Asian stocks rose early on Thursday, cheered by a sizeable overnight rebound on Wall Street, while the dollar resumed its advance after upbeat economic data undercut safe-haven bids and pushed yields higher.
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Weak German output numbers send Europe into reverse
A second day of weak German data sent European markets into retreat on Tuesday with stocks, the euro and periphery euro zone government debt all knocked by the mounting evidence of an abrupt slowdown in the bloc's economic engine room.
Australia clears Expedia's $610 million Wotif.com takeover
Australia's antitrust regulator on Thursday cleared online travel giant Expedia Inc to buy local rival Wotif.com Holdings Ltd, saying it did not expect the A$699 million ($610 million) deal to substantially lessen competition.
Dollar surges anew, euro zone data eyed
The dollar rose to new multi-year highs against the yen, euro and a basket of currencies on Monday, a three-month-old rally showing no signs of dissipating before a week of important economic set pieces.
Australia's Treasury Wine rejects $3 billion takeover bids, shares dive
Australia's Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (TWE.AX), one of the world's biggest wine companies, rejected takeover offers from private equity firms saying bids that valued it at $3 billion were insufficient and required it take on too much debt.
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National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) is considering the sale of its life insurance unit worth an estimated $800 million, seeking to boost earnings and returns on capital, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The Group of 20 leading nations say they are tantalisingly close to adding an extra $2 trillion to the global economy and creating millions of new jobs, but Europe's extended stagnation remains a major stumbling block.
Financial leaders of the Group of 20 top economies remain committed to chasing higher global growth, but were divided on how to achieve it as Germany pushed back at calls from the United States and others for more immediate stimulus.
Asian stocks stumbled to a five-week low on Monday after a batch of disappointing data out of China raised the specter of a sharp slowdown in the world's second-biggest economy.
Asian share market sentiment was cautious on Thursday after U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to fight Islamic State militants, while the dollar pushed to fresh six-year highs against the yen.
The U.S. dollar held near a six-year peak against the yen early on Thursday and powered to a seven-month high on its New Zealand peer, which fell after the country's central bank said its current level is "unjustified and unsustainable".
Australian junior iron ore miner Western Desert Resources Ltd said it had called in administrators after failing to negotiate a deal with its bankers, due largely to plunging iron ore prices.
Australia said on Friday it will sell health insurer Medibank Private in an initial public offering in December, in a sale expected to fetch about A$4 billion ($3.74 billion) and make 2014 the country's biggest year of new listings.
Australian airlines Qantas Airways Ltd and Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said passengers can use smartphones and tablets throughout flights from Tuesday after a regulator relaxed a ban on electronic devices on planes.
