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Hong Kong stocks rise on easing oil prices and overnight strength on Wall Street AP - Wed, Jul 23
HONG KONG (AP) _ Hong Kong's stock market gained Wednesday on easing oil prices and an overnight rally on Wall Street.
Carlyle drops bid for stake in Chinese construction equipment maker; offer stirred outcry AP - Wed, Jul 23
BEIJING (AP) _ U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group has dropped its bid to buy a stake in a Chinese construction equipment maker, the two companies said Wednesday, after multiyear talks that stirred nationalist opposition.
China's stock indices led lower by property shares; refiners, airlines up on lower oil prices AP - Wed, Jul 23
SHANGHAI, China (AP) _ China's main stock indices fell Wednesday, led lower by property shares, while refiners and airlines rose on lower oil prices.
Taiwan's main stock index gains 3.46 percent on Wall Street strength AP - Wed, Jul 23
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) _ Taiwan's main stock index climbed 3.46 percent Wednesday on Wall Street's overnight gain.
New Zealand nonbank finance company freezes investor funds as sector collapses AP - Wed, Jul 23
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) _ New Zealand's third largest nonbank finance company, Hanover Finance Ltd., froze investor funds Wednesday, citing the collapse of the industry for halting its business.
Philippine central bank chief hints at raising interest rates to control inflation AP - Wed, Jul 23
MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ The Philippine central bank chief hinted Wednesday at further raising interest rates to control inflation, which has been driven to a 14-year-high by spiraling oil and food prices.
Australia's inflation surges to 4.5 percent on oil prices, bank charges and housing costs AP - Wed, Jul 23
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) _ Australia's annual inflation rate surged to 4.5 percent in the latest quarter fueled by rising oil prices, bank charges and housing rents, government figures revealed Wednesday.
Oil drops below US$127 a barrel in Asia, extends decline on easing supply concerns AP - Wed, Jul 23
SINGAPORE (AP) _ Oil prices slipped further Wednesday after tumbling more than US$3 a barrel in the previous session as a hurricane looked likely to spare key oil installations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
Japanese shares rise on Wall Street's rally, falling oil; Nikkei gains nearly 1 percent AP - Wed, Jul 23
TOKYO (AP) _ Japanese shares rose Wednesday as investors took heart from an overnight rally on Wall Street and a further drop in oil prices.
Philippines partially opens mothballed airport terminal for domestic flights AP - Wed, Jul 23
MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ The first flights are rolling out of an airport terminal in the Philippine capital, promising to bring much-needed new capacity to the old, overburdened facilities after a six-year legal delay, officials said Wednesday.
Asian stock markets rise as investors encouraged by falling oil prices, Wall Street's strength AP - Wed, Jul 23
HONG KONG (AP) _ Asian stock markets resumed their upswing Wednesday, as another fall in oil prices and a strong performance on Wall Street lifted sentiment throughout the region.
Former chairman of South Korea's Samsung Group appeals tax evasion conviction AP - Wed, Jul 23
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ The former chairman of South Korea's Samsung Group appealed his conviction for tax evasion, days after prosecutors filed a similar appeal, a Samsung official said Wednesday.
Oil drops below US$128 a barrel in Asia, extends decline on easing supply concerns AP - Wed, Jul 23
SINGAPORE (AP) _ Oil prices slipped further Wednesday after tumbling more than US$3 a barrel in the previous session as a hurricane looked likely to spare key oil installations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
Asia-Pacific airlines report rise in passengers in 2008, but see signs of slowdown AP - Wed, Jul 23
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ Air travel in the Asia-Pacific region climbed 3.1 percent in the first half of 2008, but airlines are seeing symptoms of a slowdown that point to troubled times ahead, an industry group said.
Carlyle ends attempt to invest in Chinese construction equipment maker; bid stirred outcry AP - Wed, Jul 23
BEIJING (AP) _ U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group's bid to invest in a Chinese construction equipment maker has ended without a purchase, the Chinese company said Wednesday, following multiyear talks that stirred nationalist opposition.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia discusses buying ABN Amro branch AP - Wed, Jul 23
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd., the country's largest lender, said Wednesday it has entered exclusive talks to buy the local arm of Dutch investment bank ABN Amro.
Wed, Jul 23
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) _ Macquarie Group Ltd., Australia's largest investment bank, said Wednesday its profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 was lower than for the same period last year, amid difficult market conditions. But Macquarie managing director and chief executive Nicholas Moore said the group had still made a solid start to the new year.
Asian central bank officials say further interest rate hikes needed to help contain inflation AP - Tue, Jul 22
SINGAPORE (AP) _ Asian central bank officials warned Tuesday that more interest rate hikes may be needed to help nations dampen inflation rates surging to their highest levels in years on rising oil and food prices.
Most Asia markets little changed amid higher oil prices, mixed US results; Nikkei up 3 percent AP - Tue, Jul 22
HONG KONG (AP) _ Most Asian markets closed little changed Tuesday, as a gain in oil prices and mixed results from U.S. companies led many investors to hold back after a two-day rally and wait for direction from Wall Street.
China stocks mixed as refiners, airlines fall on oil price worries AP - Tue, Jul 22
SHANGHAI, China (AP) _ Chinese stocks had a mixed performance Tuesday as refiners and airlines fell on worries about oil prices and other major issues were largely unchanged.