KUALA LUMPUR: S P Setia Bhd has completed its book-building exercise to place out 153 million shares, or equivalent to 15% of its paid-up capital, raising RM884.6 million to finance its existing projects and future expansion.

Gamuda Bhd (Mar 22, RM3.70)
Maintain buy at RM3.66 with target price RM4.68: We are projecting 7.5% growth in construction's contribution for 2011 gross domestic product (GDP) which could exceed the average yearly construction turnover of RM60 billion. The construction sector grew 5.7% in 2009 and 7% in 2010.

SYDNEY: Along with the standard purchases — abalone, sheepskin, macadamia nuts and koala soft toys — deluxe properties have been added to the "must-have" shopping lists of many mainland travellers to Australia.

Ray Chan Wei, who heads a property agency in Sussex Street in Sydney's Chinatown, said the Chinese had been the biggest overseas buyers in the city since 2005.

HONG KONG: Despite a pay rise last year and expectations of another one in 2011, real estate professionals in Asia are less satisfied with their jobs than those in Britain, the Middle East and South Africa, a survey shows.

HONG KONG: The nuclear crisis in Japan prompted some Hong Kong home sellers to drop asking prices last week in a bid to secure quick sales, agents say.

But the discounts were insufficient to lure some nervous potential buyers to risk entering the market.

HONG KONG: Sino Group is co-operating with a group of volunteers to launch a non-profit foodbank in Hong Kong aimed at easing the city's major poverty problems.

The developer will offer its 1,604 sqft warehouse in Yau Tong, Kowloon for the operational hub of the Hong Kong's community foodbank.

It is also encouraging employees to volunteer their time and energy for the project.

KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand) reported a net profit of RM34.9 million in its third quarter for financial year ending April 30, 2011, a sharp increase of 207% compared to a net loss of RM8.5 million in the same period a year ago due higher profit contribution from the property sales registered in the current quarter under review.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kinrara Niaga, a shop office development within I&P Group Sdn Bhd's flagship Bandar Kinrara township in Puchong, Selangor is almost sold out ahead of its launch this weekend.

Some 18 of the project's 24 units have been snapped up during its soft launch on Tuesday, Mar 22, said group managing director Datuk Jamaludin Osman.

KANGAR: Small agricultural land of less than an acre (0.4ha) in size in the state can now be issued with ownership title, Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu said on Tuesday, Mar 22.

He said the new ruling, effective from January this year, was to reduce too many names being listed on each of the land titles.

SEOUL: South Korea plans to unveil measures to boost its housing market later on Tuesday, Mar 22, the finance ministry said, in a move likely intended to cushion the impact from an expiry next week of easier borrowing rules brought in last August.

The ministry said in a text message to reporters that the government would unveil the measures at 6.30pm (0930 GMT). It did not elaborate.