NEW YORK: General Growth Properties Inc, the No 2 US mall owner, filed an eagerly awaited plan to exit bankruptcy on Wednesday (March 31), setting the stage for suitors such as Simon Property Group Inc to come in with rival bids.

Still no news on RCULS conversions

We met with KLCC Property Holdings’ (KLCCP) new Head of Finance & Accounts Division, Encik Azmi Yahaya, and Head of Legal & Corporate Services Division, Encik Abd Aziz Abd Kadir.

Today, we introduce our “Construction: Jobs Flow Tracker”, which seeks to measure the momentum of contract awards. Over the 1Q10 period, some RM2.85bn worth of jobs was awarded. Domestic contracts showed a healthy 16% y-o-y increase but contracted by 38% q-o-q due to the high base effect.

UNITED STATES (U.S.): Churches emerged from previous economic downturns relatively unscathed, lenders noted. But the recent recession was preceded by an unusual boom in church building.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong housing prices hit a 12-year high in the first quarter after increasing 7.5 per cent from the end of 2009.

The surge was powered by a combination of low interest rates, limited supply and growing confidence in Hong Kong's economic recovery, according to a housing index compiled by Centaline Property Agency.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hwang DBS Vickers Research (HDBSVR) has a Buy call on Sunway Holdings with a sum-of-parts target price of RM1.95

Sunway had on Thursday, April 1 accepted the letter of award for a RM88 million contract from KLCC Holding Sdn Bhd to build Phase 2 of Impiana KLCC Development.

KUALA LUMPUR: Dijaya Corporation Bhd has re-designated Dickson Tan Yong Loong as its executive director from his previous position as non-executive director.

The Sime Darby Idea House

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Property Bhd’s Sime Darby Idea House, currently being built within its Denai Alam township in Shah Alam, is set to be the first carbon-neutral residence in Southeast Asia.

Kuala Lumpur: Hua Yang Bhd is undertaking a RM45 million commercial cum industrial development in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, a project earmarked as an industrial hotspot for business owners seeking a strategic address and investors scouting for viable investments.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP National Publicity Secretary Tony Pua on Thursday, April 1 urged the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to refrain from taking unnecessary investment risks and "over-stretching" the limits of its role under the government's New Economic Model (NEM).