O, a significant step toward opening its prized manufacturing technology to customers on a larger scale, potentially including Apple .


Fuelled by a 48 percent rise in fourth-quarter earnings, the top executive of securities firm Stifel Financial Corp's defended his aggressive acquisition spree on Monday.


Retailer Home Depot is expected to post a $0.14 rise in quarterly earnings per share, seen at of $0.64, one day after rival Lowe's reported better-than-expected profit and boosted its outlook for revenue this year.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> dropped 216.40 points, or 1.55 percent, to 13,784.17 on Monday. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> lost 27.75 points, or 1.83 percent, to 1,487.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> fell 45.57 points, or 1.44 percent, to 3,116.25.


(Reporting by Francesco Canepa; editing by Patrick Graham)



Read More..

Comba Telecom sélectionnée pour la Coupe du monde 2014 au Brésil : pour fournir des solutions sans fil de bout en bout aux stades du tournoi






SAO PAULO, BRESIL ET HONG KONG–(Marketwire – Feb 25, 2013) – Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited (« Comba Telecom » ou le « Groupe », code à la bourse de Hong Kong : 2342), un fournisseur de solutions sans fil de premier plan au niveau international, a annoncé avoir remporté plusieurs projets consistant à fournir des systèmes d’antennes distribuées (DAS – Distributed Antenna Systems) sans fil aux stades qui accueilleront les tournois de la Coupe des Confédérations 2013 et de la Coupe du monde de football 2014 qui se dérouleront au Brésil.


Comba Telecom fournit et installe une série de solutions de bout en bout qui inclut des DAS à opérateurs et bandes multiples, des répéteurs, des antennes placées en intérieur et en extérieur, ainsi que des accessoires permettant des communications vocales et de données simultanées sur les réseaux iDEN, 2G, 3G, 4G et Wi-Fi. Avec l’achèvement de la mise en place du système sans fil partagé de Comba Telecom, les opérateurs mobiles du Brésil seront en mesure d’offrir à leurs abonnés une expérience fluide et solide sur leur appareils mobiles à haut débit dans le site sportif d’une capacité de 70 000 spectateurs.






Comba Telecom permet des communications sans fil dans les sites suivants : l’Estádio Nacional de Brasília (anciennement, Estádio Mané Garrincha) à Brasilia, l’Arena Octávio Mangabeira (également connue sous le nom d’Arena Fonte Nova) au Salvador et l’Estádio Castelão à Fortaleza. En outre, Comba Telecom fournit des produits et solutions aux principaux entrepreneurs de systèmes sans fil à l’Arena Pernambuco à Recife.


M. Johnny Brito, Directeur général de Comba Telecom Brazil, a déclaré : « Nous sommes ravis d’être choisis comme fournisseur de solutions sans fil dans les stades accueillant les tournois de football. Avec la Coupe des Confédérations qui se déroulera cette année et la Coupe du monde en 2014, nous sommes l’un des seuls fournisseurs de solutions à posséder les produits et la capacité de service avec la profondeur et l’ampleur nécessaires pour assurer que les installations soient achevées à temps.


M. Patrik Westfalk, Directeur général de la société pour la région Caraïbes et Amérique latine, a ajouté : « La popularité de médias sociaux tels que Facebook et Twitter, associée à l’explosion du trafic de photos et vidéos signifie qu’il est essentiel que toute solution soit suffisamment solide pour pendre en charge les demandes extrêmement nombreuses sur la capacité de données durant ces évènements de grande envergure. Avec un bilan éprouvé de solutions lors des Jeux olympiques d’été de Pékin et pour les prochains Jeux olympiques d’hiver de Sotchi en Russie, le succès de cette Coupe du monde est une étape supplémentaire pour Comba Telecom dans la région et dans le monde entier. »


Comba Telecom présente une sélection de ses DAS utilisés dans les projets de la Coupe du monde 2014 au Congrès mondial du mobile 2013 à Barcelone.


Comba Telecom est située dans le Hall 7, stand n° 7F14


Logo de la société
http://release.media-outreach.com/release.php/Images/122


À propos de la solution de DAS de Comba Telecom
Les solutions du portefeuille de DAS à haute et faible puissance de Comba Telecom prennent en charge jusqu’à 6 entrées indépendantes : 900 MHz, 1 800 MHz, 2 100 MHz, 2 600 MHz, 1 800 MHz MIMO et 2 600 MHz MIMO dans un système unique. Elles sont conçues de manière optimale pour faciliter l’installation avec une faible empreinte et sont scellées pour résister à toutes les conditions environnementales. Entièrement compatibles avec les applications situées en intérieur et en extérieur pour soutenir l’ensemble des principales modulations en mode mixte avec une efficacité élevée et un MCPA linéaire atteignant jusqu’à 40 W par bande de fréquence. Les installations de contrôle à distance incluent un navigateur Web en réseau local, des alertes systèmes envoyées au centre d’exploitation du réseau ou système EMS standard, une puissance de sortie contrôlée par logiciel et un contrôle automatique du gain par lien optique. Parfaitement conformes aux normes 3GPP et CE.


Avec sa conception modulaire, la solution DAS de Comba permet une évolutivité maximum avec des systèmes d’antennes et de fibres partagés – permettant ainsi au système de s’adapter facilement aux demandes de couverture et de capacité grandissantes sur le réseau. Ainsi, les opérateurs de réseaux sans fil peuvent facilement accroître la portée de leurs services vocaux et de données à l’aide du DAS, améliorant donc l’efficacité des dépenses en capital et des dépenses d’exploitation par rapport aux architectures de réseau traditionnelles.


À propos de Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited
Faisant partie des principaux fournisseurs de solutions sans fil au monde, la société Comba Telecom est principalement impliquée dans la R&D et la fabrication de produits sans fil améliorés tels que les RRU, les sous-systèmes et les antennes de station de base et les systèmes d’accès sans fil. Le Groupe fournit également des solutions et des services clés en main complets à ses clients internationaux. Ayant leur siège social à Hong Kong, les opérations internationales de Comba Telecom incluent des plateformes de fabrication en Chine, des centres de R&D en Chine et aux États-Unis et plus de 40 bureaux dans le monde entier.


Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez consulter le site : www.comba-telecom.com


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance




Read More..

Comba Telecom a dévoilé la nouvelle génération de portefeuilles de sous-systèmes, multi-systèmes et d’antennes multibandes lors du Mobile World Congress 2013






BARCELONE, ESPAGNE ET HONG KONG–(Marketwire – Feb 24, 2013) – Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited (« Comba Telecom » ou « le Groupe ») ( HKSE : 2342 ), un leader international dans la fourniture de solutions sans fil, a annoncé le lancement d’une nouvelle génération d’antennes et d’un portefeuille de produits de sous-systèmes permettant d’opérer une migration progressive de la 2G/3G vers les réseaux LTE pour les opérateurs mobiles du monde entier.


Compatible avec toute une gamme de fréquences LTE, le portefeuille inclut une vaste palette d’antennes et de multiplexeurs afin de répondre à un certain nombre de problèmes associés au LTE auxquels les opérateurs mobiles sont confrontés :






Déploiement du réseau LTE : Les nouvelles antennes et multiplexeurs de station de base multi-systèmes et multibandes de Comba Telecom sont compatibles avec toute une gamme de fréquences LTE et 2G/3G. En créant une couverture simultanée des réseaux 2G/3G et LTE avec une seule antenne, la solution de Comba permet aux opérateurs mobiles de déployer plusieurs systèmes sur les sites cellulaires nouveaux et existants, avec un encombrement matériel moindre. Par comparaison avec les modèles traditionnels de déploiement de plusieurs antennes par site, cette solution permet de réduire les problèmes potentiels d’acquisition de site et de surcharge des sites cellulaires existants.


  • Les antennes de station de base LTE sont extrêmement compactes et compatibles avec les fréquences de 790 à 960 MHz et de 1 710 à 2 690 MHz.

  • Les antennes ultra-large bande LTE sont compatibles avec un maximum de 6 canaux. Elles ont été conçues tout spécialement pour correspondre à la vaste gamme de fréquences LTE déployée dans le monde entier et qui s’étend de 700 MHz à 2,7 GHz

  • Les multiplexeurs large bande et multibandes LTE proposent de vastes fourchettes de combinaison de fréquences allant de 380 à 2 700 MHz

Petit déploiement cellulaire : La gamme d’antennes MIMO camouflées de Comba Telecom a été spécialement conçue pour fournir une couverture 3D unique dans la rue, les quartiers résidentiels et les autres scénarios caractérisés par un petit déploiement cellulaire mais nécessitant une couverture à haute densité, comme les centres commerciaux et les aéroports. Non seulement les antennes répondent au besoin de débit de données élevé du LTE, mais elles ont été également conçues spécialement pour présenter un encombrement minimal avec une certaine esthétique facilitant le déploiement.


Mme Carol Ye, Directrice générale adjointe du service Antennes et sous-systèmes de Comba Telecom, a déclaré : « Nous sommes ravis de lancer notre nouveau portefeuille produits lors du Mobile World Congress de cette année. Ce portefeuille inclut notre nouvelle génération d’antennes LTE. Elles sont compatibles avec l’ultra-large bande dans une vaste gamme d’inclinaisons électroniques variables et présentent d’excellentes fonctions de modelage du faisceau ainsi qu’une fiabilité élevée. Nos nouvelles antennes à bande unique sont particulièrement fines et compactes, et même plus fines que la largeur de certains des smartphones les plus populaires !


Notre nouvelle gamme d’antennes, associée à nos multiplexeurs personnalisés et à nos solutions uniques de petite couverture cellulaire 3D, permettra à Comba Telecom de proposer à ses clients une solution de migration tout en douceur de la 2G/3G vers le LTE avec un rapport coût/performance inégalé.


Les solutions LTE diversifiées de Comba ont été déployées dans différents pays et régions comme Hong Kong, l’Amérique du Sud, le Moyen Orient, la Russie, etc. »


Comba Telecom expose au stand n° 7F14, Hall 7 du Mobile World Congress 2013


Logo de la société
http://release.media-outreach.com/release.php/Images/122


À propos de Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited
Faisant partie des principaux fournisseurs de solutions sans fil au monde, la société Comba Telecom est principalement impliquée dans la R&D et la fabrication de produits sans fil améliorés tels que les RRU, les sous-systèmes et les antennes de station de base et les systèmes d’accès sans fil. Le Groupe fournit également des solutions et des services clés en main complets à ses clients internationaux. Ayant leur siège social à Hong Kong, les opérations internationales de Comba Telecom incluent des plateformes de fabrication en Chine, des centres de R&D en Chine et aux États-Unis et plus de 40 bureaux dans le monde entier.


Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez consulter le site : www.comba-telecom.com


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance




Read More..

Ronda Rousey makes historic UFC debut in Anaheim






Ronda Rousey has an Olympic judo medal, an undeniable personal magnetism and a merciless string of victories in her short mixed martial arts career.


Now she’s finally got a showcase worthy of her talent.






Rousey and Liz Carmouche will make history Saturday night at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., when they meet in the first women’s bout in UFC history. They’re the main event at UFC 157, and Rousey is the star of the latest pay-per-view show put on by MMA’s dominant promotion.


It’s a scenario that was fairly unimaginable even a year ago in the UFC, which never had a women’s division and showed scant interest in that version of the sport. Rousey and her fellow fighters have created believers at every level of MMA in the past few years, culminating in this breakthrough onto its biggest stage.


“I feel like the brighter the lights are, the better I can see,” Rousey said.


