Markets rise as sanctions spare Russian economy

LONDON — Relief that U.S. and European sanctions imposed in the wake of the Crimea referendum failed to touch on Russia's vital economic interests helped stock markets around the world, especially in Moscow, power ahead on Monday.

In the wake of the referendum in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which saw overwhelming support for the idea of joining Russia, the U.S. imposed sanctions on seven Russian government officials as well as four Ukrainians, including former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Meanwhile, the EU slapped travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people from Russia and Crimea. Those targeted are seen as having played key roles in what the U.S. and the EU consider to be an unlawful referendum.

The early response in financial markets suggests that most investors think the sanctions are fairly minimal and unlikely to lead to a big response from Russia.

"So far the sanctions seem fairly toothless and much less severe than had been expected last week," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com. "From the market's perspective, the biggest risk was that the referendum would trigger tough sanctions against Russia that could lead to another Cold War."

That certainly appears to be the case in Moscow, where the main RTS index spiked 5 percent on Monday. Elsewhere in Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.9 percent at 6,585 while Germany's DAX rose 1.2 percent to 9,167. The CAC-40 in France was 1.1 percent higher at 4,262.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 1.1 percent at 16,236 while the broader S&P 500 index rose 0.9 percent at 1,858.

Later this week, the focus in global markets will be on Wednesday's policy meeting at the U.S. Federal Reserve. Most investors think the Fed will continue trimming its monetary stimulus program at the pace it has already set. It is expected to cut the stimulus by $10 billion for a third time to $55 billion worth of monthly bond purchases.

Worries over the Chinese economy, the world's number 2, have also been a driver in financial markets over the past few weeks, particularly in Asia.

Earlier, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.3 percent to close at 14,277.67 while South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.4 percent to 1,927.53. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.3 percent to 21,473.95. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite rose 1 percent to 2,023.67 after officials announced on the weekend that exchange rate controls would be modestly eased. It was the latest step in an eventual plan to let the yuan float freely.

The dollar rose to 6.1773 yuan, up 0.4 percent from late Friday, and is at the highest since the end of June last year, according to FactSet data. The yuan has reversed course recently after strengthening steadily for years. Analysts believe the central bank is guiding the exchange rate lower against the dollar in an effort to discourage speculators from moving money into the country to profit from the yuan's rise.

The dollar was firm against the yen too, trading 0.4 percent higher at 101.63 yen. However, the euro rose 0.2 percent to $1.3940.

____

Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Microsoft releases OneNote for Macs, makes it free

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft Corp. on Monday released a version of its OneNote note-taking software for Macs and added new features and a free tier for all of the software's users in moves clearly targeted at up-and-coming productivity software rival Evernote.

The moves offer more consumers a taste of its Office 365 suite of software, which normally costs $99 a year. The free version of OneNote keeps some functions that give it an edge over the free tier of Evernote, including offline access to notes and the ability for multiple people to work on the same note simultaneously.

New Microsoft users also get 7 gigabytes of free online storage through its OneDrive cloud storage service. Free Evernote users are limited to uploading 60 megabytes of data per month. Evernote's premium users, who pay $45 a year, can upload 1 GB of data per month.

Some new features play catch-up to what Evernote offered already, including a OneNote Clipper button for Web browsers that saves Web pages as notes, and a universal email address me@onenote.com that gives users a single destination to email documents to themselves for saving as notes. Evernote has its own clipper and an individualized email address for sending notes to oneself.

People who purchase a full Office 365 Home Premium subscription — which includes the Outlook email program, Excel spreadsheet software and PowerPoint presentation tool — will be able to use OneNote functions that are better integrated with other Office programs and get 20 GB of cloud storage. Business users who pay to subscribe will have access to change history and tools that protect sensitive information.

The moves are part of a push by Microsoft to open up the company to working with other software platforms beyond Windows and to emphasize its cloud offerings. While the changes were in place before new CEO Satya Nadella took over in February, he fully supported the moves, said David Rasmussen, group program manager for OneNote.

