Shares buoyed by Alcoa earnings, dollar gains on yen

LONDON (Reuters) – European shares rose slightly on Wednesday, ending two days of losses after aluminum giant Alcoa opened the U.S. earnings season with an optimistic outlook for world demand.

But with a light data day in prospect for Europe, featuring mainly German and Greek industrial output figures, and with European and UK central banks due to meet on Thursday, market movements were expected to be limited.

Shares in Alcoa, the largest aluminum producer in the United States, rose 1.3 percent in after-hours trade after it reported a fourth-quarter profit in line with Wall Street expectations and revenues which beat forecasts.

“Alcoa’s results are generally considered a bellwether for the global economy and the fact that the aluminum giant forecasts higher demand in 2013 appeased investors,” Stan Shamu, a market strategist at IG, wrote in a trading note.

The results lifted Asia stock markets and saw Europe’s FTSE Eurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> gain around 0.4 percent in early trade. London’s FTSE 100 <.ftse>, Paris’s CAC-40 <.fchi> and Frankfurt’s DAX <.gdaxi> were up to 0.6 percent higher.</.gdaxi></.fchi></.ftse></.fteu3>

U.S. stock futures suggested a firmer Wall Street start with a 0.15 percent gain. <.l><.eu><.n></.n></.eu></.l>

Corporate profits are expected to be higher than the third quarter’s lackluster results, but analysts’ estimates are down sharply from where they were in October.

“Expectations are quite low going into the earnings season as we saw a lot of downward guidance in the past few months. There is potential for an upside surprise to come through,” Robert Parkes, equity strategist at HSBC Securities, said.

In European fixed income markets German Bund prices dipped slightly as investors prepared for the government’s auction of 5 billion euros worth of new five year bonds following successful debt sales in Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland on Tuesday.

The dollar meanwhile was stronger against the Japanese yen on expectations of a much bolder monetary easing from the Bank of Japan at its next meeting later this month.

The U.S. currency was up 0.7 percent at 87.65 yen, having hit an intraday low near 86.83 yen in Tokyo, its lowest in nearly a week and a loss of about 1.9 percent from last Friday’s peak of 88.48 yen, its highest since July 2010.

The euro held steady against the dollar at $ 1.3080,

Brent crude oil was also steady below $ 112 per barrel as the market awaited the latest trade data from China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, due on Thursday.

“What we’re seeing in the oil markets is the cautious sentiment playing up ahead of some key economic events this week,” said Ker Chung Yang, senior investment analyst at Phillips Futures in Singapore.

However, iron ore jumped to its highest since October 2011, stretching a rally that has lifted prices by more than a third since December as China replenished stockpile’s and supply in the spot market remained limited.

(Additional reporting by Atul Prakash; editing by Anna Willard)

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Beware the costly, complicated AMT

Taxes » Income Taxes » Beware The Costly, Complicated AMT

Three letters, AMT, are striking tax fear in the hearts of more and more middle-class filers.

These folks are simply trying to use the tax code, legally, to lower their annual Internal Revenue Service bills. They claim exemptions for eligible dependents, deduct the interest on their mortgage and associated equity loan, and write off the state income taxes they pay. Some of these tax breaks, however, will do them no good under the alternative minimum tax system.

Commonly referred to as the AMT, this tax has its own set of rates (26 percent and 28 percent) and requires a separate computation that could substantially boost your tax bill. Basically, it’s the difference between your regular tax bill, figured using ordinary income tax rates, and your AMT bill, figured by filling out more IRS paperwork. When there’s a difference, you must pay that amount, the AMT, in addition to your regular tax.

The AMT was designed in 1969 to ensure that wealthy taxpayers didn’t use loopholes to escape paying their fair share of taxes. The original target was 155 filers with the then-exorbitant income of $ 200,000 who avoided paying any federal taxes.

Permanent AMT relief

When an AMT payment is required, affected taxpayers could end up paying thousands more in taxes.

That possibility has been a major threat since the alternative tax’s creation because it was not indexed for inflation. Without that annual adjustment, a yearly raise of a few percentage points meant a taxpayer was closer to or even into the income realm that the tax law deemed almost 40 years ago as prime AMT bait.

You could owe AMT if your taxable income in 2012 was more than:

• $ 78,750 for a married couple filing a joint return and surviving spouses.


• $ 50,600 for singles and heads of household.


• $ 39,375 for a married person filing separately.

