Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online Business Times : latest

---

BNM closely monitors personal financing Posted: 20 Mar 2013 06:53 PM PDT Bank Negara Malaysia will continue to closely monitor the personal financing segment of the banking industry to ensure the country's household debt remains well-contained. Last year's strong 30 per cent growth of personal financing, driven by expansion in lending by non-bank financial institutions, warranted Bank Negara to be more rigorous in its oversight, said governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz. She said for now, there is little concern over this development as the credit risk of non-banks for this loan portfolio remains low at only 1.6 per cent. She noted that the majority of these non-bank borrowers are those earning RM3,000 or less, but the credit risk is well mitigated as about 80 per cent of them have stable jobs and regular salary and repayment is made via automatic salary deduction. "These developments are nonetheless being closely monitored, particularly in light of recent innovation observed on the product offering by the non-bank financial institutions," said Zeti. On the whole banking system, she said as at end of last year, the gross impaired loans ratio of the banking system improved to 1.5 per cent for the household portfolio, 2.9 per cent for large business and 3.0 per cent for small and medium enterprises.

KL shares open mixed Posted: 20 Mar 2013 07:08 PM PDT Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened mixed, in early trade, as the market was yet to pick up momentum, dealers said. As at 9.20am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 1.17 points lower at 1,630.37 after opening 1.5 points higher at 1,632.59. HwangDBS Vickers Research said the key FBM KLCI could add on to its two-day cumulative gains of 10.2-points by riding on the prevailing recovery momentum. "On the chart, the benchmark index may challenge the immediate resistance barrier of 1,635 today. "This comes as Wall Street extended its run-up last night. In particular, bullish investors pushed up major US equity indices by between 0.4 per cent and 0.8 per cent at the closing bell on the back of better economic outlook," it said in a note today. Among the local stocks that may garner added interest today include MRCB Bhd, after media reports said it had received a letter of intent to upgrade the Klang Valley double-tracking system for approximately RM850 million. Eastern & Oriental Bhd, which has signed an agreement with a Japanese partner to jointly undertake a high-end property development project in Kuala Lumpur also stood to gain together with Pintaras Jaya Bhd which just bagged a RM30 million construction job. On the chart, the Plantation Index rose 11.96 points to 7,825.35 and the Industrial Index gained 1.07 points to 2,828.63. The Finance Index, however, fell 14.65 points to 15,307.51. The FBM Emas Index eased 6.94 points to 11,163.15, the FBMT100 was 8.33 points lower at 10,999.88, the FBM Mid 70 Index lost 11.18 points to 12,422.24 and the FBM Ace Index slipped 3.45 points to 3,943.46. Gainers led losers 106 to 95, with 110 counters unchanged, 1,333 untraded and 25 others were suspended. Turnover stood at 59.176 million shares worth RM72.457 million. Actives, Karambunai gained one sen to 11.5 sen, Muhibbah and Tebrau Teguh garnered five sen each to RM1.06 and RM1.40, respectively, while Mulpha International was flat at 40.5 sen. Heavyweights, Maybank rose four sen to RM9.16 but both Sime Darby and Axiata Group were flat at RM9.19 and RM6.33, respectively. However, CIMB Group, Petronas Chemicals and Maxis lost one sen each to RM7.16, RM6.37 and RM6.50, respectively.-- Bernama

You are subscribed to email updates from Business Times : latest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online Top Stories - Google News

