Business Update: EU fears hit Asia – answers

gap-filler

1. Asian share markets slipped on Wednesday erasing early gains as concerns about the Euro-zones debt woes continued to weigh on market confidence.
2. The Euro slid but sterling held its overnight gains after the Conservatives and the smaller Liberal Democrat party agreed to form Britain’s first coalition since 1945.
3. Mounting inflationary pressure in China us pointing to further policy tightening by Beijing which weighed on companies with exposure to China.
4. China’s consumer prices hit an eighteen-month high in April while banks’ new lending topped expectations although overall monthly data showed the economy was not over-heating.
5. Chinese property prices in seventy cities rose 12.8 % in April from a year earlier – the fastest pace on record.
6. But Toyota’s shares rose, as the world’s largest automaker comfortably beat forecasts with a fourth quarter profit announced late Tuesday as it cut costs and its aggressive sales incentives drew US customers back in the wake of its recall problems.