In past years, Congress bumped up the earnings amounts to keep more middle-income filers from paying more under the AMT system.

And on Jan. 2, 2013, with the enactment of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, the AMT was permanently indexed for inflation.

Calculation insult to tax injury

Adding insult to injury, the AMT’s parallel system demands that taxpayers do more work to pay more in taxes. The effort is required in filing paperwork (the dense, two-page Form 6251, Alternative Minimum Tax — Individuals) and maintenance of separate records for regular and alternative tax purposes.

Even filers who escape actual payment of the higher tax still must do additional work just to learn that they are off the AMT hook.

To help sort through the AMT mess, some taxpayers turn to computer software packages, most of which include AMT computation, or hire professional help. Both choices should help you stay on the IRS’ good side, especially if you owe AMT, or at least put your mind at ease if you don’t.

But the options also will add to the overall cost of calculating your tax bill.

Free help in figuring your AMT

For the last couple of years, the IRS has provided some free AMT calculation assistance.

AMT Assistant is an online tool to help taxpayers determine whether they owe the tax. You just answer a few questions about entries on your draft 1040 and the system does the rest. Based on your entries, the calculator will tell you that either you do not owe the AMT or that you must go further and complete more computations to find out if you owe the AMT.

The AMT Assistant is especially welcome to filers who still do their taxes by hand, because the automated program essentially replaces the tedious work sheet taxpayers are instructed to use to determine if they fall under the AMT.

With the online program, says the IRS, most people will spend only about 10 minutes to find out their AMT fates.

There are a few special instances where a filer will need to take a few extra online steps, such as claiming the foreign tax credit, dealing with disaster-related tax issues or preparing a return for a child. But most taxpayers will need just Form 1040, completed through line 44, (that’s the tax you owe under the regular system), and Schedule A if itemizing.

You don’t have to enter your name, Social Security number or other identifying data. The program, which guides you through a series of question-and-answer pages, only wants the numerical data from your forms.

When you’re finished, it will tell you whether you now have to fill out the AMT form, but it won’t tell you the actual tax damage. You’ll still have to fill out Form 6251 to find out that amount.

AMT starting point

How do you know, without using tax software or the AMT Assistant, if you might be caught in the AMT net? There are some indicators, but it’s not always easy to tell.

The starting point for figuring any AMT is your regular taxable income. This is the stage where the AMT Assistant (or work sheet, if you still insist on doing things by hand) kicks in.

Basically, some of the deductions you claimed to figure your regular tax bill must be added back. These are known as tax-preference items. You also might find a special exemption amount is subtracted. The resulting amount is subject to the alternative tax.

Many of the tax breaks not allowed under the AMT system do affect predominantly wealthy individuals or businesses with complicated tax circumstances. These include incentive stock options, intangible drilling costs, tax-exempt interest from certain private activity bonds, and depletion and accelerated depreciation on certain leased personal or real property.

Common tax breaks disallowed

The AMT also rejects or reduces many common tax breaks used every year by individual taxpayers to lower their IRS bills.

For example, under the AMT, you cannot deduct state and local taxes. This is a major blow to many filers, because most states collect income taxes and all jurisdictions have some type of levy that generally can be counted against a federal tax bill.

Medical costs are still allowed, but the AMT requires they exceed at least 10 percent of your adjusted gross income rather than the 7.5 percent threshold of the regular tax system for tax year 2012. In 2013, as part of health care reform the allowable medical deduction threshold amount for regular tax and AMT will be 10 percent of AGI.

Miscellaneous itemized deductions, although limited under the regular tax system, are disallowed under the AMT. Even large families can be hit. If your personal exemption total is big, look out.

Own a home? Some cherished home-related tax breaks take an AMT hit. While mortgage interest on your main and second home is still AMT-deductible, home equity loan interest is restricted. It can’t be deducted unless the money is used solely to pay for home improvements. Your home’s property taxes also are disallowed as deductions under the AMT.

Other commonly claimed credits also technically affect AMT calculations, such as those for dependent care and education costs. However, for the last few years the congressional AMT patch has allowed AMT taxpayers to continue to count these in their calculations.

Once you add back these AMT disallowances and run the numbers, you might be subject to a bigger IRS bill if your taxable income exceeds the annual exemption amount for your filing status.

If you find you must pay the AMT, the extra money you owe, along with the added paperwork hassle, is never welcome. But dealing with it now is better than the alternative: letting the IRS discover that you should have paid it. When Uncle Sam comes asking for back taxes, he wants interest and penalties, too.

