15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on Asia stocks follow global surge, dollar on defensive
Asia stocks follow global surge, dollar on defensive
Most Asian share markets took cues from a global surge in equities and rose on Thursday, while weak U.S. economic data sent the dollar lower. Lackluster economic indicators have been kind to risk assets this week, with Wednesday’s weak Chinese data further boosting expectations of monetary stimulus by Beijing while soft U.S. data have also helped by dampening prospects of an early rate hike by the Federal Reserve. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 1.1 percent.
15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on China March FDI stays robust at $12.4 billion, outbound flows up 29.6 percent in first quarter
China March FDI stays robust at $12.4 billion, outbound flows up 29.6 percent in first quarter
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China rose 2.2 percent on the year in March, while outbound flows posted a milder rise, as foreign corporate investors remain undeterred by weakening domestic economic performance. Foreign investment projects take time to conceive and implement, making FDI a lagging indicator of general confidence, but they have remained strong in recent months nevertheless.
15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on U.S. fast-food workers mark Tax Day demanding higher wages
U.S. fast-food workers mark Tax Day demanding higher wages
Fast-food workers rallied in U.S. cities on Wednesday to demand higher pay, using the April 15 deadline for filing tax returns to publicize their claim that they cannot survive on the hourly wages paid by many U.S. corporations. The protests demanding pay increases to $15 an hour kicked off at dawn outside a McDonald’s Corp restaurant in New York with several hundred demonstrators.
15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on Netflix beats forecasts with 62 million streaming subscribers
Netflix beats forecasts with 62 million streaming subscribers
The company that shook up television with original shows such as “House of Cards” has been aggressively building its overseas presence as growth slows in the United States. Netflix added 2.6 million customers in its nearly 50 international markets in the quarter ended March 31, bringing the total to 62.27 million users worldwide. Customers spent more time than ever watching Netflix, streaming 10 billion hours of programming in the quarter, the company said.
15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on Exclusive: Six percent of U.S. adults plan to buy Apple Watch – Reuters/Ipsos poll
Exclusive: Six percent of U.S. adults plan to buy Apple Watch – Reuters/Ipsos poll
About 6 percent of U.S. adults plan to buy Apple Inc’s smartwatch according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, with men twice as likely as women to purchase Apple boss Tim Cook’s first new major product. The poll showed the watch, marketed by Apple as a high-fashion item as well as a new frontier in technology, appealed to fewer than 4 percent of women compared with 9 percent of men. Van Baker, an analyst at tech research firm Gartner, said the Reuters poll results indicated a “pretty high percentage” was interested in buying. “It should serve Apple well if they can even get close to that,” he said.
15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on Japan’s Sharp, banks near $1.7 billion overhaul deal: source
Japan’s Sharp, banks near $1.7 billion overhaul deal: source
Japan’s Sharp Corp and its main banks are to meet on Thursday to agree on a $1.7 billion rescue and restructuring plan for the loss-making electronics maker, a person involved in the discussions said. An agreement between the Osaka-based company and its main lenders, Mizuho Bank and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, would be Sharp’s second big bailout since 2012. Sharp is on track for its third annual net loss in four years due to weakness in its liquid crystal display (LCD) and TV operations.
15 April, 2015 by The TZ Newswire Staff Comments Off on Mining, utilities sink U.S. industrial production
Mining, utilities sink U.S. industrial production
U.S. industrial output posted its biggest drop in more than 2-1/2 years in March in part as oil and gas well drilling plummeted, highlighting the negative impact of lower crude prices and a strong dollar on the economy. The dour report from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday was the latest sign that growth slowed sharply in the first quarter and suggested the U.S. central bank could delay raising interest rates until later this year. The absence of a lift in the other forward-looking indicators suggests that the U.S.