Tokyo  Nikkei  9620.82  -0.43%
Seoul   KOSPI  2095.51  -1.89%
Shanghai SSEC  2859.57  -0.46%
Hong Kong HSI 23163.38  +0.66%
Singapore STI  3172.56  +1.00%
Mumbai    BSE 18141.40  +0.31%
Sydney   AORD  4828.20  +1.32% 
   
1. Toshiba to Buy Landis+Gyr for US$2.3B
The Japanese engineering giant has agreed to take the entire equity of the Swiss firm. The acquisition price includes net debt. Landis+Gyr is a global leader in energy management solutions for utilities.
 
2. China Pension Fund 2010 Investment Return 4.23%
The fund manages US$131.7 billion assets by the end of 2010. It had average annual investment return of 9.17% since it started in August 2000. 
 
3. STX Heavy in US$2.76B Iraq Power Plant Deal
The S Korean company will build 25 diesel power plants with a capacity of 2,500 megawatts by June 2012. It may sign two other deals in a month for construction of a steel plant and a 500 megawatt gas-powered plant.
 
4. Japan GDP Shrinks 0.9% in Q1
The quarterly decline was worse than expected and the annualized drop was 3.7%. The 2nd straight quarter of contraction put the country effectively into recession. The Q2 economy is expected to fall again.
 
5. Indonesia Billionaire to Buy 45% Stake in Finance Firm
Garibaldi Thohir led a group including TPG Capital in buying a stake in PT BFI Finance Indonesia for US$168 million. Forbes ranked Thohir as the 15th richest person in the nation with a net worth of US$1.45 billion. 
 
6. Thailand Industrial Sentiment Index Jumps to 106.6
The Apr gauge was up from 102.3 in the previous month as strong domestic demand boosted production and sales, while exports expanded.
 
7. AirAsia's Malaysia Passenger Traffic Climbs 19.2%
Malaysia's biggest budget carrier also said that traffic for its Thailand operation gained 26.1% on year in Apr while traffic in Indonesia rose 31.3%.
 
8. Singapore Raises 2011 GDP Forecast to 5-7%
The nation expects the economy to expand between 5% and 7% this year, 1 percentage point more than the government's previous forecast. It grew 22.5% in a seasonally adjusted annualized rate last quarter.
 
9. Workers Enter No.3 Reactor Building in Japan Nuke Plant
The action was to prevent further hydrogen blasts and put in place a sustainable cooling system that will stabilize the reactors which has been leaking radiation for more than two months since the Mar 11 quake.
 
10. Thailand "Red Shirts" Help Kick Off Election Campaign
Leaders of last year's anti-government protests have registered their candidacies for a July 3 general election. The Pheu Thai Party associated with deposed PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his "Red Shirt" supporters drew the desirable No. 1 spot, while incumbent PM Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrats drew No. 10.