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Global shares buoyed by Alcoa earnings, dollar gains on yen

LONDON (Reuters) - World shares staged a modest recovery from two days of losses on Wednesday after aluminum giant Alcoa opened the U.S. earnings season with an optimistic outlook for world demand.

However, with European and British central banks due to hold policy meetings on Thursday, the same day Spain will test demand for its debt and China releases its latest trade data, investors were in a cautious mood.

Alcoa, the largest aluminum producer in the United States, rose 1.3 percent in after-hours trade after it reported a fourth-quarter profit in line with Wall Street expectations and revenues that beat forecasts.

The results lifted Asian stock markets and pushed Europe's FTSE Eurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> up around 0.2 percent in early trade, leaving the MSCI world equity index <.miwd00000pus> up 0.1 percent. London's FTSE 100 <.ftse>, Paris's CAC-40 <.fchi> and Frankfurt's DAX <.gdaxi> were flat to 0.2 percent higher.

U.S. stock futures were up 0.15 percent, suggesting a firmer start on Wall Street. <.l><.eu><.n/>

Corporate profits are expected to be higher than the third quarter's lackluster results, but analysts' estimates are down sharply from where they were in October.

"Expectations are quite low going into the earnings season as we saw a lot of downward guidance in the past few months. There is potential for an upside surprise to come through," said Robert Parkes, equity strategist at HSBC Securities.

SOVEREIGN DEBT TEST

In European fixed income markets German Bund prices dipped slightly as investors prepared for the government's auction of 5 billion euros' worth of new five-year bonds following successful debt sales in Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland on Tuesday.

Investors were also looking ahead to Spanish and Italian bond auctions on Thursday for the new year's first test of market appetite for peripheral euro zone debt.

The Spanish auction could also provide clues on the timing of a much anticipated request by Madrid for fresh financial aid from the ECB. [ID:nL5E9C46KK]

The dollar meanwhile climbed against the yen, moving back towards a 2-1/2 year high hit last week, on expectations of a much bolder monetary easing from the Bank of Japan at its next meeting later this month.

The U.S. currency was up 0.7 percent at 87.61 yen, above a near one-week low of 86.82 hit earlier in Tokyo.

"No one is going to want to be short yen going into the BOJ meeting," said Derek Halpenny, European head of FX research at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi.

Sources familiar with the BOJ's thinking told Reuters the central bank was likely to adopt a 2 percent inflation target at the meeting, double its current goal, and issue a statement with the government pledging to pursue bold monetary easing steps.

The BOJ will also consider easing monetary policy again this month, probably through a further increase in its 101 trillion yen ($1.2 trillion) asset buying and lending programme, the sources said.

The euro held steady against the dollar at $1.3080, with most analysts forecasting the European Central Bank will keep interest rates on hold on Thursday, though some believe rates will be cut later this year.

CHINA DEMAND EYED

Brent crude oil slipped around 0.3 percent to below $112 per barrel as the market awaited the latest trade data from China, the world's biggest energy consumer, due on Thursday.

"What we're seeing in the oil markets is the cautious sentiment playing up ahead of some key economic events this week," said Ker Chung Yang, senior investment analyst at Phillips Futures in Singapore.

However, iron ore jumped to its highest since October 2011, stretching a rally that has lifted prices by more than a third since December as China replenished stockpiles and as supply in the spot market remained limited.

Iron ore, a raw material used to make steel, has now risen 83 percent since falling to below $87 in September.

(Additional reporting by Nia Williams and Atul Prakash; Editing by Will Waterman)

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'Bama bashes Notre Dame 42-14 in BCS title game

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Barely taking time to celebrate their latest national championship, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide are ready to get back to work.

That's how they make it look so easy.

In what must be an increasingly frustrating scene for the rest of college football, another season ended with Saban and his players frolicking in the middle of a confetti-strewn field. Eddie Lacy ran all over Notre Dame, AJ McCarron turned in another dazzling performance through the air, and the Tide defense shut down the Fighting Irish until it was no longer in doubt.

The result was a 42-14 blowout in the BCS title game Monday night, not only making Alabama a back-to-back champion, but a full-fledged dynasty with three crowns in four years.

This one was especially satisfying to Saban.

"People talk about how the most difficult thing is to win your first championship," he said. "Really, the most difficult one to win is the next one, because there's always a feeling of entitlement."

