MARKETS

There are fears that in Asia inflation might return due to higher energy prices, food and wage costs as crude oil prices are expected to range between $125 to $128 per barrel. However, though oil prices are high in absolute terms, Brent crude prices are only 10% higher than a year ago and food prices are still comparitively lower than the previous year.

The worldwide market for power semiconductors used in LED lighting is projected to cross $3 billion by 2016, says IMS Research, a leading independent provider of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry.

The outlook for the emerging markets look mixed though there are some common premises which prevail, including low rate of global trade and core inflation. Open small and medium sized economies with sluggish growth are more exposed to the low rate of global trade.

IDC predicts a bright future for smart connected devices with an estimated forecast topping 1.1 billion worldwide shipments in 2012, which will reach a whopping 1.84 billion units by 2016, according to the survey report.

Biggest monthly drop since 2010 as tax break for first-time buyers ends

Driven by an increase in gold sales by 52 percent, Petropavlovsk, the Russian gold exploration company, has reported revenue of US$1.3 billion for the full-year 2011, which is more than double the group's revenue of US$612 million in 2010.

Oil and gas exploration group lifts earnings as Bulgarian, Egyptian fields improve

Petropavlovsk, the Russian gold exploration company, has increased the production target for the FY 2012 by 11 percent to 680,000oz compared to FY 2011 and a compounded yearly growth rate of 26 percent since the group first listed in 2002.

Copper miner lifts dividend as revenues, but cash costs remain an investor concern

British gas prices fell on fears of slump in demand as much as 13 percent on Thursday below the seasonal norms and also due to weak global economic data, which drew down the wider energy complex, including British gas futures.

U.K. consumer confidence dropped in February as shoppers were more worried about their jobs and weak economic growth, according to the latest survey released from the building society Nationwide.

The U.K.'s public sector net borrowing increased more than anticipated in February 2012, while striking a record value for the month of February, according to the latest data released from Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Premier Oil, an independent exploration and production company, has estimated its average production for the FY 2011 was in line with the guidance at 40.4 kboepd, compared to 42.8 kboepd in 2010.

Mauritius' Global Board of Trade clears way for MetaQuotes Software Corps with independent software vendor status.

Ted Baker, the British designer brand, expects to end the season with a clean stock position as it is scheduled to report its 2011 annual results on March 21, 2012.

J Sainsbury, the retailing and financial services and property investment group, expects customers to spend cautiously in 2012, particularly in first half of the year. Although the short term remains challenging, key events later in the year, such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide opportunities for growth.

Berkeley Group, the residential-led property developer is well placed to double its profits before tax around £220 million by 30 April 2013, two years earlier than originally planned and to enhance the value of its land bank to £3 billion by April 2015.

Cairn Energy, the independent oil, gas exploration and production company is excited by the potential of its multi-basin acreage in Greenland offers and the management team is focused on accessing new opportunities that provide material growth for the company and its stakeholders.

The Cupertino-based company has called for a media event, scheduled for 9 a.m. EDT (2 p.m. GMT; 6 a.m. PDT) on 19 March, to explain its plans to spend the surplus money.

Debenhams, the seller of fashion clothing, accessories, cosmetics and products, expects to benefit from lower input prices in the H2 of FY 2012. Britain's No. 2 department store group is scheduled to release its H1 trading update on Tuesday.

Latest reports from Dev Team's blog post confirms that not just one, but three different third generation iPad jailbreaks exist, thanks to hackers MuscleNerd, i0nic and chpwn.

Britain's slow and steady economic growth helps it in avoiding recession, followed by upbeat data and last week's Greek debt restructuring. The Bank of England holds its asset purchase programme at £325 billion, as economists predicted 0.2 per cent growth in the current quarter.

Tullow Oil, an independent oil and gas company, announced that it has successfully encountered oil in very good quality sandstone reservoirs in the Enyenra-4A appraisal well, in the Deepwater Tano licence offshore Ghana.

Britain's household goods retailer, Home Retail Group, focuses on robust cost management along with cash positions due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the UK economy. It will also prioritise its investment in the ongoing development of its multi-channel capabilities.

Warner Bros Studio is opening a tour for all Potter fans to see and feel the places and technology used for the movie.

Aegis group, the marketing services company in the areas of media communications and market research, expects the environment to remain competitive but it remains well positioned to make continued progress.

Close Brothers Group, a specialist financial services company, has reported that its adjusted operating profits for the six months to 31 January, 2012 were broadly unchanged at £63 million due to the difficult economic and financial market uncertainty for securities.

Tullow Oil, the independent oil and gas company, expects significant progress in Ghana and Uganda for the FY 2012 and is scheduled to report its full year 2011 results on Wednesday.

Brady, a commodity risk management software provider, has reported a rise of 72 per cent in its full year revenue to £19.16 million, up from £11.12 million in 2010, including an increase in recurring revenues of 147 per cent to £9.79 million.