“These are things that needed to be done for a very long time now, and I didn’t think that waiting for somebody else to do it was the wisest thing to do,” she added. “I feel like I’m the most capable person, and I should do whatever I can to make it happen.”


It’s all happening for Rousey, who has already graced magazine covers and national talk shows with a sparkling wit and charm that’s in sharp contrast to her savage, joint-dislocating performances in the cage. After winning each of her first six professional MMA fights by painful armbar submissions in the first round, Rousey is a huge favorite to retain the UFC women’s bantamweight belt handed to her by UFC President Dana White last year after she defended her title in the now-defunct Strikeforce promotion.


“It’s very serendipitous, the way it’s all come together,” said Rousey, a Southern California native who lives beachside in Venice. “If I could have had everything exactly the way I wanted, this is how I would have written it down. Win all my fights in the first round, then go to the UFC and headline a show, and have it as a pay-per-view and at home. People’s dreams don’t come true like that. You think so when you’re a kid, but then you get older and realize that’s not the real world. I guess the real world is pretty cool sometimes, too.”


As the anointed face of her sport, Rousey’s profile is growing among casual sports fans, even overtaking the stature of Gina Carano, the former fighter who got an acting career when director Steven Soderbergh saw her fighting on CBS. On the heels of the wildly successful debut of women’s boxing at the London Olympics, Rousey seems poised to take the so-called combat sports to greater exposure than ever before.


She already won over the most important skeptic of all: White, who initially wanted no part of women’s MMA.


“After we met, she told me she had envisioned in her mind that she was going to make it so that I couldn’t deny women, that I would have to bring her into the UFC,” White said. “We’ve had some pretty crazy conversations about a lot of things, but she was right. She willed it so that there was no way I was not going to do it.”


Rousey specializes in the armbar, a judo technique that bends an opponent’s arm in grotesque fashion until she taps out or gets a dislocated elbow. Rousey has an equally spectacular way with words: During promotion for her final Strikeforce fight against Sarah Kaufman last August, Rousey vowed to rip off Kaufman’s arm and throw it at her corner. She settled for her sixth straight armbar.


“Everybody calls her a one-trick pony, but she’s fought a lot of women that are very good, who all know exactly what she’s going to do, and they can’t stop her,” White said. “She goes right in and gets you down, goes for that arm, and they can’t stop her from doing it. She doesn’t want her arm raised in a decision. She wants to finish you, and that’s what I like.”


She’s not talking any trash for her UFC debut, though: Rousey has a warm mutual respect with Carmouche, a Marine from San Diego.


Carmouche is the first openly gay fighter in UFC history, yet she’s nearly a footnote in the UFC 157 hype compared to Rousey’s rising star. Carmouche realizes Rousey is supremely gifted, but eagerly took this historic chance to be in the UFC’s first women’s fight.


Carmouche thinks she’ll contribute to the growth of women’s MMA, something she sees every day as an instructor for children.


“When I started the program two years ago, we had one girl that was involved just because her father also participated,” Carmouche said. “Now we have multiple girls in the program, so I see it evolving every day.”


Early last year, women’s MMA resembled a minor-league novelty to White. He saw no depth of talent, no groundswell of support, and no compelling reason to muddle his carefully managed brand with one-sided fights featuring women getting beaten bloody.


Rousey changed his mind with her skill, presence, charisma and marketability. When she steps into the UFC octagon, it will complete a remarkable rise for a bronze medalist at the Beijing Olympics who swiftly picked up MMA before her pro debut in March 2011.


Rousey was a two-time Olympic judoka who won the U.S. team’s first medal in the sport, but realized she had little to show for a career in the sport once dominated by her mother, Ann-Maria.


Adrift after growing disenchanted with the American judo establishment, she picked up grappling as a way to combat weight gain from “the Jameson diet” of whiskey shots while working at a bar. Her grappling teammates began encouraging her to try MMA, jokingly at first.


“After a while, I was saying, ‘You know what, you’re right, I would beat any of those women today,’” Rousey said with a laugh. “They said, ‘No, I don’t want to see you get punched!’ You tell me not to? I’m totally going to do it now. When everybody was telling me, ‘No,’ I knew I’d found my new thing.”


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





Title Post: Ronda Rousey makes historic UFC debut in Anaheim
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/ronda-rousey-makes-historic-ufc-debut-in-anaheim/
Link To Post : Ronda Rousey makes historic UFC debut in Anaheim
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Investors face another Washington deadline

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors face another Washington-imposed deadline on government spending cuts next week, but it's not generating the same level of fear as two months ago when the "fiscal cliff" loomed large.


Investors in sectors most likely to be affected by the cuts, like defense, seem untroubled that the budget talks could send stocks tumbling.


Talks on the U.S. budget crisis began again this week leading up to the March 1 deadline for the so-called sequestration when $85 billion in automatic federal spending cuts are scheduled to take effect.


"It's at this point a political hot button in Washington but a very low level investor concern," said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The fight pits President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats against congressional Republicans.


Stocks rallied in early January after a compromise temporarily avoided the fiscal cliff, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index <.spx> has risen 6.3 percent since the start of the year.


But the benchmark index lost steam this week, posting its first week of losses since the start of the year. Minutes on Wednesday from the last Federal Reserve meeting, which suggested the central bank may slow or stop its stimulus policy sooner than expected, provided the catalyst.


National elections in Italy on Sunday and Monday could also add to investor concern. Most investors expect a government headed by Pier Luigi Bersani to win and continue with reforms to tackle Italy's debt problems. However, a resurgence by former leader Silvio Berlusconi has raised doubts.


"Europe has been in the last six months less of a topic for the stock market, but the problems haven't gone away. This may bring back investor attention to that," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.


OPTIONS BULLS TARGET GAINS


The spending cuts, if they go ahead, could hit the defense industry particularly hard.


Yet in the options market, bulls were targeting gains in Lockheed Martin Corp , the Pentagon's biggest supplier.


