Asian Stocks Rebound From 1-Month Low; JFE, Nippon Steel Rise, Canon Falls

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rebounded from a one-
month low after higher profits at JFE Holdings Inc. and Nippon
Steel Corp. offset concerns of a drop in U.S. housing investment.

Canon Inc., the world's largest digital-camera maker, and
Macquarie Bank Ltd., Australia's biggest investment bank, led
declines on speculation the housing slump will slow U.S. consumer
spending and end a global boom in takeovers.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

UK's Ultra H1 underlying profit rises 7 pct

(Reuters) - Ultra's revenues grew by 7 percent to 192.9 million pounds,
and the company proposed a dividend of 6.7 pence, up 14 percent
from a year earlier.




Read more at Reuters.com Market News

KPN to bid for Getronics, reports Q2 results

(Reuters) - KPN's second-quarter earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation and amortisation were flat at 1.28 billion
euros and compared with an average forecast of 1.23 billion in a
Reuters poll of 12 analysts.




Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

India's Central Bank May Keep Benchmark Rate Unchanged as Inflation Slows

(Bloomberg) -- India's central bank will probably
keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a second quarter
as slower credit growth helps curb inflation.

Reserve Bank of India Governor Yaga Venugopal Reddy will
leave the overnight lending rate at 7.75 percent, according to
all 19 analysts in a Bloomberg News survey. The quarterly
monetary policy statement is due at noon in Mumbai tomorrow.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

ABN AMRO reports Q2, says is neutral on bids

(Reuters) - ABN said it was currently not in the position to recommend the offers from Barclays or the RBS-led consortium, which also includes Belgian-Dutch Fortis and Spain's Santander.




ABN had a net profit of 1.13 billion euros in the second quarter, compared with 1.216 billion euros a year earlier and the 1 billion euros average forecast in a Reuters survey of five analysts.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Japanese Wheat Prices May Rise 10 Percent on Global Rates, Official Says

(Bloomberg) -- Japan's domestic wheat prices may
rise around 10 percent this year, the first annual gain in 24
years, hurting noodle makers which may not be able to pass on
the higher cost to customers.

The government may allow the increase as it seeks to bring
local prices more in line with world markets and after futures
in Chicago, the world benchmark for the commodity, soared to a
record, Hirotaka Mori, an agriculture ministry official who
oversees import policy, said in an interview in Tokyo.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

CPC's Kaohsiung Crude Oil Unit in Taiwan Is Unaffected by Yesterday's Fire

(Bloomberg) -- CPC Corp., Taiwan's state-owned oil
refiner, said a crude distillation unit at its Kaohsiung
refinery in the southern part of the island was unaffected by a
fire yesterday. No one was hurt in the incident.

The fire, which broke out during an attempt to restart the
unit, was extinguished within 10 minutes, Jessica Tang, a
Taipei-based spokeswoman, said by telephone today. The plant,
which can process 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day into fuels
including gasoline and diesel, has closed since June 6 for
scheduled maintenance.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

UPDATE 1-Japan Fast Retailing to open big London Uniqlo shop

(Reuters) - Fast Retailing, one of Japan's largest retailers with a
nationwide chain of more than 700 Uniqlo shops, has pledged to
invest up to 400 billion yen over the next three
years on mergers and acquisitions in a bid to double annual
sales to 1 trillion yen by 2010.




The clothing retailer unveiled a $900 million bid for Jones
Apparel Group's upscale clothing chain Barney's New York
Inc. in early July.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Kirin Says Talks Continue on Investment in San Miguel Australia Drink Unit

(Bloomberg) -- Kirin Holdings Co., Japan's biggest
beermaker, said it remains in talks to invest in San Miguel
Corp.'s Australia dairy and juice unit.

Kirin will buy as much as 49 percent of San Miguel's
National Foods Ltd. for A$1.2 billion ($1 billion), the
Australian Financial Review reported today, without saying
where it obtained the information.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

Tunisia Central Bank, Kingboard, Hong Long, Sri Lanka: Asia Bond Alert

(Bloomberg) -- PT Mobile-8 Telecom, an Indonesian
mobile-phone operator that counts Qualcomm Inc. as an investor,
and Hong Long Holdings Ltd., a Chinese developer, are among
borrowers seeking to sell at least $5.6 billion of bonds in Asia,
according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Governments and companies in Asia sold $43.8 billion of
debt denominated in dollars, euros and yen this year, up from
$38.2 billion a year earlier, Bloomberg data show. Sales of
Samurai bonds, yen debt sold by foreign entities in Japan, rose
to 1.4 trillion yen ($11.8 billion), from 741 billion yen in the
whole of 2006.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Japan Shares Fall on Ruling Party's Election Defeat, U.S. Subprime Concern

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks dropped after
Japan's ruling party suffered a worse-than-expected electoral
defeat and U.S. residential investment slumped, raising concern
the world's largest economy will slow.

Sony Corp. slid and Nintendo Co. extended its two-day loss
to 9.6 percent, leading exporters lower after the yen advanced
to the highest against the dollar in more than three months,
reducing the value of their overseas sales.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Australian Shares Extend Drop on U.S. Housing Concern; James Hardie Falls

(Bloomberg) -- Australia's benchmark stock index,
the S&P/ASX 200 Index, fell 0.08 percent at 10:05 a.m.

The index of 201 companies traded on the Australian Stock
Exchange fell 4.70 to 6,078.20. Among the stocks in the index, 32
rose, 160 fell and 9 were unchanged.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Bank Rakyat, Bharat Heavy, China Life, Hana: Asia Ex-Japan Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or
fall today in Asian markets, excluding Japan. This preview
includes news that broke after markets closed on July 27. Prices
are from the local market's last close. Stock symbols are in
parentheses after company names.

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BBRI IJ): Indonesia's biggest
lender by market value said profit in the first half rose 17
percent as it expanded lending to companies and consumers in an
accelerating economy. Net income increased to 2.36 trillion
rupiah ($255 million) in the six months ended June 30, from 2.01
trillion rupiah a year earlier. The shares fell 200 rupiah, or
3.2 percent, to 6,100.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Amazon.com, Brown Shoe, Deckers, NetGear, Rambus: U.S. Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares may have unusual price changes in U.S. exchanges
tomorrow. This preview includes news that broke after exchanges
closed. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names.

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN US): Shares of the world's biggest
online retailer are too expensive after this past week's
increase, and expansion plans threaten its profit margins,
Barron's said, citing no one. Amazon stock rose 3 cents to
$84.04 on July 27.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Japanese PM suffers election drubbing but stays on

(Reuters) - TOKYO, July 30 - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe's conservative ruling camp suffered a crushing defeat in
upper house elections on Sunday, but the 52-year-old hawkish
leader insisted he would stay in his job despite the bashing.




"I am determined to carry out my promises although the
situation is severe," Abe said, after acknowledging that he was
responsible for the huge loss.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Germany warn Siemens on Libya atomic deal - paper

(Reuters) - Germany's Environment Ministry and opposition Greens party have warned Siemens not to take part in a planned French nuclear deal with Libya, Handelsblatt reported.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed a memorandum of understanding for a nuclear energy deal with Libya during a visit there last week.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Madagascar, China sign deals worth $78 million

(Reuters) - China and Madagascar have signed four deals worth roughly $78 million for hotel construction and debt alleviation among other things, Malagasy officials said.

The deals confirmed agreements made at the China-Africa summit in Beijing last November between the Asian powerhouse and the enormous, mineral-rich island.


Read more at Reuters Africa