22 February 2011, Tuesday

Banks

Top lender Maybank on course to report best-ever full-year profit

Maybank proposes to acquire additional 6% stake in Kim Eng Holdings

Alliance Bank Malaysia optimistic about current year

Mizuho gets approval to set up commercial bank in Malaysia

Investment

Employees Provident Fund should invest in more higher-yielding asset classes and overseas funds

Islamic banking and finance

AMMB Holdings acquiring entire stake in AmIslamic Bank for RM1.3 billion

Global Sukuk issuance in 2011 may top 2007

Bloomberg launches Islamic finance platform

Legal profession

Decision on whether non-Muslim counsel can practise as Syarie lawyer postponed to March

Privacy

Do Malaysians have the right to privacy?

ASIA

Capital market

Luggage maker Samsonite eyes Hong Kong IPO, may follow up with secondary listing in Singapore

Islamic finance

Indonesia considers Sukuk for infrastructure projects, Shariah Treasury bills

Oil and gas

British energy giant BP lines up one of the biggest foreign direct investments in India

Retail

Parkson opening eight to nine stores a year in China through 2013

AUSTRALIA

Media

West Australian Newspaper deal to buy Seven Media Group will create Australia’s biggest media company

SINGAPORE

Banks

Maybank Singapore’s H1 profit before tax up 15.7%

Integrated resorts

Reopening of ‘Battlestar Galactica’ ride may boost Genting Singapore earnings

UK

Telecommunications

Chinese communications hardware maker Huawei close to a deal with London transport provider

US

Intellectual property

Modernising federal Patent and Trademark Office crucial to ‘winning the future’

Islamic finance

Devon Bank foresees establishment of Islamic bank in the US by 2020 

21 February 2011, Monday

Capital market

Brighter days likely for local stock market

Bionas unit to list on London’s Alternative Investment Market by June

Composites Technology Research Malaysia defers plans for IPO

Berjaya Food to list on Bursa Malaysia Main Market in March

Economy

Economy expanded at fastest pace in a decade

Employment

Employees Provident Fund declares 5.8% dividend for 2010

Environment

Free admission to tomorrow’s forum on climate change

Raising awareness of protecting Mother Earth

Expenditure

Thursday workshop on public private partnership

Financial services

Malaysian Licensed Moneylenders Association launches online database

Investment

No leading or lagging bidder yet for Khazanah’s 32.2% stake in Pos Malaysia

Islamic finance

Cross-border Sukuk originations into and out of Malaysia set to increase

Logistics

Century Logistics Holdings aims for 25% topline growth

Mediation

Mediation is making a comeback

Oil and gas

Kencana Petroleum sees first returns from Berantai investment in two years

SINGAPORE

Mergers and acquisitions

SGX chief: ‘Other fishes’ if proposed takeover of Australian bourse operator ASX fails

UK

Competition

Land agreements will be brought within ambit of UK competition law wef 6 April 2011

Real estate

London’s super-prime market attracting international investors seeking to protect wealth

Retail

Fast-food chain KFC replacing 50-year-old ‘finger-lickin’ good’ slogan

US

Insurance

No clear guidance on whether a traditional property or general liability policy covers damage to e-data

Intellectual property

Illustrator claims DreamWorks infringing copyrights on idea of portly panda with kung fu prowess

Google's request for Oracle patents to be re-examined could have significant effect on how dispute plays out

Mergers and acquisitions

M&A frenzy could cast US-entric ‘flash crash’ debate in a global light

18 February 2011, Friday

Capital market

Hock Sin Leong could be de-listed

Corporate governance

Kuala Lumpur hosting summit from 28 February to 2 March

Energy

Natural gas next best option for Sabah following scrapping of plan for coal-fired plant

Financial services

Growth will be driven by domestic borrowings and inflow of foreign funds into stock market, insurance, bonds and Sukuk

Islamic finance

International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance drafting rules on derivatives

Legislation

Public still unclear about Whistleblower Protection Act 2010

Negligence

Owner of pre-war bungalow awarded more than RM500,000 for damage caused to property

Retail

Hektar REIT views Empire Shopping Gallery as complementary to Subang Parade

Borders Malaysia not a party to Chapter 11 filing in US

Trade

Malaysia, India signing Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement today

ASIA

Competition

Impact of Hong Kong’s Competition Bill on the rights and responsibilities of company directors and senior executives

Treatment of joint ventures under India’s Competition Act is unclear

Telecommunications

India’s PM prepared to answer questions about alleged irregularities in 2G licences

AUSTRALIA

Higher education

Australia cannot afford so many business schools ranked below world standard

EUROPE

Intellectual property

European Parliament consents to EU-wide patent system

Media

UEFA and FIFA have no right to sell most of their prime tournaments to pay-TV networks

