May 18th
NEW YORK, May 18 − US stocks were set to open higher today but major indexes were still setting up to close their worst week of the year, while Facebook’s market debut could help lift battered investor sentiment. The S&P has fallen 6.7 per cent so far in May, and while volatility is expected to continue, some analysts were forecasting a near-term …
Read more: US stocks: Wall Street to rise after steep decline as Facebook debuts
May 18th
LONDON, May 18 — Britain’s top share index fell to its lowest level since late November today, as growing fears over the Greek and Spanish economies hit markets and heavyweight financial and commodities stocks. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was down by 42.44 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 5,295.94 points by 1025 GMT.
Read the original here: Britain’s FTSE at 6-month low on fears over Europe
May 18th
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Petronas said today it has signed a head of agreement with Japan’s Itochu Corporation and Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical Pcl to build two separate petrochemical complexes. Petronas said in a statement it will be the major equity holder for both the proposed joint ventures that are part of the RM60 billion refinery project in ..
Read the original: Petronas inks deal with Itochu, PTT Global Chemicals for petchem plants
May 18th
WASHINGTON, May 18 — The suspension of US sanctions barring investment in Myanmar in response to political reforms in the poor southeast Asian state gives a green light to US firms queuing to scout for business in one of the last frontier markets. “Today we say to American business: invest in Burma and do it responsibly,” Secretary of State …
Read more from the original source: US firms eye Myanmar as sanctions suspended
May 18th
HONG KONG, May 18 — Hong Kong shares slid another 1.3 per cent today, inflicting a second consecutive weekly loss of more than 5 per cent as escalating Europe woes dragged down financial stocks and underwhelming US economic data increased risk aversion.
See original here: Hong Kong shares lose more than 5pc for second week; HSBC tumbles
May 18th
BEIJING, May 18 — The United States imposed punitive tariffs on solar panel imports from China, the latest in a series of trade disputes between the world’s two biggest economies and sparking accusations by Beijing of protectionism. The new tariffs of 30 per cent, much bigger than had been expected, were set today by the US Commerce Department …
The rest is here: China cries foul after US sets tariffs on solar imports
May 18th
SINGAPORE, May 18 — Singapore’s inflation probably accelerated in April as a tight job market is pushing up wages in industries relying on foreign workers, adding to pressures posed by rising rents and car prices. Wage costs are rising at businesses as the government clamps down on foreign workers amid complaints from citizens about overcrowding …
See the original post here: Singapore inflation likely picked up in April
May 18th
LONDON, May 18 — German government bond yields hit record lows today, the US dollar rose and shares fell as the escalating bank crisis in Spain, a ratings downgrade for Greece, and sluggish US data spurred investor demand for safe-haven assets. Across the board, riskier assets from commodities such as gold and oil and currencies — like the euro …
View post: Euro zone fears spark rush for dollar, global shares fall
May 18th
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — RHB Research upped its fair value for Malaysia’s APM Automotive Holdings Bhd to RM5.00 ringgit from RM4.50, citing a brighter outlook after the automotive component manufacturer announced its first quarter earnings. “APM’s 1Q12 headline earnings were slightly ahead of our forecasts but in line with consensus estimates,” RHB …
Go here to see the original: RHB ups fair value of APM Automotive
May 18th
BEIJING, May 18 — Annual economic growth could slow to 7.5 per cent in the second quarter, largely due to curbs on the property sector and headwinds from external demand, the State Information Centre, a government think tank, said in a report published today. If the GDP forecast is accurate, growth in the second three months of 2012 would be the …
Here is the original post: China govt think tank sees Q2 GDP growth at 7.5 pct