TOP STORIES 
 
U.S. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX DOWN 0.7% IN JANUARY 

A measure of U.S. consumer prices fell in January from a year earlier, marking the first annual decline in more than five years and potentially complicating the calculus for when the Fed will lift short-term interest rates.

 
U.S. STOCKS SLIGHTLY LOWER 
 

U.S. stocks eased, though the Nasdaq Composite resumed its march toward record territory, as investors eyed another muted reading on inflation. The Dow industrials were down about 20 points, with the S&P 500 flat.

 
KOHL'S HOLIDAY QUARTER TOPS EXPECTATIONS 
 

Kohl's 4Q results in topped expectations on broad-based sales strength, while the retailer gave an in-line outlook for its newly-started fiscal year. Profit rose to $369 million, or $1.83 a share, while revenue grew 3.9% to $6.34 billion.

 
FORMER SAFETY REGULATOR, ENGINEERING FIRM TAPPED FOR TAKATA PROBE 
 

A group of car makers tapped a former top U.S. auto-safety regulator and an engineering firm to probe defective Takata air bags prone to rupturing and injuring or killing consumers.

 
CITIGROUP TO BACK 'PROXY ACCESS' FOR INVESTORS 
 

Citigroup is taking steps to more easily allow shareholders to nominate directors at the bank, a spokesman said, joining a group of U.S. companies that have moved to open up their corporate elections this year.

 
PENN VIRGINIA EXPLORING SALE 
 

Energy producer Penn Virginia is exploring a sale as its stock price has declined, its reserves have lost value and billionaire George Soros has urged the company to find a buyer. Shares up 12%.

 
STANDARD CHARTERED CEO TO STEP DOWN 
 

Standard Chartered Chief Executive Peter Sands said he will step down in June, after months of disquiet from shareholders and executives over the bank's leadership.

 
BOEING BOOKS ORDERS FOR 50 SINGLE-AISLE JETS 
 

Boeing said it booked orders for 50 more of its 737 Max jets, though customers cancelled deals for four of its flagship single-aisle plane. The company didn't identify the customers for the new orders or the cancellations.

 
U.S. MORTGAGE RATES RISE IN LATEST WEEK 
 

Average fixed mortgage rates in the U.S. rose in the latest week but stayed near May 2013 lows, according to mortgage-finance company Freddie Mac, amid solid data on new home sales and house-price appreciation.

 
AB INBEV PROFIT LIFTED BY U.S. RECOVERY 
 

Anheuser-Busch InBev said economic recovery in the U.S. helped offset the impact of a stronger dollar that hurt sales elsewhere in the company's global beer empire, pushing up profits during the fourth quarter.

 
SEARS EXTENDS DISMANTLING OF COMPANY 
 

Sears said it would split off up to 300 of its best stores into a separate company by June, accelerating the dismantling of the struggling retailer by hedge- fund manager Eddie Lampert. Shares slide 7%.

 
 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Digits 
APPLE PLANS 'SPECIAL EVENT' ON MARCH 9, LIKELY FOR SMARTWATCH 
 

Apple said it will hold a "special event" for March 9 that is likely to be a coming-out party for Apple Watch. Apple has said the watch will go on sale in April.

 
The Wall Street Journal 
ISLAMIC STATE MILITANT 'JIHADI JOHN' IDENTIFIED 
 

The masked Islamic State militant known as Jihadi John, who has appeared in several execution videos, has been identified as British citizen Mohammed Emwazi, Western officials said.