Commercial Fonts

(Reuters) – Ford Motor Co reported a lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Friday as commodity costs shot up and results from operations outside North America fell short of expectations.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker’s losses in Europe nearly quadrupled during the quarter as the economy suffered amid the ongoing debt crisis. Flooding in Thailand led to a loss in Asia, and increased competition blunted profits in South America.

“We saw the external environment deteriorate, and that really affected most regions other than North America,” Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth told reporters, “and then we saw slightly greater than we expected impact of commodities, currency and also the Thai floods.”

Shares of Ford, which derives the bulk of its revenue from North America, fell more than 5 percent in premarket trading.

Excluding one-time items, Ford’s operating profit fell to $1.1 billion, or 20 cents per share, from nearly $1.3 billion, or 30 cents per share, a year earlier.

On that basis, analysts on average were expecting 25 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

“It’s been a tough go for Ford,” said portfolio manager Gary Bradshaw of Hodges Capital Management of Dallas, which owns Ford shares. “It seems like the company continues to execute, but there are plenty of headwinds.”

Besides higher commodity costs, Ford also said it missed expectations because of unfavorable exchange rates.

Profit margins in Ford’s automotive business fell to 5.4 percent in 2011 from 6.1 percent in 2010. Commodity costs for the year came to $2.3 billion, up slightly from the company’s $2.2 billion forecast.

NOT IMMUNE TO EUROPE

Ford’s losses in Europe widened to $190 million in the fourth quarter from $51 million a year earlier. In South America, the company’s pretax operating profit fell to $108 million from $281 million.

Ford posted a quarterly loss of $83 million in Asia, compared with a year-earlier profit of $23 million. The company flagged the loss in Asia earlier this month.

Booth said he expected Ford to be “modestly profitable” in Asia in 2012, but he did not provide a forecast for Europe, where he said rivals have piled on incentives to sell vehicles. Ford expects European growth will be tempered by the debt crisis and austerity measures in 2012.

Compared with Detroit rival General Motors, Ford is less exposed to Europe, Jefferies analyst Peter Nesvold said.

“Ford won’t be immune to a downturn in Europe, but I think the product lineup is a little bit fresher and a little bit better, and it’s a smaller piece of the overall pie,” said Nesvold, who has a “buy” rating on Ford. “Europe is less of an anchor for Ford’s shares than it is potentially for GM’s shares.”

For the fourth quarter, Ford reported net income of $13.6 billion, or $3.40 per share, buoyed by a one-time tax-related gain of $12.4 billion. Net income was $190 million, or 5 cents per share, a year earlier.

The higher net income was the result of an accounting change that Ford said reflects confidence in its long-term profit outlook. The one-time gain resulted in full-year net income of $20.2 billion, the highest since 1998.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman, Ben Klayman and Bernie Woodall; Editing by Derek Caney and Lisa Von Ahn)

It is truly miraculous to think how a baby is formed and begins to grow inside of his or her mother. A good way to make sure that you are keeping track of all of these changes during fetal development is through the tools available in an online pregnancy week by week calendar. These special pregnancy guides will take you week by week through the development of your baby.

Not only can you search and read about what new parts your baby is developing each weeks, but you can even see week by week images similar to what your baby may look like at each stage of your pregnancy. At just six weeks, your baby already has a tiny heartbeat, the lungs are formed, and the brain is beginning to develop. Even before your body begins to show physical signs of your pregnancy, possibly before you’re even aware of the new life inside of you, your baby is growing and developing.

Using your week by week pregnancy guide, you can check and see that just six weeks later, at twelve weeks, your baby is already developing his or her permanent tooth buds. Fetal development is rapid and without a pregnancy calendar or week by week guide it can be easy to miss that before you ever feel your baby move inside of you for the first time, your baby is already beginning to grow hair, toenails, and fingernails.

Having an online pregnancy week by week guide gives you the tools and the options to chart your baby’s fetal development and learn what you can do to make sure that your body is healthy and giving the baby the nutrients that he or she needs. Keeping yourself and your baby healthy during pregnancy can be tough and that’s why a pregnancy week by week calendar is available to help you along the way.

