Kenanga Today - 21 Nov 2012

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

- Boustead 3Q net profit dips 35.56% on lower plantation earnings

- BHIC 3Q loss widens on continuing shipbuilding loss

- Takaful Malaysia's profit grows by 55.0%

- Manulife Q3 profit down

- Apex 3Q profit triples on investment gains, but flags weaker 4Q

- Nadayu posts profit in quarter to Sept

- Hektar REIT posts higher Q3 profit

- Malton reports lower Q1 pre-tax profit

- TauRx receives USD31.5m from Genting

- MAS lands RM5.31b financing

- Ekuinas plans to list its unit Icon Offshore in 2014

FOREIGN NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

- Lehman's Archstone to raise USD3.5b in closely watched IPO

- Bayer walks away from Schiff After Reckitt Trumps bid

ECONOMIC NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (MACRO BITS)

Malaysia

- Malaysia's Free Trade, Partnership Accords With EU To Be Concluded In 2013

Asia

- Japan Government To Spend 1 Trillion Yen On Next Stimulus

- China Foreign Investment Falls For 11th Time In 12 Months

- US Passes EU As China’s Top Export Market

USA

- Bernanke Warns Congress To Avoid 'Fiscal Cliff'

- Housing Starts In U.S. Increase To Four-Year High

Europe

- France Shrugs Off Loss Of Top Triple-A Credit Rating

- Greece: Eurozone Ministers To Make Crunch Decision

Currencies

- Dollar Edges Up; Euro Waiting For Greece News

Commodities

- Possible Middle East Truce Pressures Oil

- Gold Down On Gaza Ceasefire Hope, Bernanke Comments

Source: Kenanga