Calls on the stock far outpaced puts, suggesting that many investors anticipate the stock to move higher. Overall options volume on the stock was 2.8 times the daily average with 17,000 calls and 3,360 puts traded, according to options analytics firm Trade Alert.


"The upside call buying in Lockheed solidifies the idea that option investors are not pricing in a lot of downside risk in most defense stocks from the likely impact of sequestration," said Jared Woodard, a founder of research and advisory firm condoroptions.com in Forest, Virginia.


The stock ended up 0.6 percent at $88.12 on Friday.


If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement on reducing the U.S. budget deficit in the next few days, a sequester would include significant cuts in defense spending. Companies such as General Dynamics Corp and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp could be affected.


General Dynamics Corp shares rose 1.2 percent to $67.32 and Smith & Wesson added 4.6 percent to $9.18 on Friday.


EYES ON GDP DATA, APPLE


The latest data on fourth-quarter U.S. gross domestic product is expected on Thursday, and some analysts predict an upward revision following trade data that showed America's deficit shrank in December to its narrowest in nearly three years.


U.S. GDP unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter, according to an earlier government estimate, but analysts said there was no reason for panic, given that consumer spending and business investment picked up.


Investors will be looking for any hints of changes in the Fed's policy of monetary easing when Fed Chairman Ben Bernake speaks before congressional committees on Tuesday and Wednesday.


Shares of Apple will be watched closely next week when the company's annual stockholders' meeting is held.


On Friday, a U.S. judge handed outspoken hedge fund manager David Einhorn a victory in his battle with the iPhone maker, blocking the company from moving forward with a shareholder vote on a controversial proposal to limit the company's ability to issue preferred stock.


(Additional reporting by Doris Frankel; Editing by Kenneth Barry)



Read More..

Genetic Technologies Announces Financial Results for Half-Year Ended 31 December 2012






MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA–(Marketwire – Feb 22, 2013) – Genetic Technologies Limited ( ASX : GTG ) ( NASDAQ : GENE )


  • Increases in BREVAGen™ samples received demonstrate clear market traction

  • Encouraging early results achieved in the new molecular diagnostics reimbursement environment

  • Increased licensing revenues show renewed success from global assertion programs

Genetic Technologies Limited ( ASX : GTG ) ( NASDAQ : GENE ) today announced its financial results for the first half of the Company’s fiscal year ending 30 June 2013. The Company reported a total comprehensive loss of $ 3.7 million for the period, which compares to a loss of $ 3.3 million for the corresponding prior period. The Company’s cash position as of 31 December 2012 totalled $ 5.9 million.






Of particular note during the period, the Company saw a marked improvement in the number of samples received for BREVAGen™, its flagship non-familial breast cancer risk assessment test. The 2013 half-year delivered 546 samples for testing, representing an increase of nearly 240% over the corresponding prior period and more than 30% over the number received for the entire previous twelve-month period, demonstrating increasing traction in the market. Further, the Company noted a significant improvement in the number of samples received in the December quarter (368), more than double those received in the preceding September quarter (178).


The achievement of “Out of State Licensure” for the key states of Florida and California during the period was a milestone achievement, enabling access to significant new markets for the test. The Company expects to receive approval to launch the test in New York State during the fourth quarter of 2013. Once achieved, BREVAGen™ will be approved for sale in all 50 U.S. States.


1 January 2013 marked a material change in the U.S. reimbursement environment for molecular diagnostics, resulting in the removal of the CPT code stack system for insurance claims. In response, the Company has initiated strategies to maintain the positive performance of the reimbursement program achieved to date.


“We are very pleased with the increased traction for BREVAGen™ that has been demonstrated through refinements in messaging and sales channel management since the appointment of Mark Ostrowski as Senior VP Sales and Marketing in September,” said Alison Mew, Chief Executive Officer of Genetic Technologies. ”Mark brings to the Company a wealth of experience from his time at Myriad Genetics and he has already applied a number of important initiatives to enhance the BREVAGen™ selling process and maximize our market effectiveness. In response to recent changes made to reimbursement guidelines in the U.S., I am pleased that the initiatives we have put in place to address levels of reimbursement received and timeline of claims adjudication have delivered encouraging results thus far.”


Revenues generated by the Company’s global out-licensing program for the half-year under review were more than doubled those of the half-year period ended 31 December 2011, and materially exceeded the revenues generated by the program for the full 2012 financial year. Importantly, recent changes to the program have streamlined the Company’s operations and established new arrangements under which the Company’s share of future licensing revenues will increase. It is anticipated that this renewed momentum will continue into the second half of the current financial year resulting in additional licenses to the Company’s non-coding technology being granted.


About BREVAGen™
The BREVAGen™ breast cancer risk stratification test is a novel genetic test panel that examines a patient’s DNA to detect the absence or presence of certain common genetic variations (SNPs) associated with an increased risk for developing breast cancer. The test is designed to help physicians assess aggregate breast cancer risk from these genetic markers, plus factors from a standard clinical assessment based on a patient’s family and personal history, thus giving a clearer picture of an individual woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. The BREVAGen™ test may be especially useful for women predisposed to hormone dependant breast cancer, including those who have undergone breast biopsies, as the test will provide information that can help physicians recommend alternative courses of action, such as more vigilant, targeted surveillance or preventive therapy, on a personalized patient-by-patient basis.


About Genetic Technologies Limited
Genetic Technologies was an early pioneer in recognizing important new applications for “non-coding” DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid). The Company has since been granted patents in 24 countries around the world, securing intellectual property rights for particular uses of non-coding DNA in genetic analysis and gene mapping across all genes in all species. Its business strategy is the global commercialization of its patents through an active out-licensing program and the global expansion of its oncology and cancer management diagnostics portfolio. Genetic Technologies is an ASX and NASDAQ listed company with operations in the USA and Australia. For more information, please visit www.gtglabs.com.


