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☆ Pressure piles on China Evergrande with report chairman under police surveillance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Hui Ka Yan, chairman of Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd, the country's second-largest property developer by sales, attends a news conference on annual results in Hong Kong, China March 29, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The chairman of China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) has been placed under police surveillance, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, ratcheting up pressure on the embattled developer whose outlook has already darkened significantly this week. Citing people with knowledge of the matter, the report said Hui Ka Yan was taken away by police earlier this month and is being monitored at a designated location. Evergrande did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Markets are also focused on another major Chinese developer, Country Garden (2007.HK), which is facing a new bond coupon repayment deadline on Wednesday.

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Bobby Yip, Hui, Evergrande, Hengda, Scott Murdoch, Xie Yu, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Neil Fullick Organizations: Real Estate Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Bloomberg, Bloomberg News, Reuters, Evergrande, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, China's, Sydney

☆ Exclusive: Some Evergrande creditors plan to join winding-up petition if no new debt plan by Oct 30
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

An aerial view shows the 39 buildings developed by China Evergrande Group that authorities have issued demolition order on, on the man-made Ocean Flower Island in Danzhou, Hainan province, China January 6, 2022. Evergrande has been in the process of seeking creditors' approval for its proposals to restructure offshore debt worth $31.7 billion, which includes bonds, collateral, and repurchase obligations. In July, the hearing for that winding-up petition against Evergrande was adjourned to Oct. 30, in order to wait for the result from the developer's meeting with creditors to vote on its debt restructuring plan. Evergrande needs approval from more than 75% of the holders of each debt class to approve the plan. Many of the defaulted developers have been scrambling to get their offshore creditors' approval for debt restructuring plans to avoid collapse or being forced into liquidation proceedings.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande's, Evergrande, homebuyers, Scott Murdoch, Donny Kwok, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: China Evergrande Group, Rights, China Evergrande, Group, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, HK, Hong Kong, Shenzhen

SYDNEY, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Vietnamese internet company VNG Ltd has delayed a $150 million U.S. initial public offering (IPO) due to volatile market conditions, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not yet public. Founded in 2004, VNG was Vietnam's first unicorn, or a startup valued at $1 billion or more. VNG still aims to carry out a New York listing, likely in the first half of 2024, they added. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: VNG, Scott Murdoch, Yantoultra, Himani Sarkar, Rashmi Organizations: VNG, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, Sydney, Singapore

☆ Beijing Fourth Paradigm to price Hong Kong IPO at low end of range -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Chinese artificial intelligence startup Beijing Fourth Paradigm is set to price its shares at HK$55.6 each, the low end of the price range, to raise HK$1.023 billion ($131 million), a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. Fourth Paradigm is selling 18.4 million shares in the IPO and had flagged a price range to investors of HK$55.60 to HK$61.16 each, according to its regulatory filings. It is the second IPO this week to price at the bottom end of the range with Tuhu Car raising $145 million with the final price at the low point. Three cornerstone investors, headed by New China Capital Management, subscribed for about $96.8 million worth of Fourth Paradigm stock, which equates to 70.6% of the IPO, the filings showed. Fourth Paradigm counts Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Sinovation, Haitong International Investment and a number of state-backed funds as pre-IPO investors, according to filings.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Scott Murdoch, Himani Sarkar, Alexander Smith Organizations: HK, Commerce Department, New China Capital Management, Paradigm, International Investment, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Sydney

An NIO ET7 car model is presented at the NIO House, the showroom of the Chinese premium smart electric vehicle manufacture NIO Inc. in Berlin, Germany August 17, 2023. The company raised $500 million in a six-year put-four convertible bond and the same amount in a seven-year put-five bond. The shorter dated bond has a 3.875% interest rate, while the seven year bond's rate is 4.625%, Nio said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement. Nio posted a net loss of 6.12 billion yuan ($839.51 million) in the second quarter, versus a loss of 2.75 billion yuan in the corresponding period a year ago. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annegret, Nio, Scott Murdoch, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nio, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Sydney

☆ Analysis-More SE Asia firms consider U.S. IPOs, filling void left by China peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | Scott Murdoch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“These factors have enabled some of their ASEAN rivals to step out into the spotlight.”ASEAN, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, includes Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. For investors seeking emerging market exposure, Southeast Asia fits the bill, because of the region’s strong economic growth and increasing population, analysts say. Some Southeast Asia companies seeking listings in the U.S. look to raise between $300 million and $1 billion, with valuations ranging from $1.5 billion to $8 billion, bankers said, without naming any firms. “International investors are seeing the value of portfolio diversification that Southeast Asia provides,” Tay added. The expected pickup in Southeast Asian listings, however, could get derailed by share volatility and stringent investor scrutiny, analysts say.

