Recent data increasingly support the view by Swiss investment bank, UBS that US growth is about to slow. This has significant implications for Asia, with its numerous export-oriented economies. UBS find that Chinese equities are well positioned in this environment, as China is less export-oriented than most other Asian countries. Moreover, UBS see reasonable valuations

EURUSD has trended sideways as expected over the past two weeks. Both the upper and lower ends of the range between 1.268 and 1.296 were tested, albeit unsuccessfully. The recent trend has shown that further sustained USD weakness will only arise if the market’s US interest rate expectations shift from “stable” to “rate cuts”. Upcoming

Petrolina Holdings Pcl (PHL), the fuel and lubricant distributor with its own network of petrol stations announced a sharply reduced interim dividend for 2006 as its first half profits came under pressure. PHL declared a 1.0 cent interim dividend to all registered shareholders as at September 14, down sharply from 2.5 cent in 2005. The

Demetra Investments Pcl (DEM), the island’s largest investment company with 200.000 shareholders on its registry reported a spectacular increase in first half profit to CYP 17.5 mln on the back of a sharp jump in banking shares trading on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. DEM reported total income of CYP 18.1 mln from CYP 8 mln

…H1’06 profits help revise targets Hellenic Bank Pcl (HB) beat analyst expectations delivering a strong set of first half profit amounting to CYP 15.3 mln compared to CYP 794.000 a year ago in the same period, helped in part by CYP 4.2 mln in profit from derivative positions taken on Cyprus pound and euro rate

Hellenic Bank Pcl (HB) is open to cooperation with any group that will boost shareholder value, said HB CEO Makis Keravnos during the presentation of the Bank’s first half results. Pressed by the Financial Mirror to clarify whether the cooperation pacts likely to be entered by HB would be of the sort of rumours whereby

Security threats to mobile devices are increasing and will reach critical proportions within the next 18 months, What PC? reports. Experts say malware that targets devices such as smartphones, laptops and PDAs has increased 30 percent since the beginning of 2006. As the sophistication of mobile devices catches up with that of PCs they will