Allianz, Hochtief, Metro, Volkswagen May Move: German Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall
in German markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses after
the company names and prices are from the Xetra close June 15
unless otherwise stated.

DAX futures expiring in September rose 21.50, or 0.3
percent, to 8129.50 at 8:18 a.m. in Frankfurt. Germany's
benchmark DAX jumped 181.48, or 2.3 percent, to 8030.64 on the
Xetra electronic-trading system.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

London House Prices Climb at Slowest Pace in Five Months, Rightmove Says

(Bloomberg) -- London house prices rose at the
slowest pace in five months in June as the cost of a home fell in
more than half of the U.K. capital's areas, Rightmove Plc said.

Asking prices increased 0.7 percent from a month earlier to
387,898 pounds ($764,000), half the pace of May, as values fell
in 17 of the city's 32 districts, the U.K.'s biggest real-estate
Web site said in a statement today. Gains across the U.K.
outpaced London for the first time since January, with a 0.8
percent increase in June.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Swiss Lawmakers to Today Vote to Tighten `Toothless' Insider-Trading Laws

(Bloomberg) -- Swiss upper-house lawmakers will vote
today in favor of closing a legal loophole that allows insider
trading on advance knowledge of company earnings.

Switzerland's penal code requires jail terms or fines for
executives, directors or auditors who capitalize on knowing what
the rest of the market doesn't know. However, it limits such cases
to a planned sale of new shares, a merger or ``circumstances of
comparable significance.''


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Microsoft to buy $12 mln stake in China TV maker

(Reuters) - The project will face challenges that have dogged several
such collaborations in the past, but the market is now more
mature and the deal gives Microsoft a foot in the door with a
potentially key player, said Sigurd Leung, head of IT research
at Beijing-based Analysys International.




"Changhong is a state-backed company, so for Microsoft to
get 1 percent is still quite significant," he said.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Allianz, Deutsche Bank, Hochtief, Metro, Volkswagen: German Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall
in German markets today.

Germany's X-DAX Index rose 2.1 percent June 15. The index
provides an estimate of the DAX Index, based on trading in DAX
futures after the Xetra electronic market closes. Germany's
benchmark DAX jumped 181.48, or 2.3 percent, to 8030.64 on the
Xetra electronic-trading system.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Cerberus had talks over Jaguar, Land Rover: report

(Reuters) - Ford and Cerberus were not immediately available for
comment.




Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Taiwan's CPC Corp. Buys 22,000 Tons of LPG at Premium for Delivery in July

(Bloomberg) -- CPC Corp., Taiwan's state oil refiner,
bought 22,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas at a premium
of between $30 and $40 to Saudi Aramco's July contract price for
delivery next month, said two traders with knowledge of the
transaction.

Details of the purchase are as follows:


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Asian Stocks Advance for Third Day on U.S. Inflation; Toyota, Samsung Gain

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks rose for a third day
after a measure of U.S. inflation cooled and the yen weakened
against the dollar and euro, helping improve earnings prospects
for the region's exporters.

Samsung Electronics Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. led gains
among technology companies and automakers. BHP Billiton Ltd.,
the world's No. 1 mining company, climbed after metals prices
advanced. China's CSI 300 Index opened 2.5 percent higher, set
for a record.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Dollar May Decline Against Yen on Concern Reports to Show Housing Slowdown

(Bloomberg) -- The dollar may weaken from near a 4
1/2-year high against the yen before U.S. government reports
this week that are likely to show a slump in the housing market.

U.S. Treasury yields, close to the highest in five years,
may increase borrowing costs for home owners and depress house
prices, threatening expansion in the world's largest economy.
The dollar declined against 11 of the 16 most-traded currencies
last quarter when housing starts tumbled to the lowest since
1997.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Japan's Nikkei Stock Average, Topix Index Rise; Toyota, Honda Lead Gain

(Bloomberg) -- Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average
rose 165.99, or 0.9 percent, to 18,137.48 at 9:02 a.m. in Tokyo.
The broader Topix index added 14.64, or 0.8 percent, to
1787.58.

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. led the advances.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

New Zealand Dollar Drops on Speculation Central Bank Is Selling Currency

(Bloomberg) -- The New Zealand dollar, the best-
performing major currency in the past 12 months, dropped on
speculation the nation's central bank intervened to drive it
lower for the second time this month.

Traders and strategists at Bank of New Zealand Ltd. and ANZ
National Bank Ltd. said the central bank probably sold New
Zealand dollars today. The central bank has ``no comment to
make,'' spokeswoman Anthea Black said by telephone from
Wellington.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Lehman Brothers rising as banking power: Barron's

(Reuters) - This offers investors who are comfortable with going against the crowd or moving ahead of it the chance to buy the weak stock of a firm with a stable franchise that is on the rise, Barron's said.




One complaint about Lehman, however, is that at $600 billion, its balance sheet is not big enough to do many big deals, the paper reported. Goldman's balance sheet is $912 billion, while Morgan Stanley's is more than $1.2 trillion, Barron's said. Citigroup's is about $2 trillion and JPMorgan's is about $1.4 trillion, it said.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Mauritius May Sell Stakes in Telephone, Insurance Companies to Retire Debt

(Bloomberg) -- Mauritius may sell stakes in several
state-owned companies, including Mauritius Telecom and the State
Insurance Company Ltd., and use the proceeds to retire debt or
build new infrastructure, Finance Minister Rama Sithanen said.

``As part of its policy to develop the equity market and to
widen and democratize share ownership, government will encourage
Mauritius Telecom and Sicom Ltd. to be listed on the Stock
Exchange of Mauritius,'' Sithanen said in his June 15 budget
speech, which was published on his ministry's Internet site. ``In
the same vein, government will sell some of its shares in other
state-owned companies.''


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

Niger plans audit of foreign, local mining firms

(Reuters) - Niger's government is planning its first ever audit of mining and energy firms as foreign explorers flock to its expanses of mineral-rich desert, the West African country's government said.

The world's third largest uranium producer last year changed its mining law to allow the government to audit foreign firms, in line with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) championed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.


Read more at Reuters Africa