MetLife, Prudential profits rise on derivative gains

(Reuters) - Profit at MetLife Inc , the largest U.S. life insurer, doubled in the second quarter after a huge gain on derivatives tied to falling interest rates, and operating results at the company beat Wall Street expectations on double-digit growth in the Americas.

The company, like its peers, is heavily exposed to the persistently low interest rate environment. But it has long had a substantial derivatives program designed to counter that risk.

As rates fell in the quarter, the company booked a $1.4 billion gain on its derivatives positions and other items.

MetLife reported a profit of $2.26 billion, or $2.12 per share, compared with a year-earlier net profit of $1.07 billion or $1 per share.

On an operating basis it earned $1.33 per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S on average expected $1.24 per share.

The company said operating earnings at its Americas segment grew 11 percent on strength in retail life insurance and annuity sales as well as in its group and voluntary benefits unit.

Operating earnings also rose by double digits in the insurer's Asia and EMEA units, which have been growing in importance for MetLife since its 2010 acquisition of the international insurer Alico.

Despite the weak rate environment, the company also reported a 4 percent rise in net investment income. Analysts and actuaries have warned that insurers could suffer as they reinvest money at historically low returns.

MetLife shares rose 1.9 percent in after-hours trading.

PRUDENTIAL WEAKER

MetLife peer Prudential Financial , the No. 2 U.S. life insurer, also reported a higher profit on Wednesday after its own extraordinary gains, in its case tied to currency.

Prudential reported a net profit of $2.2 billion, or $4.64 per share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $779 million, or $1.58 per share.

The company recorded $1.9 billion in pre-tax gains from changes in currency rates and derivatives, largely tied to the strengthening of the Japanese yen in the period.

On an operating basis, Prudential earned $1.34 per share. That was short of the $1.55 estimated on average by Wall Street analysts.

It was the third time in the last four quarters that the company missed Street expectations, and shares fell 2 percent in after-hours trading.

Prudential took $246 million in pre-tax charges in the quarter for a wide variety of items, the largest of which was a strengthening of reserves in its individual annuity business.

(Reporting By Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/metlife-profit-doubles-derivatives-gain-202533623--sector.html

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How To Increase The Value Of Your Home With Home Improvement ...

When it comes to home improvement, be sure to do your background work and ensure that the contractor is bonded. This is important because a way to assure that the job you intended to be completed will be completed per the stated terms. Also, the bond provider will cover any damage or theft that occurs.

To improve the look of the exterior of your home without breaking the bank, give your garage door an update. Frequently, the garage is one of the biggest elements of your home that people can see from afar. You can create a fresh new look for only a few hundred dollars by simply installing a new garage door.

Do not skip scraping off old flaking paint before beginning your painting project. Painting over old flaking paint will never yield good results. Go buy a paint scraper and scrape off the old paint before starting. Then take a sander and sand down any rough areas so that your new paint coat will look good.

Carefully examine the benefits of rental equipment before securing it for a home improvement project. Any repair or renovation job can be made faster and easier by renting purpose-built equipment. Such equipment is not always economical, though. Before laying out money for rentals the canny homeowner will weigh the savings in time and effort the equipment offers against the expense the equipment adds to a home improvement project.

Updating the outside of your house by repainting the exterior or updating the siding is a very cost value added home improvement. It is one of the most effective ways to increase the sale price of your home. By giving your home an exterior facelift you can instantly add more buying appeal to your home.

While most people know that taking a shower instead of soaking in a tub helps to conserve water, not everyone knows that you can actually save more money on your water usage by replacing your original shower head with a specially designed low-flow shower head. This is a quick and easy improvement that can be done in one day and with only a minor cost.

If you notice that your toilet is clogged the first thing you should do is to try to unclog it with a plunger. There is no need to call a plumber without first trying to unclog the toilet yourself. You can typically plunge out any clog if you try a few times.

Do not forget your yard when considering home improvements. Improving the outside of your home is not only aesthetically pleasing , but it can also save you money on utilities. Planting trees can block cold wind in the winter and hot sun in the summer. Planting shrubs and drought tolerant plants versus grass saves money on watering and often looks better.

Keep your closet free of clutter by organizing your shoes. Keep boots and shoes that you don?t wear often in a large plastic box, or in the original boxes you got when you purchased them. Only leave out the shoes that you wear at least twice a week. Doing this will allow your closet space to be organized, and your shoes to be neatly displayed.

If you have a small, cramped kitchen make sure to choose light colored cabinetry. If you go with dark cabinetry, it will make your kitchen seem even smaller. Choosing a light color, can in fact enhance your sense of space and make your kitchen seem warmer.

Opt to do your laundry every time your hamper fills up, instead of waiting for your dirty laundry to pile for a week. Throwing your laundry in the washing machine every two days cuts down the amount of time you need to spend folding, waiting for the washing machine and the dryer and puts less strain on your machine.

What you have just learned from the tips above might not be as specific as you need for any one particular project, but you should get a good idea of how you need to prepare for a home improvement project. It?s not just something you should leap into. Use what you?ve learned here to act as your guide.

