Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd

Asian Activities Report for December 15, 2011 includes: DeNA Co., Ltd. (TYO:2432) has agreed to form a strategic alliance with Alibaba Cloud Computing to provide DeNA's Mobage social gaming platform to consumers and developers in China; Marubeni Corporation (TYO:8002) has agreed to acquire a 40% equity interest in APT Allgas Energy Pty Ltd; Japan Airlines and WestJet Airlines (TSE:WJA), a low-cost airline in Canada have signed a codeshare agreement which will place the "JL" flight indicator on WestJet-operated flights between Vancouver And six Canadian cities - Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg, from December 15, 2011; Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (TYO:4005) and Nabaltec AG (ETR:NTG) of Germany have been in discussions about collaborating on their Alumina and Aluminum Trihydroxide businesses.

Australian agricultural chemicals firm Nufarm Ltd (ASX:NUF) says it has been notified by Japan's Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd (TYO:4005) that its offer for 20 per cent of Nufarm is now unconditional. The tender offer for Nufarm shares from Sumitomo Chemical has received acceptances totalling 81.45 per cent of all Nufarm share.

Wall Street rebounded on Tuesday to close at new 15-month highs. Health care sector rallied as investors bet that the outcome of a Senate race in Massachusetts might make it harder for President Barack Obama's health-insurance reforms.

Asian shares delivered a positive opening this morning. The Asian bourses were higher in thin trade on the last day of 2009 as commodity prices rose and China pledged to maintain policies that helped pull the world economy out of recession. For the year, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 52%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 31% in 2009 and Singapore was up 65 percent over the year. But Wall Street tumbled on the final trading day in 2009. Dow index remains down 26 per cent from its 2007 highs.

Asian stocks markets were mostly higher on Wednesday. The Japanese market was buoyed by the positive machinery orders data, and the U.S. dollar dropped sharply against the yen after the data. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on a conference in Singapore today that the US dollar's role as a reserve currency is intact, but the Chinese yuan could provide an alternative in the next 10-15 years.