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• US STOCKS-Wall St slightly higher on China data; S&P near resistance level Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:33 AM ET

  NEW YORK, Jan 10- U.S. stocks inched higher on Thursday, helped by stronger-than-expected exports in China, the world's second-biggest economy, but gains were capped as the S&P 500 hovered near a 5- year high. The S&P 500 material sector index was off 0.3 percent.

• UPDATE 4-Saudi Arabia cuts oil output as demand eases Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:32 AM ET

  DUBAI, Jan 10- Saudi Arabia has cut oil production substantially, moving to fend off a growing overhang in world oil supply and defend prices well above $100 a barrel. Core Gulf OPEC producers Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have shown no inclination to lower supplies, an OPEC source said.

• UPDATE 1-US consumer watchdog tightens mortgage rules on banks Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:22 AM ET

  WASHINGTON, Jan 10- The U.S. government's consumer finance watchdog said on Thursday it will force banks to use new criteria to determine whether a borrower can repay a home loan, in an effort to avert the kind of loose lending that helped push the economy into recession.

• UPDATE 1-Egypt signals $2 bln Qatar loan already spent Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:20 AM ET

  CAIRO, Jan 10- Egypt's central bank said on Thursday that a $2 billion loan from Qatar arrived in December, suggesting that the money had already been eaten up defending the currency before the foreign reserves crisis became public late last year.

• GRAINS-Markets strengthen on positioning before USDA release Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:16 AM ET

  *Tight supplies support corn ahead of USDA report on Friday. The USDA will issue a slew of data on global supply and demand, U.S. corn and soy production, quarterly U.S. grain inventories, and U.S. winter wheat plantings at 11 a.m. Central on Fri day. " Chicago Board of Trade corn for March delivery rose 3-1/ 2 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $6.97- 3/ 4 a bushel at 10 a.m. Central.

• SOFTS-ICE cocoa rises, supported by industry buying Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:16 AM ET

  *Sugar key technical support seen at 18 cents, 17.70 cents. LONDON, Jan 10- Cocoa futures on ICE rose on Thursday as dealers noted industry buying, while raw sugar and arabica coffee futures nudged higher, supported by index rebalancing activity.

• UPDATE 1-U.S. urges greater diligence by banks on Iran sanctions Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:15 AM ET

  Treasury urged U.S. banks on Thursday to exercise greater diligence in dealing with foreign trading firms and exchange houses that may seek to evade sanctions on Iran.

• Drugmakers report U.S. shortages of flu vaccine, Tamiflu Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:08 AM ET

  Roche Holding AG told Reuters late on Wednesday that it had a shortage of the liquid formulation of Tamiflu, which is used mainly to slow down or stop the symptoms of the flu in children already infected with the virus.

• Turkey transfers $500 mln in badly needed funds to Egypt -agency Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:01 AM ET

  CAIRO, Jan 10- Turkey transferred $500 million in badly needed budget support to Egypt on Thursday in the final tranche of a $1 billion loan promised last year, Egypt's state news agency quoted the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara as saying. Turkey announced the loan in late September during a visit to Ankara by President Mohamed Mursi.

• UPDATE 2-Lumia sales lift Nokia results, raise turnaround hopes Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 11:00 AM ET

  HELSINKI, Jan 10- Nokia said strong sales of Lumia smartphones helped its mobile phone business achieve underlying profitability in the fourth quarter, raising hopes the struggling handset maker may be past the worst.

• Fed transferred $88.9 bln in profits to U.S. Treasury last year Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:59 AM ET

  WASHINGTON, Jan 10- The Federal Reserve pumped a record $88.9 billion into the U.S. The 2012 figure eclipsed the prior record of $79.3 billion deposited into government coffers in 2010.. The Fed estimated its net income for last year at $91 billion.

• U.S. lawmakers release Wal-Mart documents on bribery in Mexico Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:56 AM ET

  Congressmen Elijah Cummings and Henry Waxman said they wrote to Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke asking to discuss internal company documents that they say contradict Wal-Mart's public statements on the bribery allegations.

• EXCLUSIVE-Ex-Tudor manager sets up own Singapore shop-sources Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:55 AM ET

  Jan 10- A former portfolio manager at Tudor Investment Corp who oversaw energy investing from Singapore for the giant hedge fund is setting up his own business with a handful of former colleagues, according to several people familiar with the matter. With Asia remaining a key focus for investors, Tudor has no plans to leave Singapore, however.

• How Samsung Is Dealing With Apple Dropping Chips Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:49 AM ET

  

  Samsung Electronics is looking to supply chips to more Chinese and other emerging smartphone makers to counter any fall-off in demand from Apple.

• UPDATE 1-Growth at Rolls-Royce Motors slows on China 'hesitation' Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:49 AM ET

  LONDON, Jan 10- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars posted slower annual sales growth in 2012 as demand from wealthy Chinese customers eased, meaning the United States regained its position as the luxury carmaker's biggest market. Rolls, owned by German carmaker BMW, on Thursday said car sales rose 1 percent to a record 3,575 in 2012 from 3,538 cars a year earlier.

• UPDATE 1-Herbalife says 'legitimate company,' takes on Ackman Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:49 AM ET

  Jan 10- Herbalife Ltd stepped up its defense against activist investor Bill Ackman on Thursday, stressing it was a "legitimate company" with a mission to improve nutrition and help public health.

• UPDATE 4-ECB keeps rates on hold, sees recovery later in 2013 Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:48 AM ET

  *ECB holds rates at 0.75 pct, as expected. FRANKFURT, Jan 10- The euro zone economy will recover later in 2013 and there are already some signs of stabilisation, the European Central Bank said on Thursday after it unanimously held interest rates at a record low. "The economic weakness in the euro area is expected to extend into 2013," Mario Draghi told a news conference. "

• GLOBAL MARKETS-World shares hit 8-month high; euro rises Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:46 AM ET

  *Oil gains on China demand, Saudi output cuts. The euro rose after the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged and ECB President Mario Draghi offered no hints that more policy easing will be coming soon.

• WRAPUP 1-Holiday sales at Tiffany show little shine; Zale gains Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:46 AM ET

  *Tiffany shares down 3.3 percent; Zale up 8.4 percent. Jan 10- Tiffany& Co posted holiday sales that suggested its torrid growth of recent years was stagnating in the United States, Japan and Europe, with China the only bright spot for the upscale jeweler.

• Boeing Dreamliner fuel leak traced to faulty valve Thursday, 10 Jan 2013 | 10:43 AM ET

  TOKYO, Jan 10- A faulty valve caused a fuel leak on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Boston airport earlier this week, operator Japan Airlines Co. Ltd said on Thursday. In one of several problems relating to Boeing's newest model in recent weeks, about 40 gallons of fuel spewed onto the taxiway in Boston, compelling the plane to cancel take-off and to return to the gate.