Bloomberg A clear winner is emerging among Chinese equities this year, whether in Hong Kong or Shanghai: real estate. Property firms account for eight of the 10 best performers on MSCI Inc.’s gauge of offshore Chinese shares in January, while developers have rallied the most among industry groups on the Shanghai benchmark. Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. has led the charge …

Bloomberg US stocks were mixed, with the S&P 500 Index on track for its first decline of the year, as investors assessed the prospects for corporate earnings, while the dollar strengthened after three straight weekly declines. The benchmark for American equities took a breather after its best week in 13 months, while the Nasdaq indexes pushed higher as semiconductors advanced …

Bloomberg Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. is considering rule changes aimed at increasing trading, according to Chief Executive Officer Charles Li. Rebates to market makers, simplified rules for using collateral across multiple positions, and the removal or reduction of stamp duty charges are among measures being considered, Li said. Some of the changes will require approval from the securities …

DUBAI / Reuters OPEC is monitoring unrest in Iran as well as Venezuela’s economic crisis, but the group will only boost output if there are significant and sustained production disruptions from those countries, a senior OPEC source from a major Middle Eastern oil producer said. Venezuela’s economic troubles have hit the country’s oil out-put, which is at near 30-year lows, …

DUBAI / Reuters SOCO International, an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the London Stock Exchange, said on Monday it was evaluating a merger with Middle East oil and gas firm Kuwait Energy. A merger would provide a way for the Kuwaiti company to go public after it failed last year to complete an IPO of its …

Bloomberg Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and some of the kingdom’s biggest companies said they’ll pay Saudi staff more money, matching a royal order that extended handouts to government workers to ease public discontent over rising prices. Aramco, preparing for what could be the world’s largest initial public offering, will pay “eligible employees” an extra 1,000 riyals ($267) a month for …

Bloomberg Oil rose after drilling activity in the US eased, adding to signs the global crude surplus is abating. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 0.5 percent, following a 1.7 percent increase last week, when they hit a three-year high. Rigs drilling for crude fell by five to 742 in the seven days ended January 5, according to Baker Hughes data. …

SINGAPORE/ Reuters Profits for Asia’s oil refiners dropped to their lowest since May last year as rising supplies dragged down regional fuel prices at the same time that global crude oil prices have climbed to two-year highs, data on Thomson Reuters Eikon showed. Margins at a typical complex refinery in Singapore fell to $5.93 a barrel, the lowest since May …

Bloomberg Retailer United Electronics Co., the second-best performing Saudi Arabian stock of 2017, is looking to increased demand for televisions before this year’s soccer World Cup, expanded consumer credit and rising online sales to counter any slowdown caused by the start of value-added tax. The company, known as eXtra, plans to open new stores in 2018 as it seeks to …

Bloomberg UBS Group AG is in discussions to acquire a majority stake in its Chinese securities joint venture, Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti said, as global banks rush to take advantage of Beijing’s pledge to further open its financial markets. UBS has started talks with its local partners on taking a 51 percent stake in the venture, Ermotti said in …