Rest assured, that feeling won't last long in Tuscaloosa.

While Saban insisted he was "happy as hell" and "has never been prouder of a group of young men," it was hard to tell. He was already talking about reporting to the office Wednesday morning and getting started on next season.

"One of these days, when I'm sitting on the side of the hill watching the stream go by, I'll probably figure it out even more," Saban said. "But what about next year's team? You've got to think about that, too."

So, in short order, he'll be talking with underclassmen about entering the NFL draft, making sure everyone goes back to class on schedule, and getting started on that next depth chart.

"The Process," as he calls it, never stops.

"We're going to enjoy it for 24 hours or so," Saban said.

No. 2 Alabama quieted the top-ranked Irish on the very first drive — so much for waking up the echoes — and could've started the celebration at halftime, heading to the locker room with a commanding 28-0 lead.

The Tide (13-1) pushed it out to 35-0 midway through the third quarter on the third of McCarron's four touchdown passes, a 34-yarder to Amari Cooper with a defender nowhere in sight.

At that point, Alabama was on a 69-0 blitz in national title games, having scored the last 13 points in its 2010 triumph over Texas and blanked LSU 21-0 for last year's BCS crown.

When Everett Golson finally scored for Notre Dame (12-1) with about 4 minutes remaining in the third, it snapped a scoreless stretch of nearly two full games — 108 minutes and 7 seconds — by the Tide.

"It was just a complete game by the offense, defense and special teams," said Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley, the defensive MVP with eight tackles, one of them behind the line.

Despite the dazzling numbers by McCarron — 20 of 28 for 264 yards — he was denied a second straight offensive MVP award in the title game. That went to Lacy, who finished with 140 yards rushing on 20 carries and scored two TDs. Not a bad finish for the junior, who surely helped his status in the NFL draft should he decide to turn pro.

Lacy also was MVP of the Southeastern Conference championship game, rushing for a career-best 181 yards in the thrilling victory over Georgia that gave Alabama a chance to repeat as champion.

The Tide will have some big holes to fill, no matter who decides to leave school early, with offensive tackle D.J. Fluker and cornerback Dee Milliner also pondering their draft prospects. There's not a lot of seniors on the roster, but All-America linemen Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack and safety Robert Lester are among those who definitely won't be back.

But Alabama had some huge holes to fill a year ago, too, with five players drafted in the first 35 picks.

That worked out just fine.

The Crimson Tide wrapped up its ninth Associated Press national title, breaking a tie with Notre Dame for the most by any school and gaining a measure of redemption for a bitter loss to the Irish almost four decades ago: the epic 1973 Sugar Bowl in which Ara Parseghian's team edged Bear Bryant's powerhouse 24-23.

"The process is ongoing," said Saban, tightlipped as ever and showing little emotion after the fourth BCS national title of his coaching career. "We have a 24-hour rule around here. We enjoy everything for 24 hours."

Notre Dame went from unranked in the preseason to the top spot in the rankings by the end of the regular season, winning two games in overtime and three other times by seven points or less.

But the long wait for a championship — the Irish haven't finished No. 1 since 1988 — will have to wait at least one more year.

"They just did what Alabama does," moaned Manti Te'o, Notre Dame's star linebacker and Heisman Trophy finalist, trying to digest an embarrassing loss in his final college game.

Golson will be back.

He completed his first season as the starter by going 21 of 36 for 270 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. But the young quarterback got no help from the running game, which was held to 32 yards — 170 below its season average.

"We've got to get physically stronger, continue close the gap there," said Brian Kelly, the Irish's third-year coach. "Just overall, we need to see what it looks like. Our guys clearly know what it looks like now — a championship football team. That's back-to-back national champions. That's what it looks like. That's what you measure yourself against there. It's pretty clear across the board what we have to do."

Kelly vowed this was only beginning, insisting the bar has been raised in South Bend no matter what the outcome.

"We made incredible strides to get to this point," he said. "Now it's pretty clear what we've got to do to get over the top."

Alabama is already there but still longing for more, not content even after the second-biggest rout of the BCS era that began in 1999. The only title game that was more of a blowout was USC's 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl, a title that was later vacated because of NCAA violations.

You could almost hear television sets around the country flipping to other channels as Alabama poured it on, a hugely anticipated matchup between two of the nation's most storied programs reduced to a laugher when the Tide scored on its first three possessions.

