Markets highlights

1 The UK pound sterling rose to its highest in more than two weeks against the US dollar after strong industrial output figures. The pound went above US$1.53, the first time since Sept 23.

2 Profits at Samsung Electronics are likely to soar 80 per cent from a year earlier to US$6.3 billion (S$8.9 billion), the firm said. It will be the South Korean giant's first year-on-year profit in nearly two years.

3 The Bank of Japan held off on expanding stimulus yesterday, even as slumping exports and falling oil prices threaten its projection that the economy is on track to hit the bank's ambitious 2 per cent inflation target next year.

4 European shares rose for a fourth straight session to a one-month high yesterday. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose more than 1 per cent at the opening bell.

5 Vietnamese rice prices have risen around 3 per cent to an 11-week high following news of a major deal to sell rice to Indonesia.

Prices in Thailand also edged up, reported Reuters.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 08, 2015, with the headline Markets highlights. Subscribe