Persons: ”, Leif Schneider, Sunil Khaitan, Kelvin Teo, Andrew Lim, Tay Hwee Ling, ” Tay, Anuruk Karoonyavanich Organizations: Nasdaq, REUTERS, Gushcloud International, Sunday, Reuters, VNG Corp, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Carsome, Southeast, Bank, America’s, “, U.S ., ’, Companies, Deloitte, “ International, DBS Locations: SINGAPORE, SYDNEY, United States, New York City, U.S, Singapore, New York, Philippine, Washington, Beijing, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Asia, Indonesia, Southeast, Southeast Asia, China

☆ Chinese AI firm Fourth Paradigm leads Hong Kong IPO surge to raise $280 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fourth Paradigm (also known as 4Paradigm) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Three Chinese firms, led by AI software company Beijing Fourth Paradigm, are aiming to raise up to $280 million in Hong Kong initial public offerings launched on Monday. Beijing Fourth Paradigm, an AI startup, is aiming to raise up to $144 million by selling 18.4 million shares in a price range of HK$55.60 to HK$61.16 each, according to its regulatory filings. Separately, Chinese cloud hospital platform Neusoft Xikang is aiming to raise $81 million to $101 million by selling 133.8 million shares, regulatory filings showed. ZX Inc, the mobile games operator, is selling 18.97 million shares in a range between HK$11 to HK$14 each to raise between $27 million and $34 million, according to its prospectus.

Persons: Aly, Scott Murdoch, Stephen Coates Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, HK, New China Capital Management, Commerce Department, ZX Inc, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney

ASEAN, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, includes Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. For investors seeking emerging market exposure, Southeast Asia fits the bill, because of the region's strong economic growth and increasing population, analysts say. Some Southeast Asia companies seeking listings in the U.S. look to raise between $300 million and $1 billion, with valuations ranging from $1.5 billion to $8 billion, bankers said, without naming any firms. "International investors are seeing the value of portfolio diversification that Southeast Asia provides," Tay added. The expected pickup in Southeast Asian listings, however, could get derailed by share volatility and stringent investor scrutiny, analysts say.

Persons: DoubleDragon, Leif Schneider, Sunil Khaitan, Kelvin Teo, Andrew Lim, Tay Hwee Ling, Tay, Anuruk Karoonyavanich, Yantoultra Ngui, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, Miral Organizations: Nasdaq, REUTERS, U.S, IPOs, Gushcloud International, Sunday, Reuters, VNG Corp, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Carsome, Southeast, Bank, America's, U.S ., Deloitte, International, DBS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Asia, SINGAPORE, SYDNEY, United States, Singapore, New York, Philippine, Washington, Beijing, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southeast, Southeast Asia, China, Sydney

SINGAPORE, Sept 14 (Reuters) - DBS Group (DBSM.SI) Chief Executive Piyush Gupta said current widespread pessimism about China's economy was not "overdone" but he was upbeat about India, where the bank plans to triple its business in the next five years. "There's some real headwinds in China in the short-term", he told a Reuters Newsmaker event in Singapore, noting the crisis in its debt-ridden property sector. DBS, Southeast Asia's largest bank by assets, aims to triple its business in India in the next five years, Gupta also said. The bank has been in India for nearly 30 years and operates about 530 branches in 19 Indian states, according to its website. Singapore has seen strong inflows from wealthy customers amid global uncertainty, including U.S.-China geopolitical tensions, due to the city-state's status as a financial safe-haven.

Persons: Piyush Gupta, Gupta, Yantoultra Ngui, Fanny Potkin, Scott Murdoch, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: DBS, Reuters, Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank, UBS Group's, Credit Suisse, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, India, China, Singapore, Shenzhen, Asia's, Asia, East, U.S

☆ Shares rise, dollar drops vs yen after BOJ hint of shift in policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The yen surged after BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank could end its policy of negative interest rates when the achievement of its 2% inflation target is in sight. Global shares, as reflected by the MSCI All-World index (.MIWD00000PUS), rose 0.1%, supported by a bounce in stocks in Europe, where the STOXX 600 (.STOXX) gained 0.3%. Last week, the STOXX posted its longest stretch of losses in 5-1/2 years. Economists polled by Reuters expect consumer prices to have risen by 3.6% from last year, up from July's 3.2% reading. The ECB meets on Thursday to set interest rates and markets have all but priced out any chance of a hike.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Fiona Cincotta, Marcella Chow, Scott Murdoch, Simon Cameron, Moore, Mark Heinrich, Chizu Organizations: Bank of Japan, Global, European Central Bank, Reuters, JPMorgan Asset Management, Brent, ECB, Thomson Locations: China, Europe, U.S, Asia, Sydney