(Reuters) – For Daniel Radcliffe, it’s time to forget Harry Potter. The 22-year-old actor, inextricably linked to the boy wizard he played throughout the movie franchise, takes on his first adult role in Victorian-era horror film “The Woman in Black.”

Hitting theatres in Britain on February 10 and a week earlier in the United States, the movie is a step into the unknown for an actor who grew up on the set of one of Hollywood’s most successful series.

Instead of production budgets of $250 million or more, The Woman in Black cost an estimated $17 million to make. And however big Radcliffe’s fan base around the world, another billion-dollar box office looks out of the question.

James Watkins, who directed The Woman In Black, called it a “reinvention” for Radcliffe.

“I think it’s the start of that, absolutely,” Radcliffe told Reuters in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s red carpet world premiere of the new movie.

One of the attractions of playing Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer and father mourning the death of his wife, was the obvious break with what went before.

“People haven’t seen me looking like this before. People haven’t seen me playing a father — all those things are going to help separate it in their mind,” Radcliffe said.

“But I think ultimately the thing that will help that reinvention is the fact that the story is so good. I think people will very quickly forget that they’re watching Harry Potter.”

CREEPY MANSION

In The Woman in Black, Kipps is forced to leave his three-year-old son and travel to a remote village on the east coast of England to look into the legal affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House, a creepy mansion cut off from the mainland when the tide rises.

He discovers a dark family secret that helps explain the appearance of a mysterious, ghost-like woman dressed in black who beckons children to an early grave.

The film is based on a novel by Susan Hill that was adapted into a successful West End play, still running in London.

Jane Goldman, who co-wrote the scripts for “Kick-Ass” and “The Debt,” was brought in to translate the page to the big screen, and horror specialist Watkins directed.

Radcliffe said he did not think too hard about trying to be different from his Harry Potter character when he worked on the set of The Woman in Black and was pleased with the results.

“I think my work in this is certainly on a par with the work I did on the last Potter which I was very, very proud of.”

He will soon discover if critics agree. Throughout the Harry Potter series Radcliffe earned mixed reviews, although any negative comments did nothing to deter record audiences.

And his two main stage roles — “Equus” in 2007 and “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” in 2011 were generally well-received, particularly Equus.

Looking ahead, Radcliffe said proving he was not a one-part wonder would take time.

“It’s a long road. It’s not going to be one film and suddenly you’re off. It’s going to be a combination.”

That combination will involve both stage and screen.

“In an ideal world I would like to mix them as much as possible. In March I’m filming a movie called ‘Kill Your Darlings’ in which I’ll be playing a 19-year-old Allen Ginsberg.

“That’s the next thing on the plate and after that we’ll see.”

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

If you are looking to get started in the stock market but don’t have a lot of cash, penny stocks can be a great option for you. What are penny stocks? Penny stocks are low cost stocks that sell for under a dollar per share, although newer definitions claim that penny stocks are anything under $3 or $5 a share. They are sometimes called cent stocks, penny shares, or micro cap stocks. At any rate, penny stocks are a good, cheap and fun way to add variety or even start a portfolio.

All businesses have to start somewhere. Just imagine if you had discovered Walmart or Microsoft when they were starting out as penny stocks. You could be a self made millionaire. Yes, there are risks to buying shares in penny stocks, and while not all picks will pan out, some of them do. The same goes for any stock investment.

It is true that there are scams out there involving the penny stock market, so it is important to be intelligent in your purchasing of shares. Talk to a trusted stock broker or company that deals specifically with the trading of penny stocks. If you are very concerned about losing your money, start with a small investment and continue from there. There is no reason that you will run into trouble if you exercise reasonable precautions and restraint in your stock purchasing.

Penny stocks are a great way to get involved in the stock market. You can add a great variety to your portfolio without having to spend too much money. Many people would make you believe that penny stocks are too high risk or that they are a lost cause. This is simply not the case. If you take reasonable precautions, penny stocks can bring an exciting new dimension to your portfolio and fun to your stock trading.