"We want to actually remove all barriers for people to adopt this," Rasmussen said.

Microsoft didn't completely open up its latest software developments to other platforms, however.

One new function, which it calls Office Lens, allows users to take pictures of documents or whiteboards. The program squares up and cleans up the image before saving it as a note, making words recognizable and searchable through character recognition software. The feature comes as a free app only available for Windows Phone.

The premium tier of Evernote has a similar feature that allows users to take photos of business cards. The app automatically saves the information as a contact entry.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Online food service Just Eat to float in London

LONDON — Just Eat, an online food ordering service, has announced plans to float its shares on the London Stock Exchange.

The company, which lets customers order takeout food from local restaurants, plans to raise 100 million pounds ($166 million) in an initial public offering to expand its service.

The firm, which was founded in 2001 in Denmark, operates in 13 countries including Britain, France, Canada, Ireland and Spain. It has been based in London since 2006.

Just Eat generated revenue of 96.8 million pounds in 2013, up 62 percent compared with 2012.

The company estimates that the global food delivery market is worth 58 billion pounds globally, with online activity growing quickly.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama: Sanctions show costs to Russia on Crimea

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says new U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian officials make it clear "that there are consequences for their actions" in Crimea and he's warning that the U.S. stands ready to impose further sanctions if necessary.

The president stressed that the government has the authority to go after officials in the Russian arms sector and those who support Russian cronies if the government doesn't pursue a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

Obama on Monday froze the U.S. assets of seven Russian officials for their support of Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine in the most comprehensive sanctions against Russia since the end of the Cold War. The Treasury Department also is imposing sanctions on four Ukrainians involved in the separatist effort.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mass. to dump health website contractor

BOSTON — Massachusetts plans on cutting ties with the contractor for its hobbled health care insurance website.

The recommendation was made Monday by Sarah Iselin, who was hired by Gov. Deval Patrick to oversee a fix for the website problems that have plagued the state's transition to the requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act.

CGI Group, hired by Massachusetts last year, was also the lead contractor on the troubled federal health care website.

Iselin told a meeting of the state's health connector board that the decision was made to part ways with CGI, and has begun negotiations with the company on a transition.

Iselin said the state was leaning toward hiring a new vendor to fix the website, but added her team had ruled out a complete rebuild of the current site.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama announces sanctions on Russian officials

WASHINGTON — In the most comprehensive sanctions against Russia since the end of the Cold War, President Barack Obama on Monday froze the U.S. assets of seven Russian officials, including top advisers to President Vladimir Putin, for their support of Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine.

Obama said he was moving to "increase the cost" to Russia, and he warned that more people could face financial punishment.

"If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions," Obama said. He added in a brief statement from the White House that he still believes there could be a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and that the sanctions can be calibrated based on whether Russia escalates or pulls back in its involvement.

The Treasury Department also is imposing sanctions on four Ukrainians — including former President Viktor Yanukovych and others who have supported Crimea's separation — under existing authority under a previous Obama order.

"We are imposing sanctions on specific individuals responsible for undermining the sovereignty, territorial integrity and government of Ukraine. We're making it clear that there are consequences for their actions," Obama said.

Senior administration officials also said they are developing evidence against individuals in the arms industry and those they described as "Russian government cronies" to target their assets.

The administration officials said Putin wasn't sanctioned despite his support of the Crimean referendum because the U.S. doesn't usually begin with heads of state. But the officials, speaking to reporters on a conference call on the condition they not be quoted by name, say those sanctioned are very close to Putin and that the sanctions are "designed to hit close to home."

The U.S. announcement came shortly after the European Union announced travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people they have linked to the unrest in Crimea. Obama administration officials say there is some overlap between the U.S. and European list, which wasn't immediately made public. Biden was heading to Europe Monday and Obama plans to go next week. The president said that demonstrating a "solemn commitment to our collective defense" as NATO allies will be at the top of the agenda.

