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MADRID/ STANFORD, Calif. Feb 12- The tug-of-war over U.S. monetary policy was on full display on Tuesday as one top Federal Reserve official warned against being too timid, two others focused on the risks of being too bold, and a fourth said the Fed's policy was too vague.

WASHINGTON, Feb 12- A Republican lawmaker has urged U.S. authorities not rush to settle with BP Plc under the U.S.

NEW YORK, Feb 13- The U.S. stock market is unlikely to take much direction from Tuesday's State of the Union, although President Barack Obama was less combative in his tone than some on Wall Street expected.

Feb 12- Comcast Corp said it would buy General Electric's 49 percent equity stake in their NBCUniversal joint venture for about $16.7 billion.

*Apple remains committed to finding ways to return more cash. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 12- Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook said the board is carefully considering David Einhorn's proposal for the company to issue preferred stock and return more cash to investors, but he called a lawsuit brought by the star hedge fund manager against Apple a "silly sideshow."

Feb 12- Comcast Corp on Tuesday said it would buy General Electric's remaining 49 percent equity stake in their NBCUniversal joint venture for about $16.7 billion, speeding up a deal that had not been expected until at least late 2014..

*Apple remains committed to finding ways to return more cash. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 12- Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook called David Einhorn's lawsuit against his company a "sideshow" but said on Tuesday the board is carefully considering the star hedge fund manager's proposal to issue preferred stock, calling it "creative."

Feb 12- Coca-Cola Co reported fourth-quarter revenue slightly below analysts' estimates, hurt by a weaker-than-expected performance in Europe, sending its shares down 2 percent in morning trade.

LONDON, Feb 12- Gold clawed back from its lowest in over a month on Tuesday, finding respite from a broadly falling dollar after the Group of Seven industrialised countries reaffirmed their commitment to market determined exchange rates. Gold hit a trough of $1,638.82 an ounce early on Tuesday, its lowest since January 4.

Feb 12- Fashion company Michael Kors Holdings Ltd reported a sharply higher quarterly profit on Tuesday, fueled by a 70 percent gain in revenue. The company said net income was $130.0 million, or 64 cents per share, in the third quarter ended on Dec. 29, up from $32.0 million, or 20 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue was $636.8 million, up from $373.6 million.

Van Houten picked new managers at each of the company's three core businesses- consumer lifestyle, healthcare and lighting- and is shaking up a stodgy culture in a firm that once led in R&D but sometimes fell short in the marketplace.

BERLIN/ DETROIT, Feb 11- Ulrich Hackenberg isn't yet a household name but if Volkswagen's $70 billion bet on his big idea pays off, he may join the likes of Henry Ford, Alfred Sloan and Taiichi Ohno in the canon of auto industry pioneers.

TOKYO, Feb 12- U.S. crude futures edged down on Tuesday, paring part of a 1.4 percent gain a day earlier, on investor concerns about the euro zone economy and ahead of data later in the day expected to show a build in U.S. crude inventories. *NYMEX crude for March delivery was down 14 cents at $96.89 a barrel by 0054 GMT, after settling up $1.31 at $97.03 on Monday.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 11- Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk took to Twitter on Monday to defend the company's Model S electric car against a New York Times report that said the sedan ran out of juice sooner than promised during a chilly winter test drive.

*EPS from cont ops $0.67 vs $0.37 a year earlier. Feb 12- McGraw-Hill Cos Inc, which is being sued by the U.S. government for bond ratings issued by its Standard& Poor's unit, reported a surge in quarterly adjusted profit and said it does not believe the government can prove its case.

Feb 11- Leading clothing retailers like Gap Inc, American Eagle Outfitters are forecast to report larger fourth-quarter profits in the coming weeks, the latest evidence that smart inventory management and lower costs helped overcome sluggish holiday sales for most in the industry.

*To cut 1,800 investment bank jobs, 1,900 in Europe retail. LONDON, Feb 12- Barclays new chief executive pledged a fresh course for the British lender on Thursday, axing at least 3,700 jobs and pruning its investment bank as he seeks to rebuild its reputation and boost profitability after a series of scandals.

WASHINGTON, Feb 11- A U.S. court on Monday rejected Bank of New York Mellon Corp's bid to keep $900 million in tax benefits, a decision that could undercut profit at the world's largest custody bank in 2013.. BNY Mellon previously had warned that it may have to book a reserve of more than $800 million if it received an adverse ruling in the high-stakes tax case.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 11- A U.S. judge approved Apple Inc's request to speed up the schedule in a lawsuit filed by star hedge fund manager David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital, part of an effort to get the company to share its huge cash reserves with investors.