Safe Harbor Statement
Any statements in this press release that relate to the Company’s expectations are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. Since this information may involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from expected results. Additional risks associated with Genetic Technologies’ business can be found in its periodic filings with the SEC.


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance




Read More..

Stock index futures signal a rebound

LONDON (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Friday, rebounding after the S&P 500 <.spx> posted its worst two-day loss since November.


Futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 were up 0.2-0.3 percent at 0958 GMT.


European shares rose and German Bund futures fell on Friday after a better-than-expected German Ifo survey.


Shares in Hewlett-Packard rose 2.9 percent in after-market trade as the computer maker's quarterly revenue and forecasts beat Wall Street expectations.


Chipmaker Texas Instruments Inc raised its quarterly dividend by a third and said it will buy back an additional $5 billion in stock. TI shares rose 2 percent in after-market trading after closing at $32.48 on the Nasdaq.


Fellow chipmaker Marvell Technology Group Ltd forecast results this quarter largely above analysts' expectations as it gained market share in hard-disk drive and flash storage businesses, sending its shares up 5 percent after the closing bell.


Insurer American International Group Inc reported fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations, helping its shares rise 4.2 percent in after hours trade.


Citigroup Inc said on Thursday it has overhauled an executive pay plan that shareholders rejected last year as overly generous, revising it to tie bonus payments more closely to stock performance and profitability.


Newmont Mining Corp , the No. 1 U.S. gold producer, said on Thursday that a more disciplined approach to spending and cost cuts is its top priority as leadership of the company shifts to Gary Goldberg, who takes over as chief executive on March 1.


Private equity firm KKR & Co LP has submitted an offer of $75 per share for Gardner Denver Inc GDI.N, valuing the industrial machinery maker at close to $3.7 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.


Interpublic Group, the second-biggest U.S. advertising and marketing group, is expected to follow larger rival Omnicom in reporting upbeat quarterly results, with earnings per shares seen up $0.03 year on year to $0.53 on higher revenue from the United States.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> fell 46.92 points, or 0.34 percent, to 13,880.62 on Thursday. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> lost 9.53 points, or 0.63 percent, to 1,502.42. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> dropped 32.92 points, or 1.04 percent, to close at 3,131.49.


(Reporting By Francesco Canepa/editing by Chris Pizzey, London MPG Desk, +44 (0)207 542-4441)



Read More..

Shares, euro extend losses as Europe recovery hopes dim

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares and the single currency fell sharply on Thursday when surprisingly weak euro zone economic data dashed hopes of an early recovery for the recession-hit region this year.


Economists had forecast the euro zone purchasing managers' indexes (PMIs), based on surveys of business activity, would add to tentative signs a recovery was under way, but instead they pointed to a first-quarter contraction of up to 0.3 percent.


"The expectation was the trend of improvement for the euro zone as a whole would continue and it hasn't, so that is a disappointment," said BNP Paribas economist Ken Wattret.


The euro tumbled to a fresh six-week low below $1.32 on the news, having already suffered at the hands of a resurgent greenback following signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday that it was considering an end to monetary stimulus.


Signs that Fed policymakers were becoming increasingly reluctant to continue aggressive monetary easing, revealed in the minutes of the last policy meeting, had sparked a worldwide selloff in riskier asset markets.


MSCI's world equity index <.miwd00000pus>, already down 0.5 percent on the doubts about future Fed policy, took another step down after the PMI data to be one percent lower for the day, having touched its best levels since mid-2008 on Wednesday.


Europe's Eurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> shed 1.25 percent, on track for its second biggest daily loss of the year. London's FTSE 100 <.ftse>, Paris's CAC-40 <.fchi> and Frankfurt's DAX <.gdaxi> were all down as much as 1.8 percent lower.


SAFETY PLAYS WELL


In the fixed income market, German bonds, considered a safe haven, hit their best levels for a month with the main Bund futures contract up 91 ticks to 143.33. The move reversed a fall seen on Wednesday and was also being supported by the approach of an Italian general election this weekend.


"Investors are becoming more and more cautious ahead of the weekend ... and altogether people decided here to pull the trigger and go risk-off," said Christian Lenk, a strategist at DZ Bank.


The dollar, another safety play, followed up its big gains on Wednesday adding a further 0.45 percent on an index value that includes most major currencies <.dxy>, although it slipped against the yen to 93.35.


The Markit composite PMI for the euro zone, which combines both services and manufacturing surveys, fell to 47.3 in February from 48.6. It had been expected to rise to 49.0.


The data also showed a growing gap between Germany and France - the two biggest economies in the euro zone - which could have implications for the European Central Bank's future monetary policy.


The survey found firms in Germany are enjoying a healthy rate of growth, while French service sector companies are in the midst of their worst slump since the financial crisis was at a peak in early 2009.


"The theme is still the very substantial divergence between France and Germany and that is going continue to be the case for much of the year," said Wattret of BNP Paribas.


"On the margins this is going to resonate with the dovish tone from the ECB at its last meeting, but I think the real swing factor for the ECB will be exchange rate factor and the tightening impact it is having."


The strength of the euro has been holding back exports.


In commodity markets, the prospect of weakening demand from Europe and a possible early end to the Fed's policy of quantitative easing sent all markets lower.


London copper struck its lowest in nearly two months, at $7,870 a tonne, while oil dropped below $114.50 a barrel for the first time this month having seen its biggest daily fall of the year on Wednesday.


Growth-attuned precious metal platinum fell 3 percent to hit a five-week low. Traditional safe haven gold popped higher, to $1,568 an ounce, after the Fed minutes had pushed it to a seven-month low.


"Long-position holders have been looking to sell for profit-taking," said Yusuke Seta, a commodity sales manager at Newedge Japan. "I guess this is a good time to sell."


(Additional reporting by Marc Jones.; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)



Read More..