"We're going for it next year again," said offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandijo, only a sophomore and already the owner of two rings. "And again. And again. And again. I love to win. That's why I came here."

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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Why Al Jazeera deal doesn't seem right

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Al Gore sold Current to al Jazeera and could net an estimated $70 million


• Howard Kurtz: Gore's Current network failed to gain an identity or viewers


• He says it's odd that the former vice president is selling to an oil-rich potentate


• Kurtz: Al Jazeera may have a tough time getting traction with U.S. viewers

Editor's note: Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and is Newsweek's Washington bureau chief. He is also a contributor to the website Daily Download.

(CNN) -- So Al Gore starts a liberal cable network, which turns into a complete and utter flop, then sells it to a Middle East potentate in a deal that will bring him an estimated $70 million.

Is America a great country or what?

There is something highly unusual -- OK, just plain weird -- about a former vice president of the United States doing this deal with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Howard Kurtz

Al Jazeera, owned by said emir's government, is trying to buy its way into the American television market by purchasing Current TV for a half billion dollars. The only thing stranger would be if Gore had sold Current to Glenn Beck -- oh wait, Beck did try to buy it and was told no way within 15 minutes.

So the sale was in part about ideology, which opens the door to examining why Gore believes Al Jazeera gives "voice to those who are not typically heard" and speaks "truth to power."

Bill O'Reilly, on Fox News, calls the network "anti-American." Fox pundit Dick Morris says Gore has sold to a fount of "anti-Israel propaganda." Such labels are rooted in the network's role during the height of the war on terror, when it aired smuggled videos of Osama bin Laden and was denounced by Bush administration officials.

Watch: How Lance Armstrong lied to me about doping

But Al Jazeera English, the spinoff channel launched in 2006, doesn't have the same reputation. In fact, no less a figure than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised it as "real news," and the channel has won journalism awards for its reporting on the Arab Spring and other global events.

To be sure, the main Al Jazeera network gives a platform to such figures as Yusuf al-Qaradawi. He's the Muslim cleric in Egypt who, The Washington Post gas reported, frequently appears on air to castigate Jews and America and has praised suicide bombings. But when I went to the home page of Al Jazeera English the other day, there was video of David Frost, the acclaimed British journalist who now works for the main network, interviewing Israeli President Shimon Peres.

That's not to say Al Jazeera America, the working name for the new channel, won't have its own biases. Al Jazeera English is sometimes determined to paint the U.S. in a negative light.

During a report on President Barack Obama signing a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which entails a legitimate controversy over civil liberties, the reporter said flatly that the law "violate(s) U.S. constitutional rights in the name of national security."

Watch: Can Al Jazeera make it in the American market?

Dave Marash, the ABC News veteran who once worked for Al Jazeera English, told me the network has a "post-colonial" view of America and its stories can be infused with that attitude.

And there are real questions about how independent these channels are from the Qatar government that helps bankroll them. The director-general of Al Jazeera, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim al-Thani, is a member of the country's royal family and has no background in journalism.

Such details add to the odd spectacle of the ex-veep, who would have been running Mideast policy had he won a few more votes in Florida, selling -- and some say selling out -- to the emir. Not to mention that the crusader against climate change is taking petrodollars from an empire built on oil, the bete noire of environmentalists.

Watch: Hey Fox, Hillary Clinton was sick after all

But what is Al Jazeera buying? The network is going to have a tough time cracking the American market.

Its earlier reputation makes the company highly controversial, and other cable carriers might follow the lead of Time Warner Cable (which is no longer owned by CNN's parent company, Time Warner) in refusing to carry it. These carriers agreed to air Current TV, after all, and contracts generally require them to approve a major change in programming.

Global politics aside, it may just be bad business. There's a reason Al Jazeera English, which will supply 40% of the content to the new channel, has barely gotten a foothold in the United States. Most Americans aren't lusting for a steady diet of international news.

Watch: Did Nancy Pelosi go too far in photoshopping picture of congresswomen?

There's no denying that Gore, a onetime newspaper reporter who had testy relations with the press during his 2000 campaign, presided over a lousy cable channel. No one quite knew what Current was during the years when it aired mostly low-rent entertainment fare and was famous mainly for North Korea taking two of its correspondents, including Lisa Ling's sister Laura, into custody.

