LG Electronics Inc.

China's economy grew a more-than-estimated 9.7 per cent and industrial value-added output grew 14.4 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year. Chinese investment is playing an important role to drive exploration and mining in Australia. ABF is delighted to invite you to hear first hand the updated results of the China & Australia Investment Attraction Strategy in Australia-China Business Week (ACBW) 2011.

Swedish mobile network equipment maker Telefon AB LM Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has bought Nortel's controlling stake in LG-Nortel, a joint venture between Nortel Networks and LG Electronics Inc. (SEO:066570). Nortel will sell its 50 per cent plus one share stake in LG-Nortel to Ericsson for US$242 million in Cash subject to certain purchase price adjustments.

Banking shares continued to push the US market higher overnight, despite resources and industrial sectors were hurt by worries that China may tighten its policy to cool the overheating economy after the country's latest inflation data. Consumer price index for February in China rose a faster-than-expected 2.7% in February from a year earlier. Thursday Asian markets closed mixed. Several major markets dropped after Chinese economic data. Japan's Nikkei index was up 1 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index inched up 0.1%. Taiwan's Taiex lost 0.4 per cent and South Korea's Kospi shed 0.3 per cent. China's Shanghai Composited gave up most of its early gains and closed with a 0.1 per cent gain.

Today Asian stocks are set to rise after Wall Street rallied Friday, boosted by US upbeat jobs data. Asian markets broadly gained on Friday. Tokyo stocks advanced 2.2 per cent on expectations that the Japanese central bank may ease its monetary policy further. Shanghai and Hong Kong markets also powered higher on hope of China's moderately loose policies and an 8 per cent economic growth target this year. Shanghai Composite was up 0.25 per cent, and Hang Seng Index gained 1 per cent. South Korea's Kospi climbed 1 per cent.

Asian shares declined in thin trade on Monday. Tokyo stocks fell on the pre-weekend fall on Wall Street and monetary tightening in China, despite a slightly better than expected gross domestic product figure in fourth quarter was released yesterday. Australian stocks Monday was also lower, weighed down by some disappointing earnings reports. There is no lead from Wall Street and major Asian markets including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore are still in holiday break on Tuesday.

Wall Street stocks posted gains on Wednesday. The market pared early losses in late trade as Federal Reserve kept its stimulative monetary policy unchanged and said it would hold interest rate at "exceptionally low" level for an extended period to support the economic recovery.

US shares tumbled sharply for a third straight day on Friday as continued worries about the White House's plan to limit bank risk-taking. Google's disappointing earnings also hit the tech stocks. For the week, the Dow dropped 4.1 per cent, the S&P 500 lost 3.9 per cent and the Nasdaq tumbled 3.6 per cent.

Overnight US shares was lower on the disappointing Alcoa fourth-quarter report and profit warning from Chevron and Electronic Arts. Financial sector also fell as investors feared that a potential government levy might hurt bank profits.

US stocks was slightly higher on Friday, hitting at least 15-month closing highs despite a bigger-than-expected job loss data. US dollar was lowered on the disappointing payroll data. This week the US firms, which are widely expected to show significant improvement compared to the corresponding period last year, will kick off the quarterly earnings reporting season.

Most Asian major markets rebounded on Wednesday morning as investors' sentiment was boosted by gains on Wall Street overnight. Asian stocks fell massively Tuesday with most declines in financial sector.