REDtone auditors give ‘qualified opinion’ on group's financial statement

BY WONG WEI-SHEN

PETALING JAYA: The independent auditors of REDtone International Bhd have expressed a qualified opinion for the group’s financial statements for the period ended May 31, 2014.

The basis for chartered accounting firm Crowe Horwath’s qualified opinion was that REDtone should have made an adjustment for impairment on overdue amounts from a third party.

In Note 17 of REDtone’s accounts, overdue amounts from a third party amounting to RM15.6mil and RM14.87mil of the group and the company respectively, were classified under “other receivables” in the financial statements.

Directors of the ACE-market listed company had opined that the amounts were recoverable, and therefore, did not make any impairment.

“However, as the amounts are long outstanding, we are of the opinion that an adjustment for impairment should be made,” said Crowe Horwath.

In its opinion, except for the basis for its qualified opinion, REDtone’s financial statements give a true and fair view of its financial position.

“We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our qualified audit opinion,” the auditors said.

It was recently reported that the telecommunication services provider intended to roll out its 4G mobile services.

It also planned to migrate to the Main Market as well as expand its managed value-added services to include tele-radiology services.

倒置收購系列計劃喊停 吳萬發（GBH)復牌重挫40仙

吳萬發（GBH，3611，主要板工業）收購Globalmariner岸外服務35%股權，及進行倒置收購一系列計劃喊停，配合是項宣佈早盤停牌，午盤復牌后股價一度勁挫44仙至1.81令吉。

　吳萬發今日向馬證交所報備，與Dynac私人有限公司在Globalmariner岸外服務的反收購計劃上，雙方皆達成協議，同意終止這項計劃。

　根據早前簽署的協議備忘錄（MOA），雙方若在備忘錄簽署后的60天內沒有達成最終協議，可有終止這項協議的選擇權。

止步油氣領域

　反收購協議終止，吳萬發止步油氣領域，使股價受挫；早盤停牌宣布相關事宜后，該股于下午2點30分恢復交易，首宗交易即挫23仙至2.02令吉，隨后直往下挫，盤中勁挫44仙至1.81令吉。

　閉市時，該股報1.85令吉，挫40仙，成交量106萬2000股。

　憑單吳萬發-WA（GBH-WA，3611WA，主要板憑單）亦隨母股暴跌，復牌后跌11仙至1.25令吉，隨后勁挫45仙，墜至95.5仙水平；閉市時，該憑單挫38仙至98仙，成交量71萬1100股。

　吳萬發通過旗下子公司Ekspresi Tepat公司，與數家公司于7月2日簽訂的協議備忘錄，以3800萬令吉收購Globalmariner岸外服務35%股權，並計劃之后發新股由Dynac取代前者上市地位。

印尼減低種植業外資持股 大馬業者料受打擊

印尼官方政府批准種植業草案，旨在最大價值下提高土地使用率，並為小股東開放種植領域，但外資持股權限制比例較最終版本低，料打擊大馬種植業者。

　根據“路透社”報導，由印尼國會擬出草案，限制種植業者的外資持股權為不超過30%，從原本的95%調降下來。

　這有可能打擊屬全球頂級棕油生產商的外資種植公司，包括金光農業資源、豐益國際和森那美（SIME，4197，主要板貿服）。

　農業部種植總監卡馬納希爾稱：“有關草案已獲得國會代表和政府通過，並在昨日成為法律。”

　他稱，有關限制種植公司外資持股權條例已從草案刪除，雖然這仍有可能通過政府章程設立規則。

　但被省略的外資持股限制亦如預期般。

協助自行種植

　本月初，印尼傳出總統蘇西洛反對種植業外資持股限制，因或使政府涉及法律行動。至于在10月20日成立的新政府，尚不清楚會否繼續執行種植業外資持股限制。

　卡馬納希爾稱，新條例要求種植公司，需將20%特許經營權分配給住在附近地區居民，協助他們自行種植。

　另外，國會農業、林業、漁業和海洋業委員會副主席兼國會議員賀爾曼指出，公司具有5年期限符合新條例。

　去年，作為主要紙漿和紙張供應商的印尼，也推出章程限制新油棕種植私人公司，種植面積為10萬公頃。

種植股聞訊走低

印尼政府批准種植草案削減種植業的外資持股低至30%以下，數家在印尼擁有種植地的公司皆受影響，馬股內的種植股項跌多漲少。

　印尼種植地佔公司總種植地48.4%的吉隆坡甲洞（KLK，2445，主要板種植），今日股價再受影響，開盤先跌20仙至21.30令吉，隨后收窄跌勢。

　閉市時，該股收在全日最低點21.08令吉，挫42仙，成交量報53萬2800股。

　雲頂種植（GENP，2291，主要板種植）的印尼種植地佔49.5%，股價也因此受累，開盤跌8仙至10.02令吉，並收在全日最低點9.93令吉，跌17仙，成交量報148萬300股。