Then Gore tried to relaunch it as a talking head channel to the left of MSNBC, hiring Keith Olbermann -- a relationship that ended with his firing and mutual lawsuits -- along with the likes of Eliot Spitzer and Jennifer Granholm, former Michigan governor. Gore himself offered commentary during major political events.

It was the utter failure of that incarnation of Current that prompted Gore and co-founder Joel Hyatt to put the thing up for sale.

Some detractors have slammed Gore for hypocrisy because, while he has advocated higher taxes on the rich, he tried to get the Al Jazeera deal done by December 31 to avoid the Obama tax hike. (The sale didn't close until January 2.) I don't see a problem trying to legally take advantage of changes in the tax code, no matter what your political stance.

Nor do I want to prejudge Al Jazeera America. The marketplace will decide its fate.

But there is something unsettling about Gore making off with such a big payday from a government-subsidized channel after making such bad television. Nice work if you can get it.

Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Howard Kurtz.

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Ryan Lochte gets E! reality show

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – You saw this one coming, right? Swimmer Ryan Lochte is getting a reality show on E!

The Olympic gold medal winner – known for his catchphrase “Jeah” (pronounced zh-yah) – will star in “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” The series will follow him as he meets women, copes with the fallout of his mom saying he only has time for one-night stands, explores his interest in fashion, and even occasionally swims.

In scenes shown at the Television Critics Association winter press tour Monday, Lochte was seen going out partying the night before he was due to swim, flirted, and made up words as he tried to explain himself. It was pretty funny.

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Kenya seen cutting rates on Thursday to boost growth

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s central bank is expected to cut its benchmark lending rate by one percentage point to 10 percent this week to stimulate the economy, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.

The central bank‘s rate-setting committee, which embarked on a monetary easing cycle last July, is scheduled to meet on January 10. Inflation is on-target inflation and the currency trading at a rate that suggests they have some wiggle room.

Ten out of 11 analysts polled by Reuters predicted a cut of 100-200 basis points, with the median forecast coming in at a cut of 100 basis points. One respondent expected policymakers to hold rates at 11 percent.

“The policy thrust will be towards easing the monetary policy stance to boost economic activity,” said Phumelele Mbiyo, regional head of research at CFC Stanbic bank.

He said the economy had not yet recovered from high lending rates in late 2011 and the first half of 2012. Inflation was subdued and it was likely to remain so for some time, he added.

Year-on-year inflation fell for the 13th straight month in December to 3.2 percent, far from commercial banks’ lending rates, which stand at about 20 percent.

“Real interest rates are too high for this point in the economic cycle,” Mbiyo said.

The economy expanded by 4.7 percent in the third quarter of 2012, faster than 4 percent in the same period in the previous year, but analysts said there was need for further stimulation.

“The economy is not firing with all cylinders although we saw a mild pick up in the third quarter but on a sequential quarter on quarter basis it remains subdued,” said Aly Khan Satchu, an independent trader and analyst.

“The central bank will, I am sure, err on the side of watering the green shoots.”

Even though the shilling fell to a seven months low against the dollar in the first trading session of this year, market participants said the currency has been stable, offering policymakers crucial breathing space.

The Monetary Policy Committee in the east African nation, which is in the throes of a divisive campaign season ahead of a March 4 presidential election, has lent to pro-economic growth policy in the past.

In 2011, the committee was criticised for failing to stem a slide in the shilling and a jump in the rate of inflation, by keeping interest rates artificially low to boost growth.

But its ability to guide economic growth to a faster rate through rapid reduction of lending rates has been curbed by a persistently high current account deficit that stands at above 10 percent of the gross domestic product.

Investors could also adopt a wait-and-see attitude this quarter due to the election. Historically, the economy has suffered from election-related stress.

It suffered from severe shocks after the results of the last election in 2007 were disputed, leading to tribal violence that left 1,250 people dead and displace many more.

“Investor uncertainty is likely to increase ahead of the March general election prompting huge capital outflows, which would continue to weaken the currency and increase inflationary pressures,” said Gaimin Nonyane, a senior macroeconomic specialist at Ecobank, which predicted a hold decision.

“This is in addition to a potential rise in election-related expenditure- this will inject liquidity into the economy and thus increase inflationary pressures.”

