NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
l Petronas signs with Evonik after BASF pullout (Comment included in Kenanga Today)
l Tune Ins IPO on Feb 22
l Zhulian profit jumps on higher sales
l Hua Yang 3Q net profit rises 36.8%
l Guocoland Q2 profit soars
l Sunway buys land in Johor Bharu
l Icon Offshore secures RM500m Petronas Carigali jobs
l Tan sells 20.5m Dijaya shares
FOREIGN NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
l Amazon buys speech-recognition company Ivona
l Sternlicht's Starwood Firms to buy LNR for USD1.05b
ECONOMIC NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (MACRO BITS)
Global
l Global Growth Glimmers As Manufacturing Picks Up Speed
Malaysia
l December CPI At 1.2%
l New Auto Sales Hit Record Historic High
Asia Pacific
l Japan Posts Record High Trade Deficit In 2012
l South Korea's Growth Rate Hits Three-Year Low
l Thai Exports Weaker Than Expected
l India Seeks To Lift Inflows By Raising Debt Limit To $75 Billion
l Australia Inflation Surprisingly Tame In Fourth Quarter
USA
l House Vote Sidesteps An Ultimatum On Debt
l Jobless Claims In U.S. Decrease, Prolonging Seasonal Swings
l Consumer ComfortFalls Amid Mounting Concern Over U.S.Economy
l Rise In Leading Index Signals U.S. Expansion Into 2013
Europe
l Spain Unemployment Rate Hit A Record: Youth Rate At 55%
l British Jobless Rate Dips To 7.7%
l Russian Economy Up 3.5% In 2012
Currencies
l Yen Blasted; Dollar Gains As Jobless Claims Fall
Commodities
l Brent Crude Holds Above $112 On Upbeat China Data
l Gold Drifts From 1-Mth High, Recovery Hopes Dull Appetite