Airbus seen announcing Qatar, Emirates deals

(Reuters) - Airbus kicks off what is expected to be a busy week of commercial announcements with a news conference set for 10 a.m. with Qatar Airways, Dubai-based Emirates and others mooted as possible customers to announce major plane deals.




Emirates is set to place a provisional order worth more than $3 billion for 10 Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft, industry sources said. The order will give a boost from the aircraft's biggest customer to the A380 program after a two-year delay.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Cost of Living in Major U.S. Cities Falls as Dollar Weakens, Mercer Says

(Bloomberg) -- The sliding dollar has made it
cheaper for expatriates to work in U.S. cities such as New York
and Los Angeles, according to a cost of living index. Moscow
topped the list as the most expensive city for a second year.

New York dropped five places to 15th, and Los Angeles
slipped to 42nd from 29th in the rankings of the costliest
cities. Four other U.S. cities fell from the top 50, the index
produced by Mercer Human Resource Consulting showed.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Asia stocks hit record high after U.S. rally

(Reuters) - The yen plumbed a record low against the euro, still feeling the effects of comments from Japan's central bank governor on Friday that reduced expectations for a rise in interest rates in July.




The dollar stayed at a one-week low against the euro after the U.S. inflation report, underpinning spot gold , which rose to a 1-½ week peak above $656 an ounce, while oil held firm amid supply worries at a time of peak summer gasoline demand in the United States.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

Malaysia's Khazanah May Sell More Convertible Bonds to Cut Equity Stakes

(Bloomberg) -- Khazanah Nasional Bhd., Malaysia's
state investment arm, may sell more dollar-denominated bonds
that can be converted into shares of government-linked companies,
a company spokesman said.

Khazanah may add to its sales of Islamic convertible bonds
after raising $750 million in September through selling
securities that can be redeemed for shares of Telekom Malaysia
Bhd. held by Khazanah. The offering was Southeast Asia's biggest
of Islamic convertible debt.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Austrian Airlines, Cadbury, Enel, Eni, Pearson: European Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall
in European markets today. Prices are from the June 15 close.

The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 advanced 1.3 percent to 399.27. The
Dow Jones Stoxx 50 Index climbed 1.3 percent to 3991.83. The Euro
Stoxx 50 Index, a benchmark for the 13 nations using the euro,
added 1.5 percent to 4551.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Malaysian Ringgit Climbs as Yuan May Spur Gains; Government Bonds Advance

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's ringgit rose for a third
day on speculation a strengthening yuan will help boost the
nation's exports to China, its fourth-largest export market.

The ringgit extended last week's gain, the biggest in more
than six months, after the yuan posted its largest advance since
a decade-old peg to the dollar was scrapped in July 2005. Bank
Negara Malaysia abandoned its own fixed-exchange rate within an
hour of that announcement. China widened the daily trading limit
of the yuan to 0.5 percent from 0.3 percent last month, allowing
faster gains to help reduce its trade surplus.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

China Pharmaceutical suspended on possible buyout

(Reuters) - The company said earlier this month that Legend Holdings Ltd., controlling shareholder of Lenovo Group Ltd. , had been chosen as a qualified bidder for talks with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Committee to buy a 50.93 percent stake in the firm.




Shares of China Pharmaceutical ended at HK$2.66 on Friday, valuing the company at HK$4.09 billion .


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

UPDATE2-Dow Jones rival bid plan may include family-reports

(Reuters) - One option for GE and Pearson would be to allow the
Bancroft family to keep a 20 percent stake in the company,
reported the Financial Times, which is published by Pearson.




Selling Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, to
GE and Pearson, would be a better journalistic fit than News
Corp., but there is "no rush" to examine the plan, an
unidentified Bancroft family member told the Financial Times.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Japanese Government Bonds Advance; Yields Near One-Year High Lure Buyers

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese bonds gained after 10-year
yields near the highest in almost a year attracted some investors.

Bonds in Japan rose for a third day after a rally in
Treasuries on June 15 lowered U.S. 10-year yields from near their
highest in five years. U.S. bonds had gained after a report showed
inflation slowed. Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said last
week that he wants to be more convinced that Japan's economic
growth is sustainable before proposing an interest-rate increase.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

South Korean Department Store Sales Fall for Second Month on Lending Clamp

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea's department store sales
declined for a second month in May as a clampdown on the housing
market reduced home sales and sapped demand for home appliances
and furniture.

Sales at the nation's three biggest department store chains
dropped 0.1 percent from a year earlier after shedding 2.3
percent in April, the Commerce Ministry said today in Gwacheon,
South Korea.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Lexicon Pharma in financing agreement with Invus

(Reuters) - Lexicon also said it agreed to a $60 million product
development collaboration with Symphony Capital Partners LP and
co-investors to move its first three drug candidates into
advanced clinical development.




Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Microsoft to buy stake in China's Sichuan Changhong

(Reuters) - Under a memorandum of understanding, the Chinese company
would place 15 million new shares with Microsoft at a price of
6.27 yuan each, a 37 percent discount to its last traded market
price of 9.93 yuan.




The deal would give Microsoft a stake of nearly 1 percent
in Sichuan Changhong, according to Reuters calculations. The
U.S. software giant would be a long-term, strategic investor,
Sichuan Changhong said.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

RPT-Wall St Wk Ahead: Healthy earnings outlook may lift stocks

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, June 17 - Signs of an improving economy
may have dashed hopes for an interest-rate cut, but the
potential for better profits may whet the appetite of stock
market investors this week.




If corporations signal that business conditions are looking
better for the rest of the year, analysts probably will ratchet
up earnings forecasts for the second half.


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News