The sanctions were expected after residents in Crimea voted overwhelmingly Sunday in favor of the split. Crimea's parliament on Monday declared the region an independent state. The administration officials say there is some concrete evidence that some ballots for the referendum arrived pre-marked in many cities and "there are massive anomalies in the vote." The officials did not say what that evidence was.

The United States, European Union and others say the action violates the Ukrainian constitution and international law and took place in the strategic peninsula under duress of Russian military intervention. Putin maintained that the vote was legal and consistent with the right of self-determination, according to the Kremlin.

The administration officials said they will be looking at additional sanctions if Russia moves to annex Crimea or takes other action. Those targeted will have all U.S. assets frozen and no one in the United States can do business with them under Obama's order.

"Today's actions send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including their actions supporting the illegal referendum for Crimean separation," the White House said in a statement.

"Today's actions also serve as notice to Russia that unless it abides by its international obligations and returns its military forces to their original bases and respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the United States is prepared to take additional steps to impose further political and economic costs," the statement said.

Administration officials say those Obama targeted also are key political players in Russia also responsible for the country's tightening of human rights and civil liberties in the country. Obama's order targets were:

— Vladislav Surkov, a Putin aide

— Sergey Glazyev, a Putin adviser

— Leonid Slutsky, a state Duma deputy

— Andrei Klishas, member of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

— Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Federation Council

— Dmitry Rogozin, deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation.

— Yelena Mizulina, a state Duma deputy

The four newly targeted by the Treasury Department are:

— Yanukovych, who fled Ukraine for Russia and has supported the dispatch of Russian troops into Ukraine

— Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of Crimea separatist group Ukrainian Choice and a close friend of Putin

— Sergey Aksyonov, prime minister of Crimea's regional government

— Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament

___

Associated Press writer Nancy Benac contributed to this report.

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jack Daniel's opposes changing Tenn. whiskey law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — If it isn't fermented in Tennessee from mash of at least 51 percent corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, filtered through maple charcoal and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof, it isn't Tennessee whiskey. So says a year-old law that resembles almost to the letter the process used to make Jack Daniel's, the world's best-known Tennessee whiskey.

Now state lawmakers are considering dialing back some of those requirements that they say make it too difficult for craft distilleries to market their spirits as Tennessee whiskey, a distinctive and popular draw in the booming American liquor business.

But the people behind Jack Daniel's see the hand of a bigger competitor at work — Diageo PLC, the British conglomerate that owns George Dickel, another Tennessee whiskey made about 15 miles up the road.

"It's really more to weaken a title on a label that we've worked very hard for," said Jeff Arnett, the master distiller at the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. "As a state, I don't think Tennessee should be bashful about being protective of Tennessee whiskey over say bourbon or scotch or any of the other products that we compete with."

Republican state Rep. Bill Sanderson emphasized that his bill wouldn't do away with last year's law enacted largely on the behest of Jack Daniel's corporate parent, Louisville, Ky.,-based Brown-Forman Corp. The principal change would be to allow Tennessee whiskey makers to reuse barrels, which he said would present considerable savings over new ones that can cost $600 each.

"There are a lot of ways to make high-quality whiskey, even if it's not necessarily the way Jack Daniel's does it," Sanderson said. "What gives them the right to call theirs Tennessee whiskey, and not others?"

Sanderson acknowledged that he introduced the measure at Diageo's urging, but said it would also help micro distilleries opening across the state. Diageo picked up on the same theme.

"This isn't about Diageo, as all of our Tennessee whiskey is made with new oak," said Diageo executive vice president Guy L. Smith IV. "This is about Brown-Forman trying to stifle competition and the entrepreneurial spirit of micro distillers.

"We are not sure what they are afraid of, as we feel new innovative products from a new breed of distillers is healthy for the entire industry," he said.