(Reuters) – Timeless elegance, fitted bodices and mermaid trains ruled the Golden Globes’ red carpet on Sunday as A-list celebrities channeled old-style Hollywood glamour.

Angelina Jolie looked like Grace Kelly in her white-satin Atelier Versace gown with a twist of Marlene Dietrich thanks to a red fold over collar, matching red lips and red clutch. “Modern Family” actress Sofia Vergara seemed Jayne Mansfield-esque in her strapless teal Vera Wang gown, ruffled train and Harry Winston jewels.

Charlize Theron could have passed for Lana Turner back in her heyday in Dior Couture with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit dress, while Evan Rachel Wood was a modern-day Joan Crawford in her sparkling green Gucci Premiere gown, also with a plunging neckline.

“It’s old Hollywood glamour. We’ve never seen this many 40s-style fit and flare dresses,” said style expert and TV host Sam Saboura. “It’s all about the mermaid shape, the hour-glass shape.”

Saboura cited Jolie, Theron, Wood, Vergara, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Beckinsale, Rooney Mara, Salma Hayek, Elle McPherson and Debra Messing as just a handful of actresses who opted for some sort of “fit and flare” dress, many with embellished fishtails of ruffles, tules or feathers.

“So many women wore pink! ” said designer Rachel Pally, referring to the likes of Theron, McPherson, Mary J. Blige, Octavia Spencer, Natalie Portman, Sarah Paulson and Heidi Klum.

“Pink is a tricky color to pull off because it can often come across as too cute or too young. But it was great to see different shades of pink, like soft blushes and pastels. They were pretty without being too sweet,” Pally said.

PASTEL TO PURPLE

Saboura said pastels will be big in fashion this coming spring, as seen in the soft pinks and lavenders, but he noted that many fashion-forward stars were already skipping to fall 2012 on the red carpet, choosing to wear dark, rich colors.

Vergara, Freida Pinto, French actress Berenice Bejo, Tilda Swinton, Helen Mirren and Madeleine Stowe opted for dark blues or peacock tones. Burgundys and rich purples were favored by Michelle Williams, Viola Davis, Juliana Margulies, Emma Stone and Tina Fey, while greens were seen on Melissa McCarthy, Laura Dern and Kelly Macdonald.

“Headbands were also a trend, whether you like them or not,” observed Saboura of the accessory worn by Theron and Williams. “With films like ‘The Artist’ and the forthcoming ‘The Great Gatsby,’ this is just the beginning of this type of ’20s style that we’re going to see.”

But the consensus among experts seemed to be that Jolie’s red fold over collar and matching red lips and clutch purse was among the most stunning looks of the night.

“She looked amazing,” said celebrity designer Bruno Schiavi. “The top of the dress was very structured — I bet it had some corsetry inside — with a small train at the bottom that was not too over done. She wanted people to look at that red accent with the color red being daring, dangerous and sexy. She was very much ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ but not too overdone because she’s still a mum.”

(Reporting by Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Sandra Maler)

A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan that lets you convert a portion of the equity in your home into cash.

Reverse mortgages are regulated by the FHA (Federal housing administration) through a program called HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage). This plan was designed to give older Americans greater financial security. Senior citizens can use the money from a reverse mortgage to supplement Social Security, meet medical expenses, make home improvements, and meet other needs or unexpected expenses.

The money from a reverse mortgage can be used any way the borrower wishes. This money is not subject to income taxes, either. Once you have been approved to receive a reverse mortgage, you can decide to receive payment in a myriad of ways, including:

• Tenure
• Term
• Line of Credit
• Modified Tenure
• Modified Term

Tenure allows you to receive equal monthly payments as long as you continue to occupy your property as your primary residence. Term also gives you monthly payments, but only for a fixed period. Line of credit allows you unscheduled payments whenever you choose in the amount you choose until the funds associated with your reverse mortgage are exhausted. Modified tenure is a combination of the line of credit and tenure; you have a limited line of credit along with monthly payments. Modified term is a combination of line of credit and term payment plans; you have a line of credit available, plus monthly payments for a fixed amount of time.

