_Economy and Finance

Westfield Sells 7 U.S. Malls to Starwood for $1.6 Billion By Nichola Saminather - Sep 16, 2013 Westfield Group (WDC), the world’s biggest shopping-center operator by assets, will sell seven malls in the U.S. for $1.6 billion to an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group LLC, as the company consolidates its U.S. portfolio to fund higher-return activities. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-16/westfield-sells-seven-u-s-malls-to-starwood-for-1-6-billion.html

Aug 26, 2013 ASIA AMP Capital Raises $300 Million For Infrastructure Debt Fund By GILLIAN TAN Australian investment manager AMP Capital has raised an initial US$300 million for its AMP Capital Infrastructure Debt Fund II from investors in Europe and Asia. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/08/26/amp-capital-raises-300-million-for-infrastructure-debt-fund/

Fixed Income | Asia Ex-Japan 21 December 2012 Asia Insights: China: Mixed signals from leading indicators · Nomura's China leading indicator fell in November, but we expect it to pickup in December (Bloomberg ticker: NMEICLI). · Our heatmap continues to improve, with 67% of indicators positive in November, up from a revised 65% in October. · We expect growth momentum to continue to build, and maintain our above-consensus GDP forecasts for 4Q and Q1 2013.

Eco Analysis - Disappointing data across Asia: CH trade, AU home loans, JP in recession (K. Baader, W. Yao, K. Katahira) ■ Disappointing China's trade data reflected structural weakness in both external and domestic demand. Contrary to the activity data released over the weekend, China's trade growth in November disappointed, with exports growing 2.9%yoy (Cons. 9%, SG 7%, Previous 11.9%) and imports flat yoy (Cons. 2%, SG 0%, Previous 2.4%). As a result of weak exports, the trade surplus also came in smaller than expected at USD19.6bn (Cons. & SG, USD26.8bn), down from USD32bn in October.

Fixed Income | Asia Ex-Japan 10 December 2012 Asia Insights: China: Exports slowed but domestic demand remains strong ·China’s export growth slowed more than expected in November to 2.9% y-o-y from 11.6% in October. ·Import growth slowed to 0.0% y-o-y from 2.4%, but import growth for domestic consumption picked up. ·We expect the growth recovery to remain on track, as it is mainly driven by domestic demand.

Bloomberg Singapore Jobs, S. Korea Output Reflect EU Trade Impact: Economy By Shamim Adam and Eunkyung Seo - Apr 30, 2012 1:53 PM GMT+0900 Singapore’s unemployment rate unexpectedly rose and growth in South Korean industrial output slowed in March, underscoring the continued impact of Europe’s crisis on Asian economies reliant on trade.

Bloomberg Geithner Calls China’s Changes on Yuan Very Significant By Ian Katz U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said China’s decision to widen the yuan’s trading band against the dollar reflects changes that are “very significant and very promising.”

Bloomberg Hedge Funds Make Wrong-Way Bets for a Fourth Week: Commodities By Joe Richter - Mar 25, 2012 9:21 PM Hedge funds wagered the wrong way on commodity prices for a fourth consecutive week, boosting bullish holdings just before reports showing a contraction in manufacturing from China to Europe drove prices lower.

Bloomberg China Soft Landing May Be Hard for Commodity Exporters By Bloomberg News - 2012.03.25 06:41 PM The good news: China’s government will engineer a soft landing. The bad news: Even a soft landing is painful for industries that have become dependent on the world’s fastest-growing major economy as their main profit engine.

Bloomberg: Australia Economy Grows More Than Forecast By Michael Heath - 2011.12.06 07:02 PM Australia’s economy grew faster than estimated last quarter on consumer spending and mining-driven investment, spurring the local currency as investors pared bets on the pace of interest-rate cuts next year.

