Sanyo turns operating profit in 06/07

(Reuters) - Sanyo's earnings have been hit hard in recent years by the cost of restructuring steps such as job cuts and plant closures, as well as by earthquake damage to its microchip factory, forcing it to issue $2.5 billion worth of preferred shares to Goldman Sachs and two other financial institutions last year.




The Osaka-based company on Monday forecast an operating profit of 45 billion yen for the year to March 2008, down 9.2 percent on the year and falling short of a consensus of 51 billion yen in a poll of 10 analysts by Reuters Estimates.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Platinum Price Declines as Exchange-Traded Fund May Not Be Offered in U.S.

(Bloomberg) -- Platinum fell for a third day in
Asian trading following a report that ETF Securities Ltd. will
not offer an exchange-traded fund for the metal in the U.S.

ETF Securities has no plan to list a U.S.-based platinum
fund, HSBC Holdings Plc said in a report, citing Graham Tuckwell,
ETF Securities chairman. Calls to the office numbers of Tuckwell
and ETF Securities weren't answered.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

China shares hit new all-time high

(Reuters) - Gainers overwhelmed losers by 767 to 102. Turnover in Shanghai A shares was very heavy at 137.5 billion yuan , up from Friday morning's 107.0 billion yuan.




Traders said there was no fresh, major positive news behind the rally, but individual investors were encouraged by the market's strength last week in the face of an interest rate hike and former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's warning that stocks were dangerously overvalued.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

Rubber Prices Decline in Tokyo as Crude Oil Falls from Three-Week High

(Bloomberg) -- Rubber futures in Tokyo, the global
benchmark, fell for the first day in nine as prices dropped for
crude oil, which is used to make a synthetic alternative to
natural rubber.

Crude oil for July delivery fell as much as 50 cents, or
0.8 percent, to $64.73 a barrel, in after-hours electronic
trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The commodity
traded at $64.84 a barrel at 11:43 a.m. in Singapore, compared
with the three-week high of $67.10 on May 21.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Japan's Bonds Decline as Gains in Stocks Reduce Demand for Debt Securities

(Bloomberg) -- Japan's 10-year bond yields held near
the highest since February after the Nikkei 225 Stock Average
rebounded from the biggest decline in a month.

Two-year yields were at the highest since 1997 before
reports this week that are forecast to show Japanese industrial
production rose and U.S. hiring increased. Signs of faster growth
in the world's two biggest economies may encourage the Bank of
Japan to raise interest rates again this year.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Japan Shares Rebound, Led by Honda, on Weak Yen, Higher Commodity Prices

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks rebounded from their
biggest loss in a month, led by exporters after the yen weakened
against the dollar and euro, boosting the value of their
overseas sales. Trading companies gained after commodities
prices rose at the end of last week.

Nintendo Co., Japan's second-largest video-game maker, rose
for the first time in three days. Mitsubishi Corp., the nation's
largest trading company, jumped 2.2 percent.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

South Korean Bonds Gain on Speculation 13-Month-High Yield to Spur Demand

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea's won fell after North
Korea test-fired missiles late on May 25 as part of routine annual
exercises, fueling concern tensions in the region may increase.

The short-range missiles were launched after the close of won
trading last week. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his
country's patience ``isn't limitless'' and retains the option of
further sanctions against the communist nation. The won slid 1.5
percent on Oct. 9 after the North tested its first nuclear bomb.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

New York Natural Gas Is Little Changed as Mild Weather Diminishes Demand

(Bloomberg) -- Natural gas in New York fell for a
sixth day on rising stocks of the power-plant fuel and slack
demand because of mild weather and a U.S. holiday.

``While warmer temperatures are moving toward the East Coast
into the weekend, most of the U.S. is seeing some spring-like
conditions, keeping cooling demand loads light,'' said Michael
Fitzpatrick, vice president for energy risk management at Man
Financial Inc. in New York.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Japan Will Urge APEC to Take Specific Measures to Cut Energy Consumption

(Bloomberg) -- Japan, a signatory to the Kyoto
Protocol on climate change, wants the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation members to adopt specific measures to cut energy
consumption.

Japan's delegation to the APEC energy ministers' meeting in
Darwin, Australia, will call on the meeting to agree plans to
promote energy savings across industries, Jun Arima, director of
the trade ministry's international affairs division, said in an
interview with Bloomberg News late yesterday.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

ABB Grain, BHP Billiton, Coles, James Hardie: Australian Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares may rise or fall in Australia. This preview includes
news announced after markets closed on Friday. Prices are from
Friday's close unless otherwise stated. Stock symbols are in
brackets after the company names.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index futures contract due in June added 0.5
percent to 6300 at 6:59 a.m. in Sydney. The Bank of New York
Australia ADR Index rose 1.3 percent in New York.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Business software maker Lawson may rise: Barron's

(Reuters) - It also noted that the company has also recently boosted its sales force and shifted some of its work offshore.




Cowen analyst Peter Goldmacher has a price target of $14 for the shares, Barron's said. They closed on Friday at $8.71.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

Israel Quarterly Jobless Rate Declines to 7.7 Percent; Lowest Since 1977

(Bloomberg) -- Israel's unemployment rate fell to a
seasonally adjusted 7.7 percent in the first quarter, from 7.8
percent in the fourth quarter, the Central Bureau of Statistics
said in an e-mailed report today.

The first-quarter jobless rate is the lowest since the
second quarter of 1997, the Jerusalem-based bureau's figures
show. The unemployment rate has fallen from a peak of 10.9
percent at the beginning of 2004.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

China says taxes alone won't cut trade surplus

(Reuters) - "You cannot expect to resolve the trade balance by simply
curbing export patterns," Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng
told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference when asked about
the changes.




"These products make up a relatively small portion of
exports. But the point is that this reflects changes in trade
and economic growth, which will have advantages in the short
term and even greater significance in the long term."


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Emirati Shares Gain, Paced by Emaar Properties, National Bank: Gulf Stocks

(Bloomberg) -- Stocks in the United Arab Emirates
rose, paced by Emaar Properties PJSC and National Bank of Abu
Dhabi PJSC.

The Dubai Financial Market General Index advanced 2.3
percent to 4437.40 at 11:23 a.m. local time. The Abu Dhabi
Securities Market Index rose 2.9 percent to 3582.60.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News