The 30-Minute Interview : The 30-Minute Interview: J. Ben Wauford









Title Post: The 30-Minute Interview : The 30-Minute Interview: J. Ben Wauford
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/the-30-minute-interview-the-30-minute-interview-j-ben-wauford/
Link To Post : The 30-Minute Interview : The 30-Minute Interview: J. Ben Wauford
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Stock index futures signal more gains

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly firmer open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones 0.1 percent higher at 0936 GMT, while those for the Nasdaq 100 added 0.2 percent.


U.S. producer prices, housing starts and building permits for January are all due at 1330 GMT, with the data expected to show a slight acceleration in factory price pressures alongside a continued recovery in the housing market.


The market focus, though, is likely to be on the minutes from the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee's January meeting, due at 1900 GMT, which will be scanned for clues on how long monetary policy is likely to remain ultra accommodative.


The earnings season continues, with Devon Energy Corp., Fluor Corp. and Newfield Exploration among those due to report.


With the season now three quarters of the way through, 28 percent of S&P 500 companies have missed full-year earnings forecasts, with 41 percent undershooting on revenues, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.


Dell Inc : The world's No.3 maker of personal computers reported a 31 percent drop in profit, hurt by a shrinking consumer business, as investors weighed founder Michael Dell's offer to buy out the firm.


Demand Media Inc : The company said it is exploring the separation of its media business from its domain name service, a disclosure that sent its shares up nearly 20 percent in after-hours trading.


Boeing : The aircraft maker has found a way to fix battery problems with its grounded 787 Dreamliner jets which involves increasing the space between cells, a source familiar with the U.S. company's plans told Reuters.


Life Technologies : An $11 billion-plus sale of Life Technologies Corp is looking less likely as a gap in price expectations with the company has left potential buyer Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc skeptical about a deal while buyout firms' offers came up short, people familiar with the matter said this week.


Herbalife : The diet supplements company raised its 2013 earnings forecast late on Tuesday.


Heinz : The FBI is looking into possible insider trading in the options of the ketchup maker before its blockbuster deal last week to be acquired by Warren Buffett and Brazil's 3G Capital.


Sina Corp : The operator of China's largest online portal posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue and profit amid concerns about the slowing growth of Chinese online advertising.


Milennial Media : The mobile advertising firm's fourth-quarter sales missed Wall Street expectations, and the company forecast first-quarter revenue below analysts' estimates, sending its shares down as much as 33 percent after the bell.


Marriott International : The hotel operator reported better-than-expected quarterly results, aided by rising international travel and higher rates, and said it expects per-room revenue to rise further in 2013.


Nabors Industries : The owner of the world's largest onshore drilling rig fleet, reported a 44 percent jump in profit, but revenue fell as its major customers curtailed spending amid the worst slowdown in gas-directed drilling in more than a decade.


Total System Services Inc : The Payment processor said it will buy prepaid debit card provider NetSpend Holdings Inc for about $1.4 billion in cash to expand its presence in the prepaid card market and target new customers.


European shares traded flat on Wednesday, consolidating after the previous session's sharp gains, held back by weak earnings newsflow and as traders cited caution ahead of the minutes to the U.S. Federal Reserve's January policy meeting. <.eu/>


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 53.91 points, or 0.39 percent on Tuesday to 14,035.67 points - just 0.9 percent away from its record high. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> closed up 0.73 percent at 1,530.94, while the Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> added or 0.68 percent to 3,213.59.


(Reporting By Toni Vorobyova; Editing by Susan Fenton)



Read More..

Renowned Washington DC Plastic Surgeon Speaks to Women for Fab Over 50 Event






WASHINGTON, DC–(Marketwire – Feb 19, 2013) – Dr. Mark Richards, a Washington DC plastic surgeon, has received national acclaim for helping women turn back the clock. At Ageless Impressions Plastic Surgery Institute, he offers women a wide range of procedures ranging from breast lift surgery to non-surgical skin treatments in order to assist them in achieving their cosmetic ”natural looking” beauty goals. He has been asked to speak at the Fabulous at Any Age Beauty Bash, an event coordinated by Fab Over 50 and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).


Fab Over 50 is an organization for women over the age of 50 to share lifestyle tips and advice. The event, Fabulous at Any Age Beauty Bash, is being run by Fab Over 50 founder Geri Brin in conjunction with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Dr. Richards is one of a limited number of board-certified plastic surgeons presenting at the event that will take place at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Saturday February 23rd.






Dr. Richards will present two 20-minute talks. The first presentation will address cheek lift surgery as the key to rejuvenating the face. A cheek lift, often referred to as a mid-facelift, is a relatively new procedure that addresses an area of the face that traditional facelifts often fail to restore effectively. The benefits of the procedure include:


  • More oval-shaped cheeks and face

  • Reduced appearance of lines from the nose to the edges of the mouth

  • Restored fullness to the upper cheek under the eyes to eliminate the tired appearance of lower eyelids

The second presentation Dr. Richards will deliver addresses bio-identical hormone therapy for women. The benefits of bio-identical hormone therapy include:


  • Alleviating the symptoms caused by decreased production of hormones

  • Re-establishing the protective benefits provided by higher tissue levels of naturally occurring hormones for the heart, brain, bones, joints, etc.

  • The reversal of many of the diseases and difficulties associated with aging

Dr. Richards hopes to educate the participants of Fabulous at Any Age Beauty Bash on two procedures that have had a relatively low public awareness. At Ageless Impressions Plastic Surgery Institute, he hopes to show his Washington DC plastic surgery patients that regardless of age, they have a community of professionals who want to help them continue to look and feel their best.


About Mark E. Richards, MD
Dr. Mark Richards is a graduate of Yale University and earned his medical degree at the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland. He is a board-certified surgeon and has been recognized in the Consumer’s Research Council of America’s Guide to America’s Top Surgeons annually since 2002. Dr. Richards is available for interview upon request.


