HSBC

Asia's rapid economic growth will moderate slightly in 2011 even as policymakers combat rising prices with higher interest rates and try to keep local currencies from appreciating too sharply, a Reuters quarterly poll showed.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama will meet with U.S. and Chinese business leaders at the White House on Wednesday to discuss ways to expand trade and investment opportunities, with the U.S. executives seeking deals to tap into China's economic growth.

Shanghai hopes to encourage foreign companies to raise capital through stock and bond issuance in Shanghai this year, Mayor Han Zheng said on Sunday, while also confirming the city plans a trial property tax during 2011.

CMS Cameron McKenna said it has hired Simmons & Simmons US securities partner Daniel Winterfeldt to head its newly launched international capital markets (ICM) group.

Gold fell on Thursday, snapping three sessions of gains as safe-haven buying subsided after successful European bond sales and a more positive economic outlook from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

At least 10 asset managers are preparing to launch yuan-denominated funds in Hong Kong to tap robust overseas demand for yuan assets amid expectations of faster yuan appreciation and broader investment channels, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Hong Kong stocks are likely to rise further on Thursday with traders expecting momentum to continue after the benchmark convincingly broke through short-term chart resistance on high volumes.

Investors are likely to pour more funds into Egypt in 2011 as a strengthening economy and attractive yields outweigh a fragile social backdrop and uncertainty ahead of a presidential election.

In his first speech as Britain’s new Minister of Trade and Investment, Stephen Green (The Baron Green of Hurstpierpoint) emphasized the vital importance of China to British UK economy.

State-owned Bank of China Ltd has offered yuan trading to its U.S. customers, a sign that Beijing this year may increasingly promote the use of the Chinese currency in major financial centers.

Studying the structure of open interest in US Comex Gold Futures and options, it points to more volatility and the risk...is very much to the upside, says O'Connell, concluding that professional traders are looking for a Gold Price of $1500 or even $1600 by the start of April.

Shares of H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) are dropping after the tax preparation company said that HSBC Holdings Plc (NYSE: HBC) has ended funding its refund-anticipation loans (RALs).

Nerbrand's team at HSBC reckon that Gold Investment accounts for just 0.14% of the average global portfolio today. If this figure increases, as we expect, the Gold Price could rise significantly...We believe asset allocators are likely to increase their weighting in gold over the next ten years if they focus on risk management

Satellite communications firm O3b Networks, which is backed by investors such as Google, said it has raised $1.2 billion from a group of investors and banks.

The week to November 24 was marked by tensions in Korean peninsula that prompted investors to flee from risky assets to safer avenues like US dollar and gold, helping the yellow metal outshine its colleagues in the precious group. However, silver and palladium remained strong in the month, mainly helped by demand for cheaper alternatives in jewelry and industrial applications.

iPhone, just three years old and already attained cult status, has catapulted Apple (AAPL) to one of the largest technology companies in the world.