Jack Daniel's last year sold 11.5 million cases of it Black Label last year, a 5 percent increase from 2012. Dickel, the second-largest Tennessee whiskey producer, sold 130,000 cases in 2013.

The standards and special branding of Tennessee whiskey are an outgrowth of the special designation granted long ago to bourbon. A half-century ago, Congress declared bourbon a distinctive product of the United States. By law, bourbon must be made of a grain mix of at least 51 percent corn, distilled at less than 160 proof, have no additives except water to reduce the proof and be aged in new, charred white oak barrels.

Spirits that don't follow those guidelines can't be sold as bourbon. One example is Brown-Forman's own Early Times, which is marketed as a "Kentucky whisky" because it is made in reused barrels.

Billy Kaufman, the president Short Mountain Distillery in Woodbury, Tenn., said it is more difficult to distinguish spirits not meeting the Tennessee standard.

"If I made whiskey in Tennessee in a used barrel, what it would be called then?" he said. "Whiskey, made in Tennessee?"

David McMahan, a lobbyist representing Dickel and Popcorn Sutton Distilling, said the law passed last year would require all Tennessee whiskies to taste like Jack Daniel's.

"It's not unlike if the beer guys 25 years ago had said all American beer has to be made like Budweiser," McMahan said. "You never would have a Sam Adams or a Yazoo or any of those guys."

But Tennessee craft distillers are divided about the state law. Charles Nelson, the CEO of Nelson's Green Brier Distillery in Nashville, said he supports tighter regulation.

"Holding ourselves to a higher standard will ultimately be better for all the people in the category," he said. "If we lower the standards, it could lead to more products and brands that could lower the reputation of Tennessee whiskey."

Whiskey is clear when it goes into the barrel. It's during the aging process that the whiskey acquires color and flavors. Jack Daniel's Arnett said other distillers reusing barrels might resort to using artificial colorings and flavorings that wouldn't match the quality of the whiskey stored in new barrels.

"We've been making whiskey a long time, and we know that would not uphold the quality that people expect from Tennessee whiskey," he said. "So we wouldn't dare consider doing it, even though it would save us millions of dollars every year."

Jack Daniel's stores its whiskey in new barrels made at a Brown-Forman plant.

Sanderson argues that the flavor and color of the whiskey is determined more by the charring of the inside of the barrels, which he said is a process that can be repeated. Consumers would ultimately decide whether the end product matches up.

"If they're making an inferior product, the market will decide," he said.

___

Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Ky.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Unemployment rates drop in 43 US states in January

WASHINGTON — Unemployment rates fell in 43 U.S. states in January as more Americans began looking for work and most quickly found jobs.

The Labor Department said Monday that the unemployment rate rose in just one state — Iowa — where the rate increased to 4.3 percent from 4.2 percent. Still, that's far below the national rate of 6.6 percent that month. Rates were unchanged in six states.

The data demonstrates that the steady decline in the unemployment rate nationwide has been broad-based, occurring throughout much of the country. The overall U.S. unemployment rate has fallen 1 percentage point in the past 12 months.

Twenty-three states reported more hiring in January, while 27 said that the number of jobs fell. Harsh winter weather weighed on hiring nationwide, with employers adding just 129,000 jobs in January. That's below the average monthly gain of about 180,000 in the previous two years.

The job gains are calculated from a survey of employers, while the unemployment rate stems from a separate survey of households. The two surveys sometimes produce disparate results. In January, the household survey painted a more positive view of the nation's job market than the employer survey did.

Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rate, at 9.2 percent. The state's economy has suffered from a housing bust and manufacturing slump. Illinois and Nevada had the next highest rates, both at 8.7 percent, followed by California, with 8.1 percent.

North Dakota had the lowest rate, at 2.6 percent. It has benefited from an oil and gas drilling boom. Nebraska had the next-lowest rate, at 3.5 percent, followed by South Dakota at 3.6 percent.