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Medistem Inc. Appoints Biotechnology Veteran John Chiplin, Ph.D. to Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO, CA–(Marketwire – Jan 8, 2013) – Medistem Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : MEDS ), announced today that John Chiplin, Ph.D., has been elected to its Board of Directors. Dr. Chiplin has over 25 years of experience as a biopharmaceutical executive and is currently CEO of Polynoma, a Phase III cancer vaccine company. Dr. Chiplin is also on the Board of Directors of Benitec, an RNA interference company with which Medistem has authored two peer-reviewed scientific publications. Dr. Chiplin’s appointment expands the number of Medistem board members to six.

“To my knowledge Medistem is the only company in the history of cell therapy to take a cell from discovery to FDA clearance and clinical trials in the span of 4 years,” said Dr. Chiplin. “I believe Medistem has an outstanding management team and have watched with great interest the company’s evolution. I believe the company is well positioned to transform the stem cell industry and I look forward to helping shape the company’s future as a member of the board.”

Dr. Chiplin has broad-based experience in the life science and technology industries in both leadership and investment roles. Prior to Polynoma, Dr. Chiplin was founding CEO of Arana Therapeutics, a new generation antibody developer and a board member of Domantis, Inc., prior to the acquisition of these companies by Cephalon ($ 329 million) and GSK ($ 458 million), respectively. Prior to founding Arana, Dr. Chiplin was Managing Director of U.K. based ITI Life Sciences investment Fund. Dr. Chiplin holds Pharmacy and Doctoral degrees from the University of Nottingham, UK.

“We are delighted to have John join our board. The combination of scientific and business acumen, as well as practical knowledge of biotherapeutic development that John possesses is an extremely rare combination,” said Alan Lewis, Ph.D., CEO of Medistem. “John has been involved in several successful exits, we are looking forward to synergizing with his talents at optimizing the value of our universal donor stem cell product.”

About Medistem Inc.

Medistem Inc., is focused on the development of the Endometrial Regenerative Cell (ERC), a universal donor adult stem cell product. ERCs possess specialized abilities to stimulate new blood vessel growth and can differentiate into lung, liver, heart, brain, bone, cartilage, fat and pancreatic tissue. These unique properties have applications for treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), congestive heart failure (CHF), neurodegenerative diseases, liver failure, kidney failure, and diabetes. ERCs have been cleared by the FDA to begin studies in the United States.

Certain statements herein may be forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Medistem Inc. These can be identified by the use of forward‐looking words, such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” or any other analogous or similar expressions intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These forward‐looking statements and estimates as to future performance, estimates, and other statements contained herein regarding matters that are not historical facts, are only predictions and actual events or results may differ materially. We cannot assure or guarantee that any future results described in this presentation will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially as a result of a variety of factors, including the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance

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Stock index futures signal lower Wall Street open

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower Wall Street open on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.1 to 0.3 percent.

Alcoa and Monsanto are two of the first large companies to report quarterly results as the earnings season begins. Wall Street expects both the companies to show improved profit from a year ago.

ICSC/Goldman Sachs release chain store sales for the week ended January 5 at 1245 GMT. In the previous week, sales rose 0.6 percent.

Samsung Electronics said it likely earned a quarterly profit of $8.3 billion as it sold close to 500 handsets a minute and as demand picked up for the flat screens it makes for mobile devices, including those for rival Apple Inc products.

Redbook releases its Retail Sales Index of department and chain store sales for January at 1355 GMT. In the previous month, sales rose 0.1 percent.

Sears Holdings Corp said late on Monday Chief Executive Louis D'Ambrosio will step down for family health reasons after the U.S. retailer reported a 1.8 percent decline in quarter-to-date sales at stores open at least a year.

National Federation of Independent Business releases small business optimism index for December at 1230 GMT. In the previous month, the index read 87.5.

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> index of top European shares turned flat in morning session on Tuesday after opening lower, with gains in telecom stocks offsetting declines in financial and mining shares.

U.S. stocks lost ground on Monday, as investors drew back from recent gains that lifted the S&P 500 to a five-year high, in anticipation of sluggish growth in corporate profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> dropped 50.92 points, or 0.38 percent, to 13,384.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> fell 4.58 points, or 0.31 percent, to 1,461.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> lost 2.84 points, or 0.09 percent, to 3,098.81.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

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Here come the big boys

Here come the big boys.

The NFL's wild-card weekend is over, with nary an upset. Moving on are division winners Green Bay, Houston and Baltimore, along with NFC West runner-up Seattle and the only rookie quarterback still standing: Russell Wilson.

Ahead are some daunting challenges as the Ravens visit Denver, the Texans go to New England, the Packers head to San Francisco and the Seahawks journey to Atlanta.

