The Traderszone Network

Asian stocks won a temporary reprieve on Friday after oil prices snapped their eight-day rout, helping to lift battered energy shares even as investors remained on edge as they looked for signs of stability in China’s economy and its volatile markets. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan, which hit a four-year low on Thursday, rose 0.5 percent while Japan’s Nikkei jumped 1.8 percent. Oil prices rebounded on Thursday, with international benchmark Brent futures rising 2.4 percent to $31.03 a barrel, recovering from its 12-year low of $29.73 hit earlier in the day.

U.S. crude oil futures fell in early Asian trade, heading lower after posting the first significant gains for 2016 in the previous session, as the prospect of additional Iranian supply looms over the market. Brent crude was down 10 cents at $30.78 a barrel. Over the previous eight sessions, Brent had lost about $7 a barrel, almost 20 percent.

Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O) China arm has registered as an ocean freight forwarder, according to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, a move that will give it more control over shipping products from Chinese factories to U.S. shoppers. The registration is the latest indication that Amazon plans to expand its logistics reach to cut costs for its retail business and potentially provide third-party logistics services to other industries.

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Earlier this week, the Los Angeles-based company received a $300 million bid from a group of investors who are backing the return of Dov Charney. Hagan Capital Group and Silver Creek Capital Partners said their proposal included $90 million of new equity and a $40 million term loan, and backs a business plan from Charney, who was fired as chief executive in December 2014. American Apparel is open to a revised offer from the funds, the source said.

…and why I won’t be drawing any quick conclusions.

Managers at a Southern California nursing home said they have the best boss ever — claiming that one of the 18,000 Powerball tickets he bought for employees and patients won a split of the $1.5 billion jackpot for a senior nurse.
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The announcement comes just a week after Netflix went live in more than 130 countries, covering almost the entire globe except China.