KLSE STOCK MARKET 

Dated 2011-08-31


  US stocks rise on hopes of Fed action
NEW YORK: US stocks closed with modest gains on Tuesday after newly released minutes from the Federal Reserve’s key policy committee raised hopes that the Fed would act to boost the ailing economy.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 20.70 points (0…..

  Six shortlisted for RM1.5bil school Internet contract
PETALING JAYA: Six companies are in the running for the RM1.5bil five-year contract to provide Internet access and a virtual learning module (VLM) platform for the 9,924 schools in the country under the 1Bestarinet project, sources said……

Unit trust strong growth expected to continue
PETALING JAYA: The unit trust industry is expected to continue its growth momentum into the second half of this year, albeit at a slower rate, due to global economic uncertainties arising from the unfavourable US economic outlook and sovereign debt c…..

Gung-ho IPOs that fail to shine
THIS is the continuing tale of two high-profile IPOs last year that have failed to perform to expectations. We last featured them in February. Since then, both stocks have hit all-time lows this week after posting less than encouraging results……

Borrowing less money seen as a trend
PETALING JAYA: Despite a still supportive monetary and loan regime, businesses and consumers have continued to cut down on loans as Bank Negara’s monetary and financial statistics for July released last Friday revealed……

CI Holdings shareholders to get windfall from unit sale
PETALING JAYA: CI Holdings Bhd is expected to pay out to shareholders a minimum of 60% of the RM820mil it will receive from the sale of its bottling unit Permanis Sdn Bhd to Asahi Group Holdings Ltd……

Rate of returns vs risk when investing overseas
NEWS of impending changes in Indonesia’s banking landscape highlights a harsh truth about investing in ‘‘lucrative’’ overseas markets. One should either be an early bird or risk the impact of a drastic rule change on investment returns……

Govt won’t stop Esso deal
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government’s effort to get a Malaysian company to acquire the ExxonMobil Corp’s 65% stake in Esso Malaysia Sdn Bhd has reached a dead end, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minster Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob(pic)…..

Currency strength key to strong exports to Australia and NZ
GEORGE TOWN: Australia and New Zealand are two key customers of Malaysian-made plastic products due to their strong currencies despite a very challenging economic environment……

Mixed views on Ann Joo H2
PETALING JAYA: Analysts are mixed about the second half outlook for steel maker Ann Joo Resources Bhd……

Analysts downgrade PChem earnings
PETALING JAYA: Analysts have downgraded their full-year earnings for Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd in line with lower-than-expected first-quarter results coupled with the expected slowdown in the global economy, which has eroded demand for its chemica…..

Analysts happy with Carlsberg’s expected results
PETALING JAYA: Analysts are generally satisfied with Carlsberg Brewery Bhd’s second-quarter results that were in line with market expectations……

  Gazprom posts colossal US$16bil Q1 profit
MOSCOW: The world’s biggest gas firm Gazprom announced yesterday colossal profits of US$16.24bil for the first quarter, one of the biggest interim profits in history and driven by high global energy prices……

  Lehman to seek creditor vote on US$65bil payout
NEW YORK: Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc will ask a bankruptcy judge to let creditors vote on its US$65bil payout plan, a key step toward ending the biggest bankruptcy in the United States history……

S’pore flat sold for S$19m
SINGAPORE: A buyer has signed up to pay a record-breaking S$19mil for a four-bedroom apartment at The Marq on Paterson Hill……

US pending home sales 1.3% down in July
WASHINGTON: Pending sales of existing US homes fell in July from June in the latest sign of weakness in the housing industry, data from a real estate trade group showed on Monday……

Spanish new mortgages plunged in June
MADRID: The number of mortgages issued for Spanish homes plunged in June, official data showed Monday, confirming weakness in the property sector that is hurting the country’s banks and economic growth……

BoA to sell China bank stake for US$8.3bil
CHARLOTTE: Bank of America Corp is selling about half its stake in China Construction Bank for US$8.3bil, in its latest effort to shed assets and boost capital……

