HONG KONG: Hit by higher stamp duties levied on housing gains, some speculators may now decide to focus on short-term trades in the office and commercial markets — a response that could throw into doubt the government's strategy to cool property prices.

SHANGHAI: Stricter pre-sale requirement on real estate development has reduced new supply, while the latest rein-in policies have curbed market demand in Shanghai, as reported by the Shanghai Daily.

HONG KONG: Developer Wheelock and Co Ltd expects prices for Hong Kong residential property to fall as much as 10% in coming months, a senior executive said days after the government implemented its toughest market-cooling this year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bina Puri Holdings Bhd signed an agreement with Persatuan Chha Yong Fay Choong Kuan on an investment of a two acre development in Jalan Pasar which guarantees an investment return of RM40.6 million in 14 years, the Group said in a press statement on Wednesday, Nov 24, 2010.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Holdings Bhd has posted a net profit of RM48.5 million for its third quarter ended Sept 30, 2010, slipping marginally from RM48.6 million in the previous quarter on the back of lower revenue, it announced to Bursa Malaysia on Wednesday, Nov 24.

KUALA LUMPUR: Following the onslaught of mergers and takeovers in the property development sector, market talk has it that next on the consolidation card is Sunway Holdings Bhd and Sunway City Bhd (SunCity) after the voluntary request from both groups for a suspension in trading on Tuesday, Nov 23.

KUALA LUMPUR: YTL Corp Bhd has proposed a rationalisation that involves the sales of a few companies to its unit YTL Land & Development Bhd for a total of RM476 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: Zelan Bhd's share price continued to fall sharply on Tuesday, Nov 23 as its latest 2QFY11 earnings numbers ended Sept 30 seem to indicate that the company's financial woes are far from over.

The company's net loss widened 153% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM35.12 million. Revenue also shrunk 91% y-o-y to RM30.7 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: IGB Corp Bhd's net profit for 3QFY10 ended Sept 30, fell 17.2% y-o-y to RM41.9 million from RM50.6 million, mainly due to higher cost of sales and administration expenses.

Revenue rose 15.4% to RM178.6 million compared with RM154.7 million a year earlier, mainly due to higher contributions from the property and hotel divisions.

KUALA LUMPUR: Dijaya Corp Bhd's net profit for 3QFY10 ended Sept 30, plunged 83% to RM5.6 million from RM32.4 million, due to a large base effect in 3Q09, when the company had enjoyed one-off gains from the sale of assets and the reversal of provisions for diminution in value of its investment portfolio.