Tokyo  Nikkei  9901.35  -1.45%
Seoul   KOSPI  2155.85  -0.85%
Shanghai SSEC  2708.78  -0.54%
Hong Kong HSI 22570.74  +0.13%
Singapore STI  3189.85  -0.12%
Mumbai    BSE 18209.52  -1.21%
Sydney   AORD  4539.20  -1.59% 
   
1. Hyundai Motor Profit Climbs 37%
S Korea's biggest automaker posted a net income of US$2.2 billion for Apr-June period, up from US$1.63 billion a year earlier. Its global car sales jumped 13% to a record 1,04 million vehicles in Q2.
 
2. HSBC Said to Cut More than 10,000 Jobs
Sky News reported that the largest bank in Hong Kong is considering the cost-cutting move, but no final decision has been made. HSBC has about 330,000 employees worldwide. 
 
3. Japan Retail Sales Jump 1.1% in June
The June increase was the first gain since the March earthquake as the economy started to rebound. Sales of household appliances and electronic products rose 15.2%.
 
4. DBS Swings to Quarterly Profit
Net income of Singapore's largest bank was US$610 million in Q2, compared with a net loss of US$295 million a year earlier. Its fee income dropped 7% from the previous quarter.
 
5. S Korea Current Account Surplus Widens to US$2.99B
The June surplus was up from a revised US$2.18 billion in the previous month and reached a 8-month high. The surplus totaled US$9.06 billion for H1 while the central bank said it was on track to reach the full-year target of $15.5 billion.
 
6. Sony Posts US$199M Quarter Loss
The Japanese electronic giant's expected Apr-June operating profit dropped to US$353.4 million from US$861 million a year earlier. It also lowered sales forecast for FY2012 to US$92 billion from US$96 billion.
 
7. China to Diversify Foreign Reserve
The government insists to diversify the asset allocation of its US$3.2 trillion in foreign reserves and didn’t pursue large-scale currency holdings. The country added U$152.8 billion in reserves in Q2. 
 
8. TSMC Posts First Profit Drop in 2 Years
The world’s largest contract manufacturer of chips reported a net income of US$1.3 billion in last quarter, down 11% from a year earlier. The result was 1% lower than the forecast. 
 
9. 7 Filipino Troops Die in Rebel Clash
About 30 marines maneuvered in stormy weather to raid the rebel's jungle camps, but Abu Sayyaf militants killed 7 Philippine marines and wounded 21 others. 
 
10. China Vows Severe Punishment for Train Crash if Corruption Found
Premier Wen Jiabao said a serious investigation is under way and the result will be made public. A railway official claimed the July 23 fatal accident that killed 39 people was due to design flaws.