　相反的，聯合種植（UTDPLT，2089，主要板種植）則因在印尼沒有種植地而獲投資者追捧，盤中一度漲1.40令吉至27.50令吉。閉市時，該股報26.68令吉，漲58仙，成交量達5500股。

　其他下跌的種植股還包括居林集團（KULIM，2003，主要板種植）、IOI集團（IOICORP，1961，主要板種植）、森那美（SIME，4197，主要板貿服）等。

大馬種植公司週二（30日）走勢
	閉市
公司	股價（令吉）	波動（仙）	交易量（股）
吉隆坡甲洞	21.80	-42	53萬2800
雲頂種植	9.93	-17	148萬300
居林集團	3.25	-10	142萬6000
IOI集團	4.81	-1	776萬
森那美	9.15	-3	661萬3600

DPS資源（DPS)子公司火災 獲賠償逾2000萬

DPS資源（DPS，7198，主要板消費）子公司Shantawood私人有限公司，獲得莎阿南高庭宣判恢復高達2421萬9074令吉損失，因MSIG保險拒絕在火險保單下提供賠償給Shantawood。

　Shantawood是在2011年7月10日、13日和14日工廠發生火患，並在15個月后核銷有關房產、工廠和設備。

　高庭裁判，該公司獲得1950萬令吉賠償、每年5%利率及總值5萬令吉成本。

散戶買股勿只看財務表 應瞭解年報資產資金運用

　小股東監督機構（MSWG）指出，散戶在評估上市公司表現以做投資決定時，不應只關注有關公司的財務報表，年報才是唯一的正式文件，應優先關注年報中提及的財務重點（financial highlights）了解公司所有資產或資金運用及流向。

該機構企業監管部總經理章志奮說，散戶往往只把焦點放在公司營業額與獲利表現，其他資訊則缺少關注，導致出現資訊落差。

　“我們不能光只是想著賺錢，而是應該把焦點放在有關公司的業務模式是否能持久，公司年報中除了列明財務重點，也有派息率、關鍵績效指標（KPI）、區域與本地同業表現對比等資訊。”

　他今日出席題為“股東對審計稽查的預期”研討環節時這么說；這項研討會是配合大馬區澳洲合格執業會計師協會與馬來西亞會計師協會（MIA），推介兩大投資指南供投資者參考。

參考多方面收集資料

　列席者包括大馬區澳洲合格執業會計師協會主席魏添保、澳洲合格執業會計師協會政策顧問阿米爾甘達，及馬來西亞會計師協會總執行長何鳳梅。

　雖說公司年報是唯一獲上市公司發佈的正式文件，但章志奮指出，散戶在做投資決定前，也可參考分析師報告，多方面收集資料了解有關公司，做出最好投資決定，否則財務表現穩定但業務模式未能持久也是問題。

　“一般散戶關注的上市公司熱門課題，也包括公司是否進行財務撥備，另一個關鍵則是公司風險管理。”

財報數字佳
不代表業務沒問題

章志奮呼籲投資者在做任何投資決定前，不要只懂得以公司營業額與獲利為指標，要知道數字（財報）好不代表公司業務一定沒問題，相反延遲提交財報不一定表示有關公司財務週轉不靈，當中還有許多因素影響。

　馬股上市公司逾900家，當中不乏因未能在規定期限提呈季度報，或已審計財報的公司，因此遭馬證交所勒令停牌，詢及投資者該如何看待這些公司時，章志奮告訴《中國報》，未能在限期內呈上財報不代表公司運作一定有問題。

　“不過我們也不能否認，延遲提交財報是一種示警，散戶在做投資決定前需謹慎評估，並把延遲財報的紀錄納入考量，當然財報好未必就沒有問題，比如前幾年金鵬集團（Transmile Group）的丑聞就是個例子。”