☆ Asia stock markets weaken amid ongoing retreat from Chinese property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A man walks past an electronic board showing Japan's Nikkei average and stock prices outside a brokerage, in Tokyo, Japan, March 17, 2023. Australian shares (.AXJO) reversed earlier losses to be up 0.12% and Japan's Nikkei stock index (.N225) slid 0.19%. The Hang Seng Property Index (.HSNP), a gauge of Hong Kong's top developers, shed almost 4% while the mainland property index (.HSMPI) was off 3.24%. "We need the property market to stabilize first in order for any meaningful kind of economic rebound to happen in China," said David Chao, Invesco's Asia Pacific market strategist. Those should put a floor under the property market some time soon."

Persons: Androniki, David Chao, Daniel Zhang, Brent, Scott Murdoch, Edwina Gibbs, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Rights, Alibaba, HK, Index, Chevron, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, China, Pacific, Hong Kong, Asia Pacific, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, United States, Wells, Australia, Sydney

A sign at the approach road leads to Albemarle's lithium evaporation ponds at its facility in Silver Peak, Nevada, U.S., January 9, 2019. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - Australia's Liontown Resources (LTR.AX) shares shot 11.5% higher after the lithium developer's board on Monday backed a refreshed A$6.6 billion ($4.26 billion) bid from Albemarle Corp (ALB.N), the world's biggest lithium producer. The news prompted Liontown shares to shoot up 11.5% to A$2.92, the highest since July 14. Liontown controls two major lithium deposits in Western Australia, including its flagship Kathleen Valley project slated for first production in mid-2024, which is among the world's largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium deposits. Albemarle's latest offer for Liontown was its fourth, having also proposed A$2.20 per share on Oct. 20 last year and A$2.35 per share earlier in March before its rejected A$2.50 a share offer was made public.

Persons: Ernest Scheyder, Liontown, Albemarle, Kathleen, Greenhill, Scott Murdoch, Poonam, Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Albemarle Corp, Australia, Ford Motor, LG, Co, UBS, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Silver, , Nevada, U.S, Australian, Chile, Western Australia, South, Albemarle, Sydney

Hozon's IPO plan comes after it announced a 7 billion yuan pre-IPO fundraising late on Tuesday in a social media statement. More banks could be added to the syndicate working on the IPO as the deal progresses, they said. Local Hong Kong media reported earlier this week Hozon could raise up to $1 billion in a local listing. Hozon is building its first overseas plant in Thailand and aims to start production there in January 2024. Reporting by Kane Wu in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Additional reporting Zhang Yan; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Morgan Stanley, CICC, Kane Wu, Scott Murdoch, Zhang Yan, David Holmes Organizations: Hozon, Beijing International Automotive, Auto, REUTERS, Rights, Zhejiang, New Energy Automobile Co, HONG, Hozon Auto, China International Capital Corporation, Hong, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: Auto China, Beijing, China, HONG KONG, SYDNEY, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Sydney

That implies a potential $2.5 billion investment will be equivalent to a 2.5% stake in the company. "Several marquee global strategic and financial investors have shown strong interest in Reliance Retail. Ambani said in 2019 that the group planned to list the retail business in five years. Reliance Retail has more than 18,000 retail outlets, but also a growing e-commerce operation where it competes with the likes of Amazon (AMZN.O) and Walmart's (WMT.N) Flipkart. Reliance Retail reported a consolidated net profit of 91.81 billion Indian rupees ($1.11 billion) for the financial year that ended in March 2023, on revenue of 2.6 trillion rupees.

Persons: Ambani, Mukesh Ambani's, Reliance, Morgan Stanley, QIA, Ambani's, Isha Ambani, Aditya Kalra, Scott Murdoch, Sriram, Munsif Vengattil, Susan Fenton Organizations: Retail Ventures, Reuters, Qatar Investment Authority, India's, Burberry, Reliance, Reliance Retail, KKR, Saudi Public Investment Fund, General Atlantic, United Arab, Unilever, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, Qatar, U.S, China, United Arab Emirates, New Delhi, Sydney, Mumbai

