Asia

The purchasing managers' index for both non-manufacturing and manufacturing services may be stabilizing, says BBVA.

Continued oversupply and weak product pricing are likely to drive RAM companies to perform badly over the next two quarters.

Following the overcapacity and subsidy cuts in Europe, China moves to boost domestic installations, says Nomura.

Sales will continue to grow strongly on the back of a more favorable consumer sentiment, says Maybank ATR Kim Eng.

The PMI improvement to 55 in June suggests an expanding manufacturing sector, but dip in new export orders and domestic new orders suggest that demand remains subdued, says Nomura.

These sectors are thriving, but will they last for this year's second half?

Accordingly, economy is expected to fall abruptly in 3Q.

A measly 50.2 PMI in June2012 has recorded PMI dip for two consecutive months.

The pressure came as food and process food prices as well as housing cost all rose faster than they did in May.

Total exports soared 20-fold to US$530bn from US$26bn in 21 years, Maybank Kim Eng said.

Food prices and housing costs forced inflation up with respective 4.7% and 3.4% elevation.

Growth momentum, weakening capitalization and hampering earning prospects dragged life insurance industry down.

Global coal prices shrunk 10% and the situation may worsen for China even before it gets back on track.

The biggest gainers as at 2 July 2012 noon were the Philippines and Thailand.

Credit card circulation even dwindled to less than 500k from about 700k.

In fact, for the rest of the year, inflation is unlikely to breach the 4% mark, said DBS.