More Breaking News
China Mobile to Buy $5.8 Billion Stake in Pudong Bank (Update1) China Mobile Ltd., the world’s
biggest phone company by market value, agreed to buy 20 percent
of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co. for 39.8 billion yuan
($5.8 billion) to expand its electronic payment business.
Tullett Prebon Says It’s in Talks Over Possible Offer (Update1) Tullett Prebon Plc, the London-
based inter-dealer broker led by Terry Smith, said it’s in early
talks that may lead to an offer for the company.
Greek Crisis Is Over, Rest of Region Safe, Prodi Says (Update1) The worst of Greece’s financial
crisis is over and other European nations won’t follow in its
path, said former European Commission President Romano Prodi.
Myners Says U.K. Banks Must Disclose More Detail on Bankers’ Pay U.K. Treasury minister Paul Myners
said banks may be forced to disclose bonus payments above
500,000 pounds, a further tightening of the rules aimed at
policing Britain’s lenders.
Bali Bomber Dulmatin Killed in Raid, Yudhoyono Says (Update2) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono said wanted terrorist leader and suspected Bali bomber
Dulmatin was among three people killed in a police raid
yesterday near the capital, Jakarta.
Iraqis Maneuver Amid Signs No Party Will Win Majority (Update1) Iraq faces tough political
coalition-building as leaders maneuvered amid indications that
no party would win a majority when initial results from the
parliamentary election are announced.
Emerging-Market Stocks Gain, Erasing 2010 Loss; Yen Weakens Emerging market stocks rose,
erasing their 2010 losses, and higher-yielding currencies
strengthened against the yen after China said exports soared the
most in three years.
Abu Dhabi Hosts Media Chiefs Amid Press Law Debate (Update1) Abu Dhabi, holder of more than 7
percent of the world’s oil, is hosting top media executives this
week as it seeks to promote its role as a communications center
and ward off criticism over curbs on the press.
E.ON Profit Falls on Higher Debt From Acquisitions (Update1) E.ON AG, Germany’s largest utility,
said full-year profit fell 4.8 percent after it took on debt to
acquire power plants and add clients.
Fortis Resumes Dividend, Trims Greek Bond Holdings at a Loss Fortis, the owner of Belgium’s
biggest life insurer, will resume shareholder payouts after its
insurance businesses returned to profit in the second half.
China Export Recovery Adds Pressure to Pare Stimulus (Update1) China’s exports rose more than
forecast in February and posted a third straight gain, a rebound
that adds to pressure on policy makers to pare back stimulus
measures adopted during the global recession.
U.S Stocks to Outperform for Several More Months, Allianz Says The outperformance of U.S. stocks
should continue for several more months as the nation’s economy
recovers from its worst contraction since the Great Depression,
according to Allianz Investment Management.
Cathay Pacific Posts Profit on Capacity, Haeco Sale (Update1) Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Hong
Kong’s biggest carrier, posted a second-half profit after paring
capacity and selling a stake in a maintenance venture.
Korean Won May Gain 1.3% to 17-Month High: Technical Analysis The South Korean won will
strengthen 1.3 percent in the next one to two weeks as charts
indicate further losses for the dollar, said Winston Tang, a
technical analyst in Singapore at Forecast Pte.
Brown Calls for National Unity Amid U.K. Public Pay Freeze Prime Minister Gordon Brown will
call on Britons to unite behind his government on the day many
government staff learn whether their pay has been frozen.
Indian Stocks are Better Long-Term Bet, Franklin Says (Update1) India offers better long-term
returns on stocks than China given the outlook for economic
growth and corporate earnings, according to Franklin Templeton
Investments.
AIG ‘Money in the Door’ Deals Reap $3.2 Billion for Bondholders American International Group Inc.
bondholders reaped at least $3.2 billion after the bailed-out
company announced deals to sell its two largest non-U.S. life
insurance divisions for $51 billion.
Senate Said to Weigh $50 Billion Fund to Wind Down Failed Firms Senate negotiators are closing in
on a deal to create a $50 billion trust fund from fees on large
financial firms that may include Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and
Citigroup Inc. and be used to wind down failing institutions,
said a Senate aide and two people familiar with the talks.
Hedge-Fund Losses Show Euro’s Drop Fails to Benefit All Traders Hedge funds that trade currencies
are taking hits from politicians casting them as speculators out
to sink the euro and push Greece into insolvency. They are also
losing money.
Defaults Signal Bursting Muni Junk Bubble on High-Yield Surge Investors in search of better
returns poured $7.8 billion into high-yield municipal bond funds
last year, pushing assets to a two-year high. They may start
experiencing losses as early as this year as default risks grow.