A man walks past a sign of Geely's new premium electric vehicle (EV) brand Zeekr at its factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China April 15, 2021. Geely in December said Zeekr had confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, without detailing size or listing date. If successful, a $1 billion IPO would be the largest U.S. listing by a Chinese firm for over two years since ride-hailing giant Didi raised $4.4 billion in mid 2021. Geely, formally Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (GEELY.UL), established Zeekr in April 2021 to tap into increasing Chinese demand for high-end EVs. ($1 = 7.2883 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Julie Zhu in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: HONG KONG, Geely, Zeekr, Didi, Andy, Julie Zhu, Scott Murdoch, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Yilei, U.S, Zhejiang Geely Holding, Thomson Locations: Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, HONG, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore, London , New York, Boston , California, U.S, Zhejiang, Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Kazakhstan, Sydney

☆ Analysis-Lithium buyers eye cheaper early-stage deals in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Melanie Burton | Scott Murdoch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

So I think there’s going to be some opportunistic acquisitions.”There is already evidence of frenzied deal activity involving pre-producing companies. Develop Global, a base metals explorer backed by diversified miner Mineral Resources, last month proposed to acquire lithium developer Essential Metals for A$152.6 million ($97.98 million). “Even though battery chemistry is evolving and impacting certain metals, lithium is a mainstay and the demand story remains robust. The battery metals landscape, and lithium in particular, looks poised for further M&A activity,” said Gavi Friedland, head of metals and mining at Goldman Sachs in Australia & New Zealand. Mineral Resources is deciding whether to build an Australian lithium battery chemical plant, while Albemarle is expanding production at its Kemerton hydroxide plant and SQM is also building a lithium hydroxide plant.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, acquirers, ”, Kaan, “, Gavi Friedland, Goldman Sachs, Guy Alexander, Buyers, Japan’s Idemitsu, Delta, Tony Chong, Squire Patton Boggs, Jakob Stausholm, Stausholm, ” Dale Henderson Organizations: MELBOURNE, REUTERS, Chile, Albemarle Corp, RBC, Develop, Mineral Resources, Metals, Minerals, Liontown Resources, Climate Capital, Consultancy, EV, Goldman, New Zealand, Resources, ”, Rio Tinto, Patriot Metals, Canada, Reuters Locations: Albemarle Chile, Chile, Australia, Sydney, Andover, Albemarle, Perth, China, U.S, Rio, Canada, Quebec

[1/2] A general view shows the brine pools of Albemarle Chile lithium plant placed on the Atacama salt flat, Chile, May 4, 2023. "It seems like the cheapest way to get lithium units is via the drill bit," said analyst Kaan Peker of RBC in Sydney. "Even though battery chemistry is evolving and impacting certain metals, lithium is a mainstay and the demand story remains robust. The battery metals landscape, and lithium in particular, looks poised for further M&A activity,” said Gavi Friedland, head of metals and mining at Goldman Sachs in Australia & New Zealand. Mineral Resources is deciding whether to build an Australian lithium battery chemical plant, while Albemarle is expanding production at its Kemerton hydroxide plant and SQM is also building a lithium hydroxide plant.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, acquirers, Kaan, ”, Gavi Friedland, Goldman Sachs, Guy Alexander, Buyers, Japan's Idemitsu, Delta, Tony Chong, Squire Patton Boggs, Jakob Stausholm, Stausholm, Dale Henderson, Melanie Burton, Veronica Brown Organizations: REUTERS, Chile, Albemarle Corp, RBC, Develop, Mineral Resources, Metals, Minerals, Liontown Resources, Climate Capital, Consultancy, EV, Goldman, New Zealand, Resources, Tinto, Patriot Metals, Canada, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Albemarle Chile, Chile, MELBOURNE, Australia, Sydney, Andover, Albemarle, Perth, China, U.S, Canada, Quebec

A Midea company sign is seen at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai, China March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoAug 9 (Reuters) - Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group (000333.SZ) said on Wednesday it is studying a potential listing in Hong Kong as part of its global strategy. The new shares to be issued would account for no more than 10% of enlarged capital, Midea, already listed in the Shenzhen stock exchange, said in a filing. Midea's market capitalisation was $56.47 billion before the listing plan was made public, meaning a deal of up to 10% would be one of the largest listings in Hong Kong since 2021. The initial filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange would be made this year, with a likely share sale sometime in 2024, one of the sources added.

