Commercial Banking

Asian Markets Overview of March 5, 2010

🕔3/5/2010 1:30:53 PM

Friday Asian stocks received a positive lead from Wall Street. US stocks overnight posted a slim gain, supported by better-than-expected retail sales data and analyst upgrades of a batch of blue-chip companies. Yesterday most Asian markets closed lower on renewed worries about China's policy tightening. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slid 1.4 per cent, while Shanghai Composite lost 2.4 per cent, with China's banking and property shares dropping sharply. Singapore market was also impacted by China's property bubble concerns, and Straits Times slid 0.5 per cent. Japan's Nikkei 225 was off 1.1 per cent as strong yen hurt exporters.

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Asian Markets Overview of March 2

🕔3/2/2010 1:30:47 PM

Asian markets are expected to rise today as Wall Street rallied overnight on improved data of manufacturing employment in the US and a takeover of American International Group's Asian arm by British insurer Prudential. Resources shares in Asia were up on Monday as the massive earthquake in Chile raised concerns on copper supplies. Asian markets closed mostly higher yesterday. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5 per cent, lifted by a rise in non-ferrous metal shares. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 2.2 per cent and China's Shanghai Composite added 1.2 per cent on expectations Beijing may retain an appropriately loose monetary policy at the upcoming meeting of the National People's Congress.

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Asian Markets Overview of February 25

🕔2/25/2010 1:30:31 PM

Asian markets mostly dropped on Wednesday. Resources shares across the region were hit by falling metals prices. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.5 per cent, South Korea's Kospi shed 1.0 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index lost 0.8 per cent. The markets also weighed down by U.S. consumer confidence and German business sentiment. But China's Shanghai Composite rebounded 1.3 per cent as monetary tightening worries eased.

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Australian Market Report of February 22: Down on US Discount Rate Hike

🕔2/22/2010 9:30:10 AM

Australian shares and Asian markets Friday were down on the US Federal Reserve's decision to raise the discount rate for the first time since the financial crisis. NAB's flat cash earnings result also weighed on the Australian shares. At the close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index declined 19.8 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 4635.1, while the broader All Ordinaries index slid 17.6 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 4656.3. The local market gained 2 per cent for the week.

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Australian Market Report of February 17: Gained on Encouraging Westpac Earnings

🕔2/17/2010 9:30:10 AM

The Australian sharemarket closed higher Tuesday. Financial stocks were boosted as Westpac's strong earnings result provided a positive sign for the banking sector and Australia's economy. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 22.3 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 4567.8, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 20.4 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 4590.8.

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Asian Markets Overview of February 15

🕔2/15/2010 3:10:00 PM

In Asia, China's unexpected announcement that it will increase the reserve-requirement ratio would fuel worries over the global economy recovery, but thin trading is expected today as most markets including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore will be closed for Lunar New Year holiday. Japan's exporters will be supported by weaker yen. Japan's gross domestic product data, released by the Cabinet Office on Monday, showed that the country's economy grew at a faster than expected pace in the October-December quarter.

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Asian Markets Overview of February 12

🕔2/12/2010 1:30:14 PM

Asian markets were higher Thursday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 1.9 per cent and South Korea's Kospi advanced 1.8 per cent. China's Shanghai Composite closed flat with thin trade ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year, despite a slower than CPI growth eased worries of rate increase.

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