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance





Title Post: Renowned Washington DC Plastic Surgeon Speaks to Women for Fab Over 50 Event
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/renowned-washington-dc-plastic-surgeon-speaks-to-women-for-fab-over-50-event/
Link To Post : Renowned Washington DC Plastic Surgeon Speaks to Women for Fab Over 50 Event
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

European shares edge higher, euro flat ahead German data

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares edged higher and the euro was steady on Tuesday ahead of German economic sentiment data, while the yen rose after Japanese ministers played down talk the Bank of Japan might buy foreign bonds to loosen credit.


Following last week's GDP figures showing that the euro zone saw a weaker end to 2012 than expected, forecasters see a pick-up in Germany's ZEW survey of investors and analysts at 1000 GMT, which may point to rebound in the bloc's biggest economy.


European stock markets, which have lost around 1.5 percent since the end of January, bounced backed from Monday's weak session in early trading, with the FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> up 0.4 percent led by 0.7 and 0.5 percent gains on Paris's CAC-40 <.fchi> and Frankfurt's DAX <.gdaxi>.


Underscoring the drag Europe's economic sluggishness is creating, new figures showed car firms had their weakest January since the records of the Association of European Carmakers began in 1990, with sales dropping 8.5 percent.


Berkeley Futures associate director Richard Griffiths said the Euro STOXX 50 and German DAX <.gdaxi> equity index could fall by between 3 and 4 percent over the coming month as economic weakness acts to cap investor sentiment.


"Any inroads to the upside will be hard to come by," he said. "We're in for a period of consolidation, with the risk more to the downside."


In the bond market, benchmark German Bunds edged up as demand for low-risk debt was also supported by concerns over the possibility of an inconclusive outcome to the Italian parliamentary election on Sunday and Monday, though gains were capped ahead of the German sentiment data.


The euro was little changed against the dollar at $1.3345 by 0900 GMT after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi reiterated on Monday that the bank would continue to monitor whether the currency's recent strength was likely to push inflation below its comfort zone.


The yen rose after Japanese ministers played down talk of foreign-bond buying by the country's central bank, a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said such a policy could be one option for monetary easing.


Finance Minister Taro Aso told a news conference that he was not considering foreign-bond purchases as a part of monetary easing, while Economy Minister Akira Amari said Abe's comments on Monday simply referred to policy options countries have in general.


Their comments sent the dollar down to 93.39 yen. The euro eased 0.6 percent to 124.70 yen, well below its peak since April 2010 of 127.71 yen touched on February 6.


(Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)



Read More..

Take advantage of the sales tax deduction






Taxes » Tax Deductions » Take Advantage Of The Sales Tax Deduction


Most states and cities get a good portion of their operating revenue from sales taxes tagged onto just about everything you buy. But on the federal level, Uncle Sam lets taxpayers use those taxes to help reduce their IRS bills.






The sales tax deduction is particularly welcomed by taxpayers in states that do not collect income taxes but do levy state sales taxes. It also could benefit taxpayers who face substantial local sales taxes. Even some residents of states with both types of taxes might find the sales tax deduction is more valuable to them than the income tax write-off.


Most people typically pay more in state income taxes than in state and local sales taxes. But double check just in case. Depending on your state’s income tax rate and how much you made (and paid), your sales tax amount could be greater. You can only deduct income or sales taxes, but not both.


But regardless of your state’s tax collection practices, to take full advantage of the sales tax deduction, you have to know exactly how to file for it and just which taxes you can claim.


Choosing your tax deduction method


The process begins with your answers to two filing questions. First, do you plan to itemize? If so, then which write-off — sales taxes or income taxes — will give you the biggest break?


Deciding whether to itemize deductions or claim the standard amount is always a key tax-time choice. The Internal Revenue Service says that most people take the standard deduction. It’s easy to claim; there are no forms or work sheets to fill out and each year the standard deduction increases, thanks to inflation adjustments.


But if you use the standard deduction, you can’t take the sales tax break. To claim the sales taxes you paid, you must itemize.


If sales taxes are your only deductible expense, then it’s not worth it to itemize. This one itemized deduction will likely be much less than your standard deduction, and you always want to take the largest tax deduction amount you’re allowed.


Taxpayers who itemize expenses will have to decide which option — deducting sales taxes or income taxes — will give them the biggest break.


Writing off the right amount


Then there’s the issue of just how much in sales taxes you can claim. If you have the documentation, there is no limit on the deduction amount.


Even if you don’t have all your receipts, you still might be able to recreate many of your sales tax payments. William Abrams, a partner in the law firm Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson LLP, with offices in California and New York, notes that many types of records, such as credit card statements, are available online. By accessing them, he says, taxpayers could improve the accuracy of their annual sales-tax computations.


The actual receipt calculation might be worthwhile if you made a lot of purchases last year. Scenarios involving costly and taxable expenditures include:


  • You bought a lot of electronic equipment.

  • You moved to your first or a new home and furnished it.

  • You bought expensive jewelry, such as an engagement ring.

  • You paid for the wedding that followed that ring purchase.

“You’re more likely to have kept receipts for these items for insurance purposes or because they were mind-boggling,” says Bob D. Scharin, senior tax analyst from the Tax and Accounting business of Thomson Reuters. “Basically, you’re looking for spending that’s disproportionate to your income.”


Most filers, however, will claim the amount that the IRS has figured for them in special sales-tax tables; one for each applicable state. The deduction amounts are based on the average consumption by taxpayers, taking into account filing status, number of dependents, adjusted gross income and rates of state and local general sales taxation.


The IRS tables with standard sales tax deduction amounts can be found in the Schedule A instructions. The IRS also offers an online sales tax deduction calculator.


Counting all your income


But even with the tables, it’s not quite that simple. In using the data, you need to keep a couple of things in mind to get the biggest deduction.


First, don’t rely solely on your 1040 information when you read the table. The figure you enter on your federal return is taxable income, but Scharin says that the sales tax table amounts are based on total income, not just your adjusted, taxable income. You should take nontaxable income amounts into account for sales tax deduction purposes, he says, because the larger your total income, the larger your sales tax deduction.