If you’re trying to put together a survival food list, there are several foodstorage items that are very important to put on your list.  Because disasters happen, it is never unwise to do everything you can to start an emergency food storage supply.   When you’re starting your survival food list for the first time, however, you may not know what kinds of things to put on the list.  Here are a few tips that can get you started.

First off, it is very important to have an ample amount of water.  Water is something that your body cannot function without, so it is very important to have enough water to last you for several days, if not weeks.

You should also look into purchasing freeze dried foods.  Freeze dried foods have a very long shelf life, so you will not have to worry so often about these foods going bad before you’re able to use them.  You never know when a disaster will strike, so you have to be prepared at all times with fresh foods.  Freezedried foods can have up to a one year shelf life; some can even last longer.

Look for nutrient dense foods that have a long shelf life.  If you have foods that have a lot of nutrients in your survival food supply, then you will most likely eat less of the food at a time.  There are plenty of foods that have a long shelf life; you just need to be aware of what these foods are, such as rice and beans.

You should also have an emergency essentials list of things that may come in handy, like a can opener.  There are plenty of items that should be on your survival food list that are not necessarily food items.

(Reuters) – Soul singer Etta James, who is terminally ill and suffering from leukemia, was released from a California hospital on Thursday and is at home resting, her business manager said.

Lupe De Leon said the 73-year-old singer was taken to her home in Riverside, California, east of Los Angeles, and is there with her husband and doctor.

“We all think it’s best for her to be at home,” said De Leon.

“At Last” singer James was admitted to the hospital last month because she was struggling to breathe. She has been in failing health for several years and suffers from leukemia, kidney disease and dementia.

Her doctor has said James was considered terminally ill, and she communicates mostly with nods and simple words. The three-time Grammy Award singer had also battled obesity and was addicted to heroin for many years.

James was a key figure in the early days of R&B music with hit songs like “The Wallflower” and “Good Rockin’ Daddy”. But it was her 1961 recording of the ballad “At Last” that put her on the map. She currently has a CD out called “The Dreamer.”

(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; editing by Christopher Wilson)

(Reuters) – LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Jessica Chastain is taking her rising star to Broadway.

The Golden Globe-nominated actress will make her Broadway debut with a starring role in “The Heiress,” the producers said Thursday. Chastain will play the lead role of Catherine Sloper, the character Olivia de Havilland played in 1947′s Oscar-winning film adaptation.

This fall, the Tony Award-winning play — written by Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz, and based on Henry James’ 1880 novel, “Washington Square” — is returning to the Great White Way after 17 years. It will be produced by Paula Wagner, and “The Book of Mormon” producers Roy Furman and Stephanie P. McClelland.

The new production of “The Heiress” will be directed by Tony and Emmy Award nominee Moises Kaufman (“33 Variations”). The theater at which it will open has yet to be announced.

Chastain had a breakout year in 2011, with starring roles in “The Help,” “Take Shelter,” “The Debt” and “The Tree of Life.” In addition to her Golden Globe nomination, she is also up for a SAG Award. Last year, she earned best-actress honors from the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, Chicago Film Critics Association and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Beyond the big screen, Chastain also has theatrical chops, which she developed as a student at the Julliard School. She played the title role in a 2006 Los Angeles production of “Salome,” opposite Al Pacino, and has also performed in productions of “Othello” and “Rodney’s Wife.”

“I was immediately struck by Jessica’s talent and skill when I saw her onstage opposite Al Pacino in ‘Salome,’” Wagner said in a statement. “She is an actress with that rare ability to transition effortlessly between the stage and screen. Moises Kaufman had the vision to see Jessica as the perfect actress to play one of the great psychologically complex female characters.”

“Jessica Chastain is a great actress with chameleon-like prowess and enormous emotional intelligence; I think she’s one of the best actresses of her generation. I’m thrilled to be working with her on ‘The Heiress,’ ” Kaufman said in a statement