Related News: Asia , China , Real Estate , Emerging Markets , Economy , Finance , Retail Chinese Mount Global Homebuying Spree as Governments Squeeze Local Markets By Kelvin Wong, Nichola Saminather and Hui-yong Yu - Jun 14, 2011 1:00 AM GMT+0900 On a sunny Saturday in early June, Larry Zhou strolled the floor of a property exhibition in Hong Kong, wondering whether it was time to buy another home -- not in the city, where residential prices have soared 50 percent in the past two years, but maybe in Thailand or Malaysia.

Related News: Economy · Asia · China · Finance · Real Estate · Africa · Canada · Europe · Latin America · U.S. · Bonds · Currencies · Middle East · Japan · U.K. & Ireland · Insurance · Funds · Commodities · India & Pakistan ‘Perfect Storm’ May Threaten Global Economy By Shamim Adam - Jun 13, 2011 8:58 AM GMT+0900 A “ perfect storm ” of fiscal woe in the U.S., a slowdown in China, European debt restructuring and stagnation in Japan may converge on the global economy, New York University professor Nouriel Roubini said.

Related News: Economy · Asia · China China Manufacturing May Slow on Tightening Steps By Bloomberg News - May 23, 2011 1:34 PM GMT+0900 A Chinese manufacturing index fell to its lowest level in 10 months, adding to signs that economic growth is cooling after the government raised interest rates and curbed lending to rein in inflation.

Related News: Economy · Asia · Europe · Japan · U.K. & Ireland · U.S. · Currencies · Funds · Insurance · Middle East · France · Canada Risk Rally Ending for Currencies Turns Focus to New Least Ugly-Alternative By Catarina Saraiva and Allison Bennett - May 23, 2011 1:08 PM GMT+0900 The best-performing currencies of 2011 are falling out of favor as the Federal Reserve plans its exit from record monetary stimulus just as the global economy shows signs of slowing, buffeting commodities and stocks.

ASIA NEWS|APRIL 27, 2011 Asia's Growth Seen Imperiled by Prices By ALEX FRANGOS HONG KONG—Unchecked increases in oil and food prices could shave growth across Asia over the next two years, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank, imperiling economic gains among the poor in the globe's fastest expanding region.

ASIA BUSINESS|APRIL 20, 2011, 6:43 A.M. ET Asia Central Banks Intervene As Currencies Climb By MARTIN VAUGHAN Agence France-Presse /Getty Images SINGAPORE—Central banks in South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia intervened Wednesday to slow a surge in their currencies in a broad Asian rally that carried the Singapore and Australian dollars to fresh highs against the U.S. currency.

ASIA NEWS|APRIL 20, 2011, 8:44 A.M. ET China Plans Tax Cut for Low Earners By AARON BACK A Beijing worker washes a window BEIJING—China plans to cut taxes on low-income earners and raise them somewhat for the rich under new legislation expected to pass shortly, one effort to address a widening income gap thought to threaten the country's social stability.

Related News: U.S. · Asia Oil Falls From 30-Month High on IMF Forecast; U.S. Stocks Drop By Margot Habiby and Nikolaj Gammeltoft - Apr 12, 2011 5:08 AM GMT+0900 Oil fell from a 30-month high after the International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecasts for the U.S. and Japan, dragging down shares of energy producers and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. The difference between yields on Treasury 10-year notes and inflation-protected securities widened to the most in three years.

Related News: Asia · Commodities · Currencies · China · Funds · Economy · Retail China Inflation Is `Somewhat Out of Control’ on Weak Currency, Soros Says By John Detrixhe - Apr 11, 2011 1:02 PM GMT+0900 China’s decision to keep its currency weak has caused the government to lose control of inflation and risks fuelling wage-price gains, billionaire investor George Soros said.

ASIA NEWS|MARCH 15, 2011, 3:49 P.M. ET Anxiety Spreads to Japan's Neighbors By JAMES HOOKWAY Fears about the potential for a transborder nuclear disaster spread across Asia Tuesday as Japan's nuclear crisis deepened, even as experts and officials sought to calm fraying nerves in countries as far away as Singapore and the Philippines.