Nationwide, hiring improved in February, as employers added 175,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent, but partly for an encouraging reason: more Americans started searching for jobs, though most didn't find one right away. Still, the fact that they began job hunting suggests they were more encouraged about their prospects.

The states with the biggest job gains in January were Texas, which added 33,900 positions, mostly in construction, education and health, and restaurants and hotels. Ohio had the next-largest gain, with 16,700, followed by Arizona, with 8,900. Vermont, Rhode Island and Nevada also reported healthy increases.

California posted the largest decline, losing 31,500 positions, mostly in construction, government and in a category that includes retail, transportation and utilities. It was followed by Illinois, which lost 27,600, and Kentucky, with a drop of 18,500.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sally Beauty releases details on data breach

NEW YORK — Sally Beauty says that a security breach discovered on March 5 affected fewer than 25,000 credit and debit card accounts.

The seller of beauty supplies is pursuing its investigation with a forensics firm. It is also working with the U.S. Secret Service on their preliminary investigation into the matter.

Sally Beauty Holdings Inc., which is based in Denton, Texas, said Monday that it will provide more information on its website in coming days, including notification of affected consumers and others.

A spate of major data breaches in recent months has raised awareness about the vulnerability of cards used in the U.S.

Recent intrusions include those at Target Corp. and Neiman Marcus. The Target breach compromised 40 million credit and debit cards and personal information of up to 70 million customers. At Neiman Marcus, its breach may have compromised 1.1 million debit and credit cards.

Security experts have been long pushed for increased consumer protection through so-called EMV enabled credit and debit cards, which are already common in Europe. Most cards in the U.S. still feature magnetic strips.

Earlier this month Visa and MasterCard, which seek broader acceptance of EMV technology from retailers and ATMs, said that they are creating a group intended to help the retail and banking industries come together on more-secure credit card payments. Visa and MasterCard, which run the networks that carry the payments, said the group's initial focus will be on chips embedded in newer credit cards that make them more secure.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks surge as worries over Crimea vote fade

NEW YORK — Stocks were sharply higher in midday trading Monday, recovering from a three-week low, as investors brushed aside the ongoing political turmoil in Ukraine. A surge in output at U.S. factories last month also helped push the market higher.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 172 points, or 1.1 percent, to 16,238 as of 12:15 p.m. Eastern time. It jumped as much as 204 points earlier. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 17 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,859 and the Nasdaq composite added 44 points, or 1 percent, to 4,289.

FACTORIES DEFROST: The Federal Reserve said U.S. factory output rebounded strongly, up 0.6 percent, in February after harsh winter storms caused a steep drop-off in production in January. Manufacturers produced more autos, home electronics and chemicals. The rise was triple the increase that economists had expected.

UKRAINE WORRIES FADE: The vote in the Ukrainian region of Crimea to join Russia had been widely expected. Worries that the Crimea issue might prompt an escalation in tensions between Russia and Western powers have unsettled financial markets over the past few weeks. In the run-up to Sunday's referendum, many stock markets around the world hit multi-week lows while "safe haven" investments such as the Japanese yen and gold rose.

"Russia got what it wanted without having to take Crimea by force," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist with S&P Capital IQ.

SANCTIONS: Both the White House and the European Union announced sanctions and visa restrictions against several Russian officials as a result of the referendum. The U.S. imposed sanctions on seven Russian government officials as well as four Ukrainians, including former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The EU slapped travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people from Russia and Crimea.

LATER THIS WEEK: The Federal Reserve will hold a two-day policy meeting starting Tuesday. Investors expect the central bank to pull back further on its bond-buying economic stimulus program, as it has done for the last two meetings.

SEARS SPLIT: Sears Holdings rose 44 percent, or 1 percent, to $44.41 after announcing that it planned to split off its Land's End business.

HERTZ SPIN-OFF?: Rental car company Hertz Global rose $1.30, or 5 percent, to $27.28 on reports that the company was looking to sell its construction equipment rental business.

00.33 | 0 komentar | Read More