(Best Syndication News) Mortgage interest rates inched higher today as pressure on stock prices eased (see the mortgage rate charts below). SunTrust and KeyBank raised their conventional loan rates while U.S. Bank and Chase lowered them.

Benchmarks

Markets opened higher and remained just slightly above par throughout most of the session. It was the first positive day all week. Investors were happy to see Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) post better-than-expected quarterly results early in the earnings season.

(Best Syndication News) - Celebrity performers, Nicki Minaj and Adam Levine, will both have their own apparel and accessories collections available exclusively at Kmart & online at ShopYourWay.com, according to an announcement made by Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD). The collections will span multi-departments and are expected to arrive at certain Kmart store locations and online starting in 2013.

Nicki Minaj is known for her over-the-top outfits with plenty of colors and patterns. The rap singer, who often sports a blonde or pink wig, will soon be a judge on the upcoming season of FOX’s “American Idol.”

(Best Syndication News) - Panasonic Corporation (NYSE:PC) is showing off their new 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel tablet at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week in Las Vegas. The company plans to turn the large format prototype tablet into a commercial product later this year. The model is capable of delivering full 4K (3840 x 2560) high-definition resolution.

The tablet resolution is over double the resolution of full HD (1920 x 1080) and has 230 pixels per inch density. The aspect ratio is 15:10 enabling the tablet to display an A3 paper in almost full size. This larger format could be used to read newspapers or magazines.

(Best Syndication News) - Lenovo (HKSE: 992 (ADR: LNVGY) announced their new IdeaPhone line of smartphones today at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The K900 is their flagship smartphone, but they are also introducing the S890, S720, P770, A800, and the A690 models.

Lenovo will start shipping the smartphones in January 2013 in China and some other global markets. They are offering a variety of phones with different price points. All of Lenovo’s smartphones will have dual-SIM slots, and larger, higher resolution displays.

Their consumer model, the S-series smartphones, has entertainment in mind. These phones will have multimedia and entertainment features available to the user. The target market will be young, urban professionals.

(Best Syndication News) Mortgage interest rates shifted lower again as capital markets swung back into the safe-havens (see the mortgage rate charts below). Bank of America raised their rates while most other lenders lowered them.

Benchmarks

A better-than-expected earnings report from Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) wasn’t enough to pull the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) higher Tuesday. The company also sees a fruitful 2013 if investors don’t focus on negative factors like the debt ceiling. The price of raw materials, including aluminum, can be affected by consumer confidence.