Shalon Severns owns a retail store which often has for sale well water filters

Source: http://www.whoclick.biz/2012/08/03/how-to-increase-the-value-of-your-home-with-home-improvement/

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Plant-based compound slows breast cancer in a mouse model

ScienceDaily (Aug. 2, 2012) ? The natural plant compound phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) hinders the development of mammary tumors in a mouse model with similarities to human breast cancer progression, according to a study published August 2 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Edible plants are gaining ground as chemopreventative agents. PEITC has shown to be effective as a chemopreventative agent in mice for colon, intestinal, and prostate cancer, by inducing apoptosis.

In order to determine the efficacy of PEITC in mammary tumors in mice, Shivendra V. Singh, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and colleagues, placed mice on two diets: a control diet, and a diet supplemented with PEITC for 29 weeks. The researchers performed histopathological assessments, and measured the incidence and size of the mammary tumors, along with cell proliferation, apoptosis, and neoangiogenesis, which were determined in tumor sections.

The researchers found that administering PEITC for 29 weeks was linked with a 56.3% reduction in mammary carcinoma lesions greater than 2mm. "Although PEITC administration does not confer complete protection against mammary carcinogenesis, mice placed on the PEITC-supplemented diet, compared with mice placed on the control diet, clearly exhibited suppression of carcinoma progression," the authors write. PEITC was also well-tolerated. Since chemoprevention trials are both expensive and time-consuming and necessitate years of follow-up, the authors feel that, "The discovery of biomarker(s) associated with exposure and activity is critical for clinical development of promising cancer chemopreventative agents." This study was able to identify certain biomarkers that may be useful in future clinical investigations.

The authors also point out certain limitations of their study, namely that the results may be different in humans than in mice; also both the relevance of other altered proteins from PEITC and the mechanism by which PEITC causes apoptosis are unclear.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Journal of the National Cancer Institute, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Shivendra V Singh, Su-Hyeong Kim, Anuradha Sehrawat, Julie A Arlotti, Eun-Ryeong Hahm, Kozue Sakao, Jan H Beumer, Rachel C Jankowitz, Kumar Chandra-Kuntal, Joomin Lee, Anna A Powolny, and Rajiv Dhir. Biomarkers of Phenethyl Isothiocyanate-Mediated Mammary Cancer Chemoprevention in a Clinically Relevant Mouse Model. J Natl Cancer Inst, August 2, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djs321

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/nutrition/~3/qTsmUOMmj9c/120802183942.htm

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Hanna Rosin vs. David Plotz

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'Thor' Sequel Casts Christopher Eccleston As Its Villain

The 'Doctor Who' actor joins the cast of 'The Dark World' as Malekith, ruler of the dark elves.
By Josh Wigler

Christopher Eccleston
Photo: Lucy Nicholson/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1691043/thor-sequel-christopher-eccleston.jhtml

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Health Tips| Elephantiasis | Lymphatic Filariasis | Crabs Std | Crabs ...

What Are Crabs?

Crabs are also known as Pubic lice, Fuller or Crab louse.? The Latin name for the organism responsible for pubic lice is Pthirus Pubis. So what are crabs? Crabs are wingless parasitic insect, which are blood sucking and primarily found in genital area or pubic. ?Pubic lice are grey-brown in color are basically in 2mm length, causing red spot and itching in coarse hair on human body including eyelashes, beards, eyebrow, moustaches and may also affect hair in abdomen or back. Gorilla is also affected by such insects. These insects are visible through naked eyes. ?The pubic lice pictures?of infected areas by crabs will be like,To summaries more clearly about, what are crabs? ?They are morphologically distinct with three pairs of legs on either side of their body. The duration of female pubis is shorter, nearly three weeks as compared with its counterparts. The eggs produced by female crab louse are attached to hair shaft on the base of pubic area. The eggs produced by this crab louse take approximately eight days to hatch. Sexual contact or sexual intercourse causes crabs disease. These crabs disease may also pass from person to person from hugging or kissing. Sometimes parents can also pass on the lice by sharing beds towel or wardrobe. Experts feel that lice in our body cannot survive for very long, since the humidity in human body is high. Crabs are very contagious STDs (Sexually Transmitted Disease).Crabs std is transmitted to a person by any type sexual intercourse and also infecting non infected person. Sharing of sexual device (Vibrator), oral sex or intercourse might lead to crab disease. Crabs std are transmitted through sexual exposure whether anal or vaginal.



Health Tips measure can be followed to prevent from crabs disease, by keeping their body hygiene especially genital area. One can opt for medical treatment to kill such lice but by applying Permethrin, which are easily available in market without prescription. One can follow Health Tips measures, by not sharing towels or wardrobe and if a person has infection treat everyone in house for precautionary measures.

Source: http://www.goodhealthtipsonline.com/2012/08/what-are-crabs.html

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GOP congressman from Ky. resigns, cites family (The Arizona Republic)

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