Only the Seahawks-Falcons isn't a rematch.

Seattle isn't intimidated one bit about facing the NFC's top seed.

"Despite the fact that we have a 'nobody' team," Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman said after Sunday's convincing 24-14 comeback win at Washington, "a team not full of first-rounders and things like that, we have a lot of guys that play at a high level."

Of course, so do the Falcons (13-3), Broncos (13-3), Patriots (12-4) and 49ers (11-4-1).

"They have a great coach and a great quarterback and they have great role players on their team," Texans running back Arian Foster said of the Patriots, who routed Houston 42-14 last month. "I have a lot of respect for them, but we can play ball, too."

The Texans beat Cincinnati 19-13 on Saturday, then Green Bay took out Minnesota 24-10. In Sunday's other game, Baltimore eliminated Indianapolis 24-9.

The playoffs continue next Saturday with Baltimore (11-6) at Denver, followed by Green Bay (12-5) at San Francisco. The Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17 three weeks ago, while the 49ers knocked off the Packers 30-22 in the season opener.

On Sunday, it's Seattle (12-5) at Atlanta, followed by Houston (13-4) visiting New England.

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Ravens at Broncos

Not only is Baltimore thrilled to keep playing and keep star linebacker Ray Lewis' career going, but the Ravens got the opponent they sought for the divisional round.

"I wanted Denver," said Anquan Boldin, who set a franchise record with 145 yards receiving, including the clinching touchdown against Indianapolis (11-6). "Because they beat us. We'll make it different."

Lewis made 13 tackles in his first game back in nearly three months. He ended his last home game in Baltimore before his impending retirement by lining up at fullback for the final kneel-down. Then Lewis went into a short version of his trademark dance before being mobbed by teammates. He followed with a victory lap, his right triceps, covered by a brace, held high in salute to the fans.

Joe Flacco became the first quarterback to win a postseason game in each of his first five seasons and John Harbaugh is the first coach to do so.

"I love our team," Lewis said, "and I'm really looking forward to going out there and playing them next week."

The loss ended the Colts' turnaround season in which they went from 2-14 to the playoffs in coach Chuck Pagano's first year in Indianapolis. Pagano missed 12 weeks while undergoing treatment for leukemia and returned last week.

Andrew Luck completed 28 of 54 passes, the most attempts by a rookie in a playoff game, for 288 yards.

Packers at 49ers

It's been a long time since these teams met on kickoff weekend, and much has changed.

Green Bay has become a bit more balanced on offense and somewhat stingier on defense than it was back in September. San Francisco has second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick instead of Alex Smith, and receiver Michael Crabtree finally has developed into a threat.

The Packers held league rushing king Adrian Peterson to 99 yards in beating the Vikings (10-7), 100 yards less than he got on them the previous week.

"I don't think we had our identity at that point," QB Aaron Rodgers said of the Packers team San Francisco beat. "We were trying a lot of different things."

Seahawks at Falcons

Atlanta has flopped in its last three playoff games, including losing at home to Green Bay two years ago in a similar scenario.

Seattle won't bring as high-powered an offense as the Packers did to Atlanta, but it's versatile enough with the creative Wilson, bulldozing halfback Marshawn Lynch and a deep group of receivers.

The most significant challenge for the Falcons, though, will be a defense that completely shut down the Redskins and a hobbling Robert Griffin III for the final three quarters of their wild-card game.

Washington (10-7) had 129 yards in the first quarter and 74 for the rest of the game.

"Seventy yards in 3½ quarters is ridiculously good defense," coach Pete Carroll said after his Seahawks won their sixth straight and snapped Washington's seven-game winning streak.

Texans at Patriots

Both teams say the Monday night romp by New England on Dec. 10 is not an indicator of what's ahead. For their sake, the Texans better hope that is true.

"We didn't play our best football up there and we hurt ourselves with penalties and mistakes," said Foster, who rushed for 140 yards and a TD against the Bengals (10-7). "Anytime you give (the Patriots) opportunities, they'll take advantage of them. But we'll play our best up there."

They have no choice, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick fully expects a tighter game.

"When you play a team twice during the season, the games are totally different. They never go the same way," Belichick said. "We'll be able to certainly look at some of the matchups individually, guys that faced each (other) in the game. As far as plays and calls and things like that matching up, I'm sure they'll have some new wrinkles. I'm sure we'll have some, too. It will be totally different."

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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