J&J Pushed Risperdal for Elderly After U.S. Warning, Files Show Johnson & Johnson made plans to
reach $302 million in geriatric sales for its antipsychotic
Risperdal just months after federal regulators said the company
falsely claimed the drug was safe and effective with the
elderly, according to internal documents.
Obama Defies Pessimists as Rising Economy Converges With Stocks The political consensus may be that
President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy has been weak.
The judgment of money in all its forms has been overwhelmingly
positive, and that may be the more lasting appraisal.
NFL Brain Collector Shows Violence in Slices of Gray Matter Five years of hell ended in a hard
death. Those are the widow’s words.
Obama’s Health-Care Push Gets Challenge From Business Coalition President Barack Obama is facing a
renewed push against his health-care legislation as a coalition
of business groups plans to spend as much as $1 million a day on
advertisements to pressure lawmakers into voting “no.”
Buyout Firms Can’t Spend $503 Billion as Fund Deadlines Loom Buyout funds sitting on half a
trillion dollars committed by investors may need more than a
decade to put the money to work if deals continue at the current
pace.
U.S. Senate Set to Vote on Plan to Extend Unemployment Benefits The U.S. Senate is set to approve a
$138 billion plan that would extend unemployment benefits
through the end of this year after eight Republicans joined
Democrats yesterday to end efforts to block the plan.
Apollo Said to Triple Property Assets With Citi Unit Purchase Apollo Management LP agreed to buy
Citigroup Inc.’s real estate investment unit in a move that will
more than triple the value of the private-equity firm’s property
assets, a person with knowledge of the deal said yesterday.
Madoff Victims Join Stanford Investors to Lobby for Payback Victims of Bernard Madoff and
accused Ponzi schemer R. Allen Stanford are banding together to
lobby Congress for a law that could require Wall Street firms to
pay billions of dollars to cover some of the losses they
suffered.
Fed’s ‘Extended Period’ Rate Pledge Criticized by Some on FOMC The Federal Reserve’s pledge to
keep interest rates close to zero for an “extended period” has
come under criticism from policy makers who say it’s restricting
their room to maneuver as the economy recovers.
Cathay Pacific Posts Full-Year Net Income of HK$4.69 Billion Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.’s net
income for the year ended Dec. 31 was HK$4.69 billion, according
to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. That compared
with the HK$2.25 billion median estimate of 10 analysts surveyed
by Bloomberg.
Toyota’s U.S. Sales May Spike 30% This Month, Edmunds.com Says Toyota Motor Corp., battling a two-
month slide in U.S. sales amid recalls of millions of vehicles,
may post a sales spike this month after introducing an incentive
campaign, Edmunds.com said.
Citic Pacific Posts Full Year Net Income of HK$5.95 Billion Citic Pacific Ltd.’s net income for
the year ended Dec. 31 was HK$5.95 billion, according to a
statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. That compared with
the HK$5.48 billion median estimate of four analysts surveyed by
Bloomberg.
PCCW Says Chairman Richard Li’s Buyout Plans ‘Dead’ (Update3) PCCW Ltd., linked to a police probe
following a court ruling that a buyout bid by Chairman Richard
Li had been manipulated, said investors at Hong Kong’s biggest
phone company should consider the takeover plan as “dead.”
Canon Says China May Become Top Camera Market in 2015 (Update2) Canon Inc. expects China’s camera
market to become the world’s largest as early as 2015,
overtaking the U.S., its head of the business said.
Citigroup Selling TruPS After Repaying Bailout: Credit Markets Citigroup Inc., seeking to bolster
capital after repaying bailout funds to the Treasury, is selling
trust preferred securities as rising investor demand drives
borrowing costs to near the lowest in almost five years.
Yen Declines to 2-Week Low Against Kiwi on Asia Recovery Signs The yen declined to a two-week low
against New Zealand’s dollar on speculation Japan’s economic
recovery will lag behind the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.
Asian Stocks Fluctuate as Oil, Shippers Drop; Telstra Advances Asian stocks fluctuated as shipping
lines and oil companies declined, while Australia’s largest
telephone company rose on speculation it will avoid a breakup.
Myanmar Opposition Weighs Joining Election After Suu Kyi Banned Myanmar’s opposition party will
begin assessing election laws announced yesterday that ban
detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political
prisoners, a spokesman for the party said.
SDI, LG Chem to Gain on Battery Sales, Korea Investment Says South Korean rechargeable battery
makers’ stocks will outperform the benchmark index on increased
use in mobile devices, autos and electricity grids, according to
Korea Investment Trust Management Co.
Bali Bomber Suspect Dulmatin Killed, AFP Says, Citing Yudhoyono Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono said police yesterday killed Dulmatin, suspected of
helping plan the 2002 terrorist bombings on the resort island of
Bali, Agence France-Presse reported, citing Yudhoyono in a
speech in Canberra, Australia, today.