1 After three years of being scorned, gold is making a powerful comeback. Prices briefly pushed above US$1,300 an ounce on talk that the US central bank will be slow to tighten policy further, Bloomberg said.

2 Pharmesis International says that it expects to report a net loss for the quarter ended March 31, partly owing to lower revenue from the prescribed-drugs segment.

3 Alternative investment company Uni-Asia Holdings is expected to report a net loss for the quarter ended March 31, reversing a net profit for the same period last year.

4 BreadTalk signed a franchise agreement with Myanmar Bakery, a member of the Shwe Taung Group, to set up the bakery chain in that country. The first outlet is expected to open next year.

5 Sembcorp Industries has lifted its stake in Thermal Powertech Corp India from 67.4 per cent to 86.9 per cent with a $73 million investment.