---

Global shares up as Cyprus fears ease, eyes turn to Fed - Reuters Posted: 20 Mar 2013 09:29 AM PDT By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK | Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:26pm EDT (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world rose and the euro held firm on Wednesday on hopes that European policymakers would contain the financial crisis in Cyprus after lawmakers there voted down a rescue plan. Investors also turned their attention to the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting that ends later on Wednesday, though few major changes in policy are expected. Efforts to rescue Cyprus were thrown into disarray on Tuesday when its lawmakers rejected the conditions for a 10 billion euro European Union bailout. But markets have calmed as investors expect an alternative solution to emerge. "Concerns have faded, and it doesn't seem like we'll see much headline risk from Cyprus as the European Central Bank continues to work toward a solution," said Mark Martiak, senior wealth strategist at Premier/First Allied Securities in New York. U.S. and European stocks were on track to snap a three-day streak of losses, though European shares were off session highs after a spokesman for the Cyprus government denied media reports of a deal to sell Cyprus Popular Bank CPBC.CY to Russian investors. Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 edged 0.3 percent higher, while MSCI's world equity index .MIWD00000PUS rose 0.4 percent. The euro bounced off four-month lows to $1.2945 and the U.S. dollar index .DXY dipped 0.3 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 53.64 points, or 0.37 percent, at 14,509.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was up 7.81 points, or 0.50 percent, at 1,556.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was up 15.34 points, or 0.47 percent, at 3,244.43. In Asia, Hong Kong stocks bounced off a three-month low thanks to a rally in Chinese shares, but MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slipped 0.1 percent as other regional markets worried about Cyprus. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday. Investors were looking ahead to a statement from the Federal Reserve's policy committee and a news conference by Chairman Ben Bernanke later in the day. Markets expect the Fed to maintain its $85 billion monthly bond-buying stimulus effort despite recent improvements in U.S. economic data. But they will closely monitor Bernanke's comments for signals on how long the policy will continue. "The Fed has made it clear its bond-buying program will continue at least through mid-2015, so risk assets will continue to be embraced, but if the Fed indicates it will start buying a reduced amount, that may be something that could lead to a pullback," Martiak said. Concerns about Cyprus were clearly evident at an auction of German government bonds, seen as a European safe haven. The sale of 3.36 billion euros in new 10-year securities drew strong demand and sold at an average yield of 1.36 percent, the lowest auction price since July last year. Still, German government bonds ticked lower, with the Bund future down 0.2 percent at 144.33. In the U.S. bond market, the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was down 8/32, the yield at 1.9303 percent. Bond investors were looking to comments by the European Central Bank, which has said it will provide liquidity to Cypriot banks within certain limits, even though if there was no bailout, the bank would have to end emergency lending assistance under its current rules. Cypriot leaders were holding crisis talks in Nicosia on Wednesday to try to avert a financial meltdown after Tuesday's overwhelming rejection of the terms of the European Union bailout, which involved a levy on bank deposits. The country was trying to get help from Russia, given the high level of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks, but failed to agree on any loan deal at a first round of talks. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Cyprus bank tax calculator: here Euro periphery bank deposits link.reuters.com/vep58s Cyprus deposits graphic link.reuters.com/fuf76t ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> UK BUDGET EYED, OIL RISES The main UK share index .FTSE dipped a modest 0.2 percent. British finance minister George Osborne called on the Bank of England to do more to help spur the country's stagnant economy as he announced a halving of this year's growth forecast in an annual budget statement. Oil prices joined in the general recovery, with Brent crude rising 0.4 percent to $107.90, while U.S. crude futures added 0.2 percent to $92.36. "Clearly, market players anticipate that an alternative solution will be found for Cyprus," said Carsten Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank. "Nonetheless, the uncertainty surrounding this issue is likely to continue to keep oil prices in check in the short run." (Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Dan Grebler)

Head of Colorado's Prisons Is Fatally Shot at Home - New York Times Posted: 20 Mar 2013 09:01 AM PDT By JACK HEALY and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS Published: March 20, 2013 DENVER — The head of Colorado's Department of Corrections was fatally shot as he opened the front door of his home, the authorities said, hours before Gov. John W. Hickenlooper signed into law a series of restrictive gun control measures. The department's executive director, Tom Clements, 58, who was shot Tuesday night, lived with his family in Monument, near Colorado Springs in central Colorado, the authorities said. The El Paso County Sheriff's Department said that it had not identified a suspect and had no description of the shooter, but that it was investigating whether Mr. Clements' work may have led to his death. "We're sensitive to the fact that serving in that type of position could in fact make him a target," said Lt. Jeff Kramer, a Sheriff's Department spokesman. Mr. Hickenlooper announced the news on his Facebook page early Wednesday, calling Mr. Clements "unfailingly kind and thoughtful." Later at a news conference, Mr. Hickenlooper, his voice breaking as he searched for words, called Mr. Clements a "dedicated, committed, funny, caring expert at Corrections" and a "great friend." "His unfailing good nature would come through in everything he did," he said. Lieutenant Kramer said sheriff's deputies and K-9 units had fanned out Tuesday night across Mr. Clements's neighborhood, parts of which are heavily wooded, without luck. The authorities declined to say what kind of weapon had been used in the attack or how many times Mr. Clements had been shot. The Sheriff's Department said a family member had been inside the home at the time of the shooting, but Lieutenant Kramer declined on Wednesday to identify who it was or what the relative may have seen. Mr. Clements, whom Mr. Hickenlooper appointed to the post in January 2011, oversaw the state's public and private prison system and parole operations. He is survived by a wife and two daughters, the governor said in the Facebook post. On Wednesday, Mr. Hickenlooper signed three gun bills into law. They require background checks for all gun transfers, charge firearms consumers for those background checks and limit magazine capacities to 15 rounds. Mr. Hickenlooper said Mr. Clements had been "supportive but not particularly active" in regard to the measures. Some county sheriffs in the state have publicly vowed not to enforce the measures. Dan Frosch contributed reporting from Denver, and Christine Hauser from New York.

You are subscribed to email updates from Top Stories - Google News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my