SINGAPORE

Capital market

Singapore losing its appeal as a capital-raising venue for Chinese companies

Gaming

Marina Bay Sands seeks more land to expand casino complex in Singapore

Land sites near MBS not due for tender anytime soon

Las Vegas Sands discussing ‘Euro-Vegas’ project with Spain

US

Antitrust

Regulators looking at Apple’s new subscription service

Bankruptcy

Bookstore chain Borders gets nod to liquidate 200 stores

Intellectual property

Watchmaker Swatch wants news service Bloomberg to destroy copies of recording and transcript of conference call

‘Insufficient evidence of likelihood of confusion’ in Sony Ericsson battle with Clearwire

Marlboro maker alleges Chinese online retailers sold counterfeit versions of its top-selling cigarette brands to US customers

17 February 2011, Thursday

Biotechnology

Global science company DuPont likely to step up industrial biotech activities in Malaysia

Capital market

Bursa Securities plans to revamp rules for securities brokers found wanting

Energy

Malaysia scraps plan to build coal-fired power plant in Sabah

Islamic finance

Kuwait-based Gulf Investment Corporation launches RM500 million Sukuk in Malaysia

Islamic megabank has approval of Bahrain and Malaysia, now awaiting Qatar’s

Media

Chennai-based Sun Direct TV says no impropriety in transaction with Astro

Plantation

IOI attributes higher net profit in Q2 to plantation and property segment

Social media

Use the Internet for constructive expression

Takeovers

EONCap shareholder Primus files notice of appeal

Tax

Interest expense and interest restriction

Taxation of Malaysian employees seconded overseas

Telecommunications

DiGi’s business seeing slow but sure shift to post-paid segment

Green Packet posts net loss of RM77.68 million in Q4

Transportation

Mass Rapid Transit project should go underground

MRT will have adverse impact on some properties

The rich don’t need Klang Valley MRT system

New compound rates for traffic offences from March

ASIA

Islamic finance

South Korea’s ‘top priority’ will be to pass Sukuk Bill

Mergers and acquisitions

China’s new review body for inward M&A could speed up foreign tie-ups with mainland firms

AUSTRALIA

Earnings

Bourse operator and takeover target ASX reports higher profit for H1

Insurance

Insurers may have to pay out more than A$2 billion for damage caused by deadly floods

CANADA

Class action

First securities class action under US-style securities law could clear path for similar claims

Employment

Issue of whether Air Canada can force older pilots to retire is back in play

SINGAPORE

Economy

Singapore raises 2011 inflation forecast

Legislation

Data protection law set for parliamentary debate in early 2012

US

Competition

Apple could face competition probe into its subscription service for mobile apps

Publishing

Borders’ troubles rooted in strategic missteps, executive turnover and failure to understand digital revolution

Borders bankruptcy has landlords scrambling

Technology

US icon which coined ‘It’s a Kodak moment’ catch phrase struggling to stay in the picture

16 February 2011, Wednesday

Banks

Financial institutions approached to fund takeovers are one source of information leaks

Maybank could realise gain of RM610 million with disposal of Bank Internasional Indonesia stake

Capital market

Be wary of unauthorised use of name and logo of Securities Commission Malaysia

Islamic finance

Why aren’t Islamic funds finding their way to Shariah-compliant companies on Bursa Malaysia?

Legislation

March forum on Strategic Trade Act 2010

Oil and gas

Black gold discovery will boost Petronas reserves and rekindle investor interest in O&G sector

New O&G fields found in offshore Sarawak

Sime Darby unit yet to be served suit filed by Abu Dhabi-based Emirates International Energy Services

Real estate

Competition among lessors of office space in Kuala Lumpur set to intensify

Retail

IGB divesting Mid Valley City Gardens to subsidiary KrisAssets

Takaful

Great Eastern Takaful lines up key strategies in achieving RM1 billion target

ASIA

Health

South Korea’s biggest tobacco company KT&G escapes liability

Intellectual property

China gearing up to create IP-producing powerhouse of its own

Mergers and acquisitions

Better access to Asian markets one of the key reasons behind Deutsche Boerse-NYSE deal

Asia risks being left behind in wave of transatlantic stock-exchange consolidation

Key facts about major Asian stock exchanges

CANADA

Competition

Even small mergers can expect attention from newly strengthened Competition Bureau

Mergers and acquisitions

London Stock Exchange’s bid to take over Canada’s exchange operator TMX comes under review

Telecommunications

Federal government will appeal court ruling on Globalive

EUROPE

Energy

Spat over wind power threatens to land in Netherlands’ highest court

Technology

European cable companies haven’t had it this good for years

MIDDLE EAST

Islamic banking

Qatar’s central bank meeting with conventional lenders to discuss options for Islamic operations

Takaful

Tokio Marine Middle East sees opportunity to expand business in Egypt

SINGAPORE

Equity finance

Great Eastern proposes returning S$364 million to shareholders

Mergers and acquisitions

Stock markets now more optimistic proposed SGX-ASX deal will go through

Telecommunications

Mobile operators exempt from liability when compelled by governments to sever mobile services

US

Bankruptcy

Ailing book chain Borders seeks loan; expected to file for Chapter 11 by end February