EMEA LIVECHAT- FX WEEK AHEAD with Reuters FX analyst Jeremy Boulton- Join Reuters FX analyst Jeremy Boulton at 1530 IST for a look at the week's top topics and implications for the FX market. To join the Global Markets Forum, click on the link: https://forms.thomsonreuters.com/communities/ INDIA TOP NEWS India's $16 billion wage bonanza may force Jaitley to cut capex A $16 billion pay rise for India's public servants and costly food and farm programmes could force the country's finance minister to cut capital spending in its annual budget, officials and economists say.
Indian army deploys to quell protests, water cut to Delhi India deployed thousands of troops in a northern state on Sunday to quell protests that have severely hit water supplies to Delhi, a metropolis of more than 20 million, forced factories to close and killed 10 people.
India set to seal major power deal in Bangladesh, beating China A state-run Indian firm is poised to seal a contract to build a $1.6 billion power plant in Bangladesh, beating out a Chinese competitor in the latest commercial tussle between the region's two dominant powers.
Fortis Healthcare says in talks with investors for pathology chain SRL India's Fortis Healthcare Ltd on Friday said it is in talks with "a number" of parties for investment in its subsidiary SRL Ltd, which operates a chain of pathology clinics.
GIC, Advent, Bain invest $350 mln in engineering outsourcer QuEST Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte Ltd and private equity investors Advent International and Bain Capital have jointly bought a minority stake in engineering outsourcing firm QuEST Global Services for $350 million.
Lupin to divest two Gavis drugs for deal approval - FTC Lupin Ltd will divest two generic drugs sold by Gavis Pharmaceuticals LLC to clear antitrust hurdles related to its $880 million acquisition of the company, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Friday.
Maruti Suzuki says suspends production in north India amid protests Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, India's biggest carmaker by sales, said it had suspended operations at its northern auto plants after protests disrupted the supply of some components.
Nestle Asia works to restore India revenue after noodle ban - paper The head of Nestle's Asian business is hoping to restore revenue in India within three years to levels preceding the recall of its Maggi instant noodles from the market last year over a health scare, newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag reported.
GLOBAL TOP NEWS Japan Inc set to lose momentum on wage growth this year - Reuters poll The vast majority of Japanese firms are planning only modest pay raises this year, a Reuters poll showed, as murky growth prospects and turbulent markets push them to resist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's calls for robust hikes.
Paracels build-up a pointer to China's broader South China Sea ambitions From listening posts to jet fighter deployments and now surface-to-air missiles, China's expanding facilities in the Paracel Islands are a signal of long-term plans to strengthen its military reach across the disputed South China Sea.
San Bernardino victims to oppose Apple on iPhone encryption Some victims of the San Bernardino attack will file a legal brief in support of the U.S. government's attempt to force Apple Inc to unlock the encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters, a lawyer representing the victims said on Sunday.
LOCAL MARKETS OUTLOOK (As reported by NewsRise) The SGX Nifty Futures was trading at 7,218.50, up 0.26 pct from its previous close.
The Indian rupee will likely open lower against the dollar, as an uptick in U.S. retail inflation supported expectations of gradual Federal Reserve rate increases this year, lifting demand for the greenback.
Indian sovereign bonds will likely edge higher, as the federal government holds a twin repurchase of its notes today. The yield on the benchmark 7.59 pct bond maturing in 2026 is likely to trade in a 7.72 pct-7.76 pct range today.
GLOBAL MARKETS Wall Street ended little changed on Friday, as Applied Materials helped lift the tech sector and offset a renewed drop in oil prices, with major indexes capping their best week of the year.
Asian share markets edged cautiously higher as investors awaited a rush of February industry surveys to take the pulse of the global economy, while sterling suffered on concerns the UK might yet vote to leave the European Union.
Sterling fell in Asia early as concern grew that Britain would quit the European Union, after London Mayor Boris Johnson threw his weight behind the exit campaign. The dollar, euro and yen were little changed.
Yields on shorter-dated U.S. Treasury debt rose on Friday as a stronger-than-expected report on consumer prices in January kindled bets the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates swifter than some traders had anticipated.
Oil prices partly recovered following steep losses in the previous session, supported by a fall in the number of U.S. production rigs in use, but analysts said general oversupply was keeping the market weak.
Gold eased for a second straight session as the dollar edged higher, but the metal remained underpinned above $1,200 an ounce as caution in financial markets prompted investors to channel money into bullion.
MARKETS CLOSE FII INVESTMENTS EQUITIES DEBT PNDF spot 68.56/68.59 February 19 N/A N/A 10-yr bond yield 7.91 pct Month-to-date N/A N/A Year-to-date N/A N/A For additional data: India govt bond market volumes Stock market reports Non-deliverable forwards data Corporate debt stories [IN CORPD] Local market closing/intraday levels [IN SNAPSHOT] Monthly inflows [INFLOWS RTRS TABLE IN] ($1 = 68.46 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru)
