Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Financial News Flash


Mukherjee Forecasts 8% GDP Growth This Fiscal Year, May Withdraw Stimulus India’s economy may grow as much as 8 percent in the current financial year, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, adding he will consider removing some fiscal stimulus steps in the next two months.

National Aluminium to Triple Capacity in 6 Years on India, Overseas Demand National Aluminium Co., India’s second-biggest producer, plans to almost triple production capacity in the next six years as demand rises in Asia, Europe and North America.

India's Stocks Rise Most in Seven Weeks as Government Raises GDP Forecast India’s benchmark stock index rose the most in seven weeks after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said economic growth may accelerate at a faster pace.

NTPC Jumps on Report Government May Allow Electricity Sale at Market Rates NTPC Ltd., India’s biggest power producer, rose the most in six months in Mumbai trading on a report that the state may allow the sale of some electricity at market rates.

India May Raise Interest Rates by End-January, Morgan Stanley's Ahya Says India’s central bank will probably raise interest rates at the end of January and won’t take any immediate steps to tame food-price inflation that touched an 11- year high this month, Morgan Stanley economist Chetan Ahya said.

GVK Power Evaluating Option to Buy Siemens' 40% Stake in Bangalore Airport GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd., an Indian builder of airports and power plants, is evaluating an option to purchase the 40 percent stake owned by Siemens AG in Bangalore International Airport Ltd. GVK’s shares rose.

India's Cash Iron-Ore Export Price for China May Gain 5% as Demand Rises India’s iron-ore prices for cash sales to China may gain about 5 percent next month as demand rises in the world’s biggest buyer of the steelmaking material.

Rupee Weakens on Concern Indian Importers to Accelerate Dollar Purchases India’s rupee weakened for a second day on speculation local importers will step up dollar purchases to settle month-end bills after the greenback touched a 15-week high against a basket of major currencies.

Ten-Year Bonds Advance a Third Day After Official Quashes Rate Speculation India’s benchmark 10-year bonds rose for the third day after a government official quashed speculation the central bank will raise interest rates before a January policy review.

Sales of New U.S. Homes Unexpectedly Fell in November to Seven-Month Low Purchases of new homes in the U.S. unexpectedly fell last month, indicating a recovery from the worst housing slump since the Great Depression will be slow to develop.

Stocks Erase Gain, Dollar Drops as Home Sales Data Raise Recovery Concern U.S. stocks erased their gain, the dollar weakened and Treasuries rallied after sales of new American homes unexpectedly fell last month, spurring concern about the durability of the economic recovery. Oil advanced following a bigger-than-forecast decrease in inventories.

Morgan Stanley Names 212 Managing Directors, Its Biggest Class Since 2007 Morgan Stanley appointed 212 new managing directors, the most to achieve the company’s highest rank for executives since 2007.

Fortress's Intrawest Said to Be in Talks on $1.4 Billion LBO Loan Payment Intrawest ULC, a Vancouver-based ski-resort operator owned by private-equity firm Fortress Investment Group LLC, is in talks with lenders about a debt payment due today on a $1.4 billion loan, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

John Paulson-Backed OneWest Turns Remains of IndyMac Into Rescuer of Banks The former IndyMac Bancorp, one of the biggest casualties of the U.S. mortgage meltdown, has recovered so much under new owners and a new name that regulators used it to absorb another failed California lender.

Ford Will Sell Volvo Cars to China's Geely; Sale to Be Completed by June Ford Motor Co. agreed with China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. on most terms for a sale of the U.S. automaker’s Volvo Car Corp. unit in the second quarter.

Batista's OGX Jumps After Making Oil Discovery Off Brazil's Atlantic Coast OGX Petroleo & Gas Participacoes SA rose to the highest in more than a week after it said an offshore Brazilian well could hold up to 2 billion barrels of recoverable oil in what may be the company’s biggest discovery.

source: Bloomberg