Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering

US stocks ended higher overnight on a bigger-than-expected rise in existing home sales for November. The used-home sales jumped 7.4 per cent, having increased more than double the economists' expectations.

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding (SEO:067250), the world's No.4 shipbuilder, is targeting a record US$2 billion in new orders for offshore vessels and plants this year.

Most Asian markets ended lower Thursday, giving up gains from the previous session. Japan's Nikkei 225 finished down 2.4% as exporters were hit by the stronger yen. Other major indexes including China's Shanghai Composite, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and South Korea's Kospi ended with rather small changes as investors were not confident to the economic outlook and waiting for a clear picture.

Asian markets fell yesterday as investors remained sceptical and worried the deteriorating economy would not receive immediate help from the US stimulus plan. Tokyo stocks dropped 3%, led mostly by banks and exporters, as trading resumed after a holiday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.3%, while Shanghai Composite lost 0.6%. The major indexes in Asia are likely to remain on a downward trend today.

Most Asian markets were hammered Monday over the concerns that the global recession is deepening. Hong Kong shares plunged sharply, even as mainland-Chinese shares gained after the Chinese New Year holidays. In Tokyo, some of Japan's biggest industrial companies fell to multiyear lows. China's Shanghai Composite contrasted other major indexes with 1 per cent surge as agricultural sector was strengthened after the Chinese government announced measures to prevent grain production from falling.