Persons: Aly, Midea, Scott Murdoch, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Jason Neely, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Appliance, Electronics, REUTERS, Midea, Bank of America, China International Capital Corp, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Hong Kong, Midea, Shenzhen, Sydney

Sentiment rebounded in China as the blue chip CSI300 index (.CSI300) turned positive to be up 0.07% after initially losing 0.54%. Australian shares (.AXJO) were up 0.15%, while Japan's Nikkei stock index (.N225) rose 0.29% after early trading up by nearly 0.8%. ANZ predicts China's July consumer price index to come in at minus 0.4% year-on-year. "Weak inflation in China should be a global disinflationary force in goods markets going forward." Minor measures to help property markets have been delivered in the past fortnight, but no broad stimulus has been outlined.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Hoon SYDNEY, Hong, HSI, Mizuho, Brent, Scott Murdoch, Lincoln Organizations: Yen, REUTERS, Federal, Japan's Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Global, ANZ, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, United States, Asia, Pacific, U.S, Sydney

Logo of China Life Insurance is seen on a door at a branch in Beijing, China, March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File PhotoHONG KONG, Aug 7 (Reuters) - China Life Insurance (Overseas) Hong Kong has mandated banks for its 10-year subordinated bond offering, according to a preliminary term sheet seen by Reuters on Monday. China Life did not respond to an email from Reuters seeking comment on the deal. The last time China Life tapped the bond market was in March 2019, when it issued 35 billion yuan's worth in China's interbank bond market. Reporting by Georgina Lee in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jason Lee, HONG KONG, Georgina Lee, Scott Murdoch, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: China Life Insurance, REUTERS, Reuters, P Global, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG, Hong Kong, Sydney

Logo of Bain Capital is screened at a news conference in Tokyo, Japan September 28, 2017. Shares of Estia Health were up 9.9% at A$3.12 as of 0045 GMT, their highest since Sept 2018. Bain Capital did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. In June, the company updated the market on its intentions to back Bain Capital's increased offer of $A3 per share to A$3.20. "If they acquire Estia Health they may be stuck with it in the days ahead."

Persons: Kim Kyung, Estia, Bain Capital's, Gary Weiss, Estia's, Brad Smoling, Smoling, Rishav Chatterjee, Scott Murdoch, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Stephen Coates Organizations: Bain Capital, REUTERS, Global, Estia, Bain, Virgin Australia, Australia, Health, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

HONG KONG, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Shares of debt-laden Chinese property giant Country Garden (2007.HK) fell on Tuesday after it scrapped a share placement to raise $300 million, citing "internal considerations" though bookrunners said the sale was fully covered. Shares and bonds in Country Garden have come under pressure recently due to liquidity concerns, and investors were worried about further contagion in a sector that has already seen many firms default. Country Garden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At 0220 GMT, shares of Country Garden were down 3.8% to HK$1.52, narrowing losses from 10.8% in early trading. Country Garden had nearly $4.9 billion of bond payments to make over the next 6 months, JP Morgan analysts said in a report last week.

Persons: bookrunners, JP Morgan, Morgan, Clare Jim, Scott Murdoch, Summer, Jacqueline Wong, Kim Coghill, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: HK, Mainland Properties, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, HK, Hang

Still, money market traders are split on the odds of another increase later in the year.FEDWATCH"The 25 basis point rise is a done deal. "The risk is that the Fed, looking at market bullishness, may not want to sound too dovish - they may want to keep the door open for more rate hikes." The MSCI world equity index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in 47 countries, was flat. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index (.HSI) was down 0.3% and China's blue chip CSI300 index (.CSI300) was off 0.2%. Positive sentiment had returned to China's market on Tuesday, when the CSI 300 Index snapped a six-day losing streak.

Persons: Luca Paolini, Alison Rose, Nigel Farage's, We're, David Chao, Tom Wilson, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed, Kim Coghill Organizations: Fed, Federal, Pictet Asset Management, NatWest, BBC, Lloyds, CSI, ECB, Brent, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, U.S, Germany, France, Britain, CHINA, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, London, Sydney

SYDNEY, July 26 (Reuters) - Asian markets were trading mostly weaker on Wednesday ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's expected interest rate rise to be delivered later in the day, as investors also weighed the likelihood of a Chinese economic stimulus package. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was flat, after U.S. stocks ended the previous session with mild gains. The two-year yield , which rises with traders' expectations of higher Fed fund rates, touched 4.8848% compared with a U.S. close of 4.893%. Australia was the only major market across the Asia Pacific region to see shares rise, with the S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) up 0.81%. On Wall Street, the three main indices closed higher, led by gains in shares of technology, materials and communication services companies.

Persons: Karen Jorritsma, Brent, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed Organizations: SYDNEY, U.S, U.S . Federal, Nikkei, CSI, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Global, ANZ, RBC Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: U.S ., Asia, Pacific, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Sydney

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