LONDON (Dec 20): Copper slipped on Monday in thin trading as signs that the property market was cooling in top metals consumer China worsened the outlook for industrial metals demand and weighed on market sentiment.    

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Property developer LBS Bina Group Bhd, whose landbank consists mostly of leasehold land in Selangor, has welcomed the state government's move to allow owners of leasehold properties to renew their leases for a nominal sum of RM1,000.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), the country's largest state asset manager, is still waiting for the Securities Commission's (SC) approval of its proposed management agreement, which will be part of PNB's takeover of S P Setia Bhd.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): The project delivery partner (PDP) of the River of Life project, Ekovest-MRCB JV Sdn Bhd, will earn more than just the RM22 million fee in the coming three years, said Ekovest Bhd managing director Lim Keng Cheng.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Gamuda Bhd is facing the problem of depleting order book as its existing construction projects are reaching the tail-end and on expectations of possible hiccups on the execution of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project.

Analysts are concerned that the depleting construction order book would translate into weaker future earnings.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 19): IGB Corporation Bhd has made a RM277.50 million offer to acquire the remaining 50% stake in Great Union Properties Sdn Bhd (GUP), which owns the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, from Stapleton Developments Ltd and Chong Kim Weng.

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 19): The Malaysian Developer's Council (MDC) issued a joint communiqué seeking government consideration on the issues of low cost housing, the proposed "Build Then Sell" (BTS) system and the restrictions on the housing financing system, it said in a statement on Monday.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 19): 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), a strategic development company wholly-owned by the Government of Malaysia, is developing a digital master plan for a digitally smart Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD).

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Sunway Bhd has acquired the leases of two parcels of land for RM745.3 million with a gross development value (GDV) of RM12 billion in Medini Iskandar via a joint venture (JV) with Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

LONDON (Dec 19): Britain is to propose stricter rules for mortgage lending that aim to prevent a recurrence of irresponsible practices — such as "liar loans" — that led to the global financial crisis.