• Investment banking fees fell 7 percent worldwide in 2016, dragged down by a 23 percent fall in equity capital market (ECM) fees, Thomson Reuters data showed on Wednesday, raising the pressure on banking giants fighting to restore profitability.
• Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday while crude oil prices languished near three-week lows, with investors uncertain whether output cuts by some major exporters would be enough to offset increasing supplies from other producers
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS advanced 0.5 percent.
• Japan's Nikkei share average was little changed on Tuesday, trimming earlier losses amid hopes that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would provide stimulus-supportive hints at an upcoming news conference.
The Nikkei initially slipped as much as 0.4 percent on a combination of sagging Wall Street shares, a stronger yen and slumping crude oil prices before ending midday up 0.03 percent at 19,448.55.
• China's main indexes edged lower on Tuesday, as investors took profits after a recent strong rally fuelled by reforms hopes.
The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.2 percent, to 3,358.27 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.3percent to 3,161.67 points.
For the day, the best gainer was airliners, which soared after reports that China Southern Air Holding Company planned to push mixed-ownership reform by introducing strategic investors, in particular internet enterprises.
Reference: Reuters
Thai
Eng