These other types of income include municipal bond or other tax-exempt interest, workers’ compensation, nontaxable combat pay, the nontaxable portion of Social Security and other retirement benefits, as well as the nontaxable parts of an IRA, including a Roth IRA distribution.


Also, most of the tables only cover the state rates. “If you have a local sales tax, which many people don’t realize, you could be sacrificing some of the deduction if you use only the table amount,” says Scharin.


To account for local sales taxes, you’re going to have to do some extra calculating. If you’re not using tax software, a work sheet, also in the Schedule A instructions, will help you determine the correct number.


You also could have some extra math to do if you lived in different states that collected sales taxes. In this case, you must determine each state’s sales tax amount to arrive at your appropriate, combined deduction.


Sales taxes you paid on the purchase of motor vehicles, boats, aircraft and, in some cases, building materials for a substantial addition to or renovation of an existing structure also can be counted on top of your sales tax table and local tax amounts. These additional amounts will be accounted for in the previously mentioned sales tax work sheet.


While all these considerations will definitely mean more work for some taxpayers, Scharin says, “If you went this far and you’re itemizing, you might as well get your full deduction.”


More From Bankrate.com


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





Title Post: Take advantage of the sales tax deduction
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/take-advantage-of-the-sales-tax-deduction/
Link To Post : Take advantage of the sales tax deduction
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Euro, dollar up after G20, stocks ease on growth concern

LONDON (Reuters) - The euro and the dollar rose against the yen on Monday after the G20 decided not to criticize Japan for its expansionist policies, but shares eased as Europe's weak growth outlook weighed on sentiment.


Financial leaders from the world's 20 biggest economies promised on Saturday not to devalue their currencies to boost exports, aiming to defuse talk of currency wars that had been roiling the markets.


The euro gained 0.2 percent to 125.32 yen, edging up toward a 34-month high of 127.71 yen hit earlier this month, while the dollar rose 0.6 percent to 94 yen, closer to its highest level since May 2010 of 94.46 hit on February 11.


"Future yen direction will continue to be driven by domestic monetary policy from the Bank of Japan and improving international investor confidence, which are both driving the yen weaker," said Lee Hardman, currency analyst at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is poised to nominate a new BOJ governor. Sources told Reuters that former financial bureaucrat Toshiro Muto, considered likely to be less radical than other candidates, was leading the field.


Abe said on Monday that buying foreign bonds was a future option for the Bank of Japan, which would entail selling of the yen by the central bank.


The euro was also rising against the dollar, gaining 0.1 percent to $1.3375 ahead of address by European Central Bank president Mario Draghi to the region's parliament which may touch on the outlook for the single currency after the G20 meeting.


In European markets, attention was also switching to the release of euro area Purchasing Managers' Indexes for February and German sentiment indices due later in the week, and the upcoming general elections in Italy.


Analysts expect Thursday's euro area flash PMI indices, which point to economic activity around six months out, to show growth stabilizing across the recession-hit region, leaving hopes for a recovery in the second half of the year intact.


Concerns over an inconclusive outcome in Italian elections at the end of the week added to the weaker sentiment as a fragmented parliament could hamper a future government's reform efforts.


The worries about the outlook for Italy were encouraging investors back into safe have German government bonds on Monday, with 10-year Bund yields easing 3.6 basis points to be around 1.63 percent.


"Political uncertainty will keep Bunds well bid this week," ING rate strategist Alessandro Giansanti said, adding that only better than expected economic data could create selling pressure on German debt near term.


EARNINGS HIT


European equity markets were taking their lead from corporate earnings reports which have been reflecting the sluggish economic conditions across the region.


Danish brewer Carlsberg , which generates just over 60 percent of its sales in western Europe, became the latest company to report a weaker-than-expected quarterly profit, sending its shares to lowest level in nearly a month.


The 5 percent drop in price for shares in the world's fourth biggest brewery helped send the FTSEurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> of top European shares down 0.4 percent in morning trade. Germany's DAX <.gdaxi>, the UK FTSE <.ftse> and France's CAC-40 <.fchi> were all also slightly weaker. <.l><.eu/>


Earlier, the effect of the G20 statement and the comments from Abe indicating a renewed drive to stimulate the economy lifted the Nikkei stock index <.n225> by 2.1 percent, near to its highest level since September 2008.


U.S. stock futures were barely changed and are expected to stay little changed as Wall Street will be closed on Monday for the Presidents' Day holiday. <.n/>


MSCI's world equity index <.miwd00000pus> was flat as markets extended two-week period of consolidation that has followed the big run up in January when demand was buoyed by the efforts of global central banks to stimulate the world economy.


Data from EPFR Global, a US-based firm that tracks the flows and allocations of funds globally, shows investors pulled $3.62 billion from U.S. stock funds in the latest week, the most in 10 weeks after taking a neutral stance the prior week.


But demand for emerging market equities remained strong, with investors putting $1.81 billion in new cash into stock funds, the fund-tracking firm said.


CHINA RETURN


In the commodity markets traders played catch up after a week-long holiday last week in China, the world's second biggest consumer of many raw materials, had kept activity subdued, with worries about the euro zone economy weighing on sentiment.


Copper, for which China is the world's largest consumer, fell 0.8 percent to $8,135 a metric ton (1.1023 tons) on the London futures market.


Gold rebounded by 0.3 percent from a six-month low to be $1,614 an ounce as jewelers in China returned to the physical market after the Lunar New Year holiday.


Crude oil markets were mostly steady after some weak U.S. industrial production data on Friday [ID:nL1N0BF44A] was seen dampening demand, while tensions in the Middle East lent some support.


U.S. crude fell 20 cents to $95.66 a barrel but Brent inched up two cents $117.86.


(Reporting by Richard Hubbard; editing by Philippa Fletcher)



Read More..