China’s strength holds card in bolstering global economy
SINGAPORE: Figuring out what the Chinese central bank is doing can be as perplexing as parsing a statement by Alan Greenspan, the notoriously opaque former US Federal Reserve chairman……

Fitch says China yuan debt downgrade likely
BEIJING: China faces a “better than even chance” of a another downgrade to its local currency debt rating due to rising defaults and high inflation following a credit binge, Fitch Ratings said yesterday……

CCB stock rises after Singapore’s Temasek buys shares offloaded by Bank of America
HONG KONG/SINGAPORE: Hong Kong-listed shares of China Construction Bank (CCB) Corp rose more than 4% yesterday after Bank of America Corp said it will sell about half of its 10% stake in the Chinese lender, providing relief to investors by removing u…..

S&P: Europe may avoid double dip recession this year
PARIS: The second quarter slowdown increases the risk of a double dip recession in Europe but the region should escape with sluggish growth this year, Standard and Poor’s said yesterday in its latest forecasts……

Regulator may delay Telstra separation plan
SYDNEY: Australia’s competition regulator voiced objections yesterday to the terms of the proposed split of dominant phone company Telstra Corp, threatening to delay an historic reform designed to wire up the entire nation to high-speed broadband……

Macarthur bows to sweetened bid
MELBOURNE: Peabody Energy and Arcelor-Mittal have won over Macarthur Coal with a sweetened A$4.9bil (US$5.2bil) takeover offer, after a rival bidder failed to emerge for the Australian coal miner……

Long wait for Sino-Forest trade
TORONTO: Sino-Forest, once the biggest forestry company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, is running out of room to manoeuvre following fraud allegations, a stock trade halt, the departure of its CEO and further downgrades on its debt……

Fitch settles lawsuit, but Calpers will streamline case against Moody’s and S&P
SAN FRANCISCO: Fitch Ratings settled a lawsuit in which the largest US public pension fund alleged that Fitch and other credit ratings agencies assigned unreasonably high ratings to special investment vehicles, according to a court document filed on …..

Japan factory output up for fourth straight month(update)
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government says industrial production rose for the fourth straight month in July as factories continued recovering from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami……

Russian oil teams up with Exxon Mobil
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s state-owned Rosneft teamed up with U.S. company Exxon Mobil on Tuesday in a multibillion deal to develop offshore oil fields in the Russian Arctic — one of the last regions with immense and untapped hydrocarbon deposits — in re…..

UN agrees to unfreeze Libyan funds held in UK
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Libya’s rebels got a boost Tuesday with the unfreezing of about $1.6 billion in Libyan currency held in Britain as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for urgent international support and billions more for the incoming govern…..

Consumers gloomy but their spending says otherwise
WASHINGTON (AP) — A survey of consumer confidence shows that Americans were spooked early this month by the standoff over the debt ceiling, a downgrade of U.S. long-term debt and a swoon in stock prices……

US stocks rise on hopes for more stimulus from Fed(update)
NEW YORK (AP) — The mere discussion of more economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve was enough to send stocks higher Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 20 points, its third day of gains……

$5bil deal for Australian coal company long awaited
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The deal for Peabody Energy, the world’s biggest private-sector coal company, and a partner to buy Australia’s Macarthur Coal for more than $5 billion concludes more than a year of pursuit and continues widespread consolidation in th…..

Oil price rises
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil rose to near $89 per barrel Tuesday on expectations that supplies will be tighter in the wake of Hurricane Irene……

Norway’s oil finds shield it from economic gloom
OSLO, Norway (AP) — While much of Europe is struggling to pay its way out of the debt crisis, Norway has been awash with cash and is set to get more. Two major oil finds are revitalizing the country’s aging energy sector and promise to buoy i…..

CNN gets more personal, buys iPad magazine Zite
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — CNN has acquired Zite, an iPad service that learns about readers’ tastes and customizes a digital magazine with stories from hundreds of different websites……

Philippine 2Q economic growth slows to 3.4%
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine economy slowed in the second quarter as weakness in construction and industry offset growth in consumer spending amid a lackluster global recovery……