TOP STORIES 
 
'STAR WARS' BOOSTS HASBRO SALES 

Hasbro posted a better-than-expected, double-digit revenue gain Monday, boosted in part by the brisk sale of "Star Wars" toys during its latest quarter.

GLOBAL STOCKS FALL AS BRIEF OIL RALLY FADES 

U.S. stocks opened sharply lower as a brief rally in oil prices faded.

ANGLO AMERICAN PLATINUM PUSHED TO LOSS BY WRITE-DOWNS 

Anglo American Platinum said that impairments and restructuring costs pushed it to a net loss in 2015 as the world's top producer of the precious metal battles low platinum prices.

VOLKSWAGEN'S QUALITY-CONTROL CHIEF RESIGNS 

Volkswagen said its head of quality assurance will leave the company, as Chief Executive Matthias Mü ller continues to shake up the car maker's management in the wake of its emissions-cheating scandal.

CHINA'S FOREX RESERVES PLUNGE TO MORE-THAN-THREE-YEAR LOW 

China's foreign-exchange reserves fell to the lowest level in more than three years in January, even as the central bank escalated a battle to defend the yuan and stanch the flow of capital leaving the country.

BOJ REVEALS DIVISIONS OVER NEGATIVE RATES 

A summary of opinions among Bank of Japan policy setters underlined a deep internal rift over the negative interest rate policy introduced last month.

U. OF PHOENIX OPERATOR APOLLO EDUCATION TO BE TAKEN PRIVATE 

Apollo Education Group, the operator of the University of Phoenix among others, said Monday it had reached a deal to be taken private by a group of investors including Apollo Global Management in a $1.1 billion deal.

OECD LEADING INDICATORS POINT TO SLOWING JAPANESE GROWTH 

Japan's economy may slow over coming months, while there are signs that China's economy is stabilizing, according to leading indicators released Monday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

INDIA'S ECONOMY EXPANDED 7.3% LAST QUARTER 

India said output expanded 7.3% in last year's fourth quarter, as consumer and government spending lift the economy.

SAUDI, VENEZUELA MEETING ENDS WITH NO OIL-PRODUCTION AGREEMENT 

Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi met with his Venezuelan counterpart but didn't announce any plans for the production cut the South American country says is needed to prop up crude prices.

CREDIT SUISSE CEO ASKS BOARD TO CUT HIS BONUS AFTER WEAK RESULTS 

The CEO of Credit Suisse has asked his board to slash his bonus, after the Swiss bank posted quarterly results that sent its share price tumbling lower.

BIOCRYST ANGIOEDEMA DRUG FAILS IN MIDSTAGE STUDY 

BioCryst on Monday reported disappointing mid-stage study results for its drug to treat a rare genetic condition characterized by swelling of the face and airways.

COGNIZANT PROFIT RISES 17% 

Cognizant on Monday reported double-digit percentage growth in its top and bottom lines on another strong quarter from the company's health-care segment, but gave guidance for the current quarter and year below Wall Street expectations.

NORANDA ALUMINUM FILES CHAPTER 11 

Noranda Aluminum filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, with plans to sell a business segment that is one of the largest aluminum foil producers in North America.

JAPAN'S CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS EXPANDS FOURFOLD IN DECEMBER 

Japan's current account surplus expanded in December, buoyed by a trade balance that moved into surplus and spending by a surge of incoming tourists.

MOODY'S CUTS RATING ON AUSTRALIA'S IRON-ORE STATE 

Moody's Investors Service cut its rating on Western Australia, one of the world's major iron-ore hubs, as a sharp downturn in prices for the steelmaking commodity puts increasing strain on the state's finances.

FORD TO MORE THAN DOUBLE MEXICO PRODUCTION CAPACITY IN 2018 

Ford Motor will build a new assembly plant in Mexico and sharply increase Mexican factory output, representing the latest shift of investment abroad by a Detroit auto maker after the signing of a costly labor deal.

ASCIANO BIDDING HEATS UP 

A bidding war worth more than $6 billion is intensifying between a Canadian investment firm and an Australian logistics company for port-and-rail operator Asciano.

THAILAND'S TCC IN $3.46 BILLION DEAL FOR GROUPE CASINO'S BIG C STAKE 

Groupe Casino has agreed to sell its stake in Thai hypermarket operator Big C Supercenter for $3.46 billion to a Thai billionaire, marking a major step in the French grocer's plans to cut its debt.

DP WORLD WARNS OF CHALLENGING TIMES FOR GLOBAL TRADE 

DP World has warned of difficult times ahead for global trade after growth in container volumes handled by its global network of ports slowed sharply last year despite improved activity in Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
NFL 
BRONCOS DEFENSE THROTTLES THE PANTHERS IN SUPER BOWL 50 
 

The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 to win Super Bowl 50.

 
Heard on the Street 
CORPORATE CREDIT: LESS THAN ANGELIC 
 

Companies' credit ratings are starting to feel the strain. Watch out for more downgrades to junk in the coming months.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 08, 2016 10:00 ET (15:00 GMT)