　目前，小股東監督機構監管的上市公司達300家，主要是在接獲小股東投訴信后，為保障小股東權益採取應對行動，包括在監管名單上的公司召開股東大會前，電郵問題予公司董事，以在股東大會時當面回應小股東提問。

2投資指南
供投資者免費參閱

大馬區澳洲合格執業會計師與馬來西亞會計師協會推出的2大投資指南，週二（30日）起張貼在2個協會官網，供投資者免費線上使用。

　這2大投資指南分別是了解上市公司年報（The Guide to Understanding Annual Reports：Listed Company），及了解上市公司的審計（The Guide to Understanding Auditing and Assurances：Listed Company） 。

　魏添保指出，以上2項指南可助甚少投資經驗的散戶，讀懂財報背后的語言技巧，成為活躍投資的一群。

　“只要給予適當指導與知識，他們即可快速透過淺白的語言解釋，解讀那些在第一眼無法理解的大量知識。”

　了解上市公司年報指南當中全面解析年報的重要性，讓零售投資者根據有關公司財報獲取的資料做出投資決定；了解上市公司的審計讓並非會計出身投資者，也能更清楚解讀有關公司的資訊。

看年報應關注事項

財務重點（financial highlights）
派息率（payout ratio）
關鍵績效指標（KPI）表現
區域與本地同業表現對比（peers comparison）
財務撥備（financial impairment）
風險管理（risk management）
股東回酬（shareholder return）

STOCKS SLIP TO END THE QUARTER: Here’s What You Need To Know

MYLES UDLAND

OCT. 1, 2014

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

A man walks along an empty street near the central financial district in Hong Kong September 30, 2014.

Stocks finished lower, but little changed, on the final trading day of the month and the third quarter. Tuesday saw a volatile session for the market, with the Dow making a 130-point roundtrip from its morning lows to afternoon highs and back again, before finishing with a slight loss. Each of the major stock indexes, however, finished the quarter with gains.

First, the scoreboard:

• Dow: 17,044.82, -26.4 (-0.1%)
• S&P 500: 1,972.70, -5.1, (-0.3%)
• Nasdaq: 4,494.08, -10.6, (-0.2%)

And now, the top stories on Tuesday:

1. Housing prices grew at a slower than expected pace in July, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. The report showed that month-over-month home prices were down 0.5%, and on a year-over-year basis, home prices were down 6.75%. These were lower than expectations for no change on a monthly basis and a gain of 7.4% year-over-year. Following the report, Ian Shepherdson at Pantheon Macro said, “The downshift looks alarming but it won’t last.”

2. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence report for September came in at 86.0, missing expectations for a reading of 92.5. This was the first decline for the report following four straight months of gains. Uncertainty in the job market weighed on this report, with Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board writing that, “A less positive assessment of the job market, most likely due to the recent softening in growth, was the sole reason for the decline in consumers’ assessment of present-day conditions.”

3. The Chicago purchasing managers index fell to 60.5 in September from 64.3 in August, a bit worse than the 62.0 expected by economists. “Despite September’s fall, the Barometer stands above Q1′s level and the 10-year average of 55.8, with respondents deeming activity levels as ‘strong’ and ‘surging,’ aided by ongoing demand, successful sales promotions and organic growth, all of which called for inventory builds,” ISM-Chicago wrote following the report.

4. Oil prices got slammed on Tuesday, falling more than 3% to nearly $91 a barrel. Market participants pointed to a number of potential factors that lead to this decline, including a Reuters story indicating that OPEC production is surging and headlines that economic growth in Europe continues to flag. 

5. The situation in Hong Kong remains unsettled, with protests continuing ahead of a national holiday in China on Wednesday. Geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer told Business Insider’s Michael Kelley that if the government can’t get the protestors to disperse, we’re likely to see violence. 

6. Also in China news, Macau published its worst gaming revenue numbers since the financial crisis, with revenue for the gambling hub potentially falling 12%-13% in September. Some casino stocks, including Las Vegas Sands, MGM, and Wynn all surged on Tuesday, however, as a report from China Daily said that China will wind down an anti-corruption drive. 

7. The euro continued to lose ground against the dollar as economic news out of Europe earlier on Tuesday continued to disappoint. Perhaps the most dreary economic situation in the bloc is in Italy, which is experiencing outright deflation, an exceedingly high youth unemployment rate, and a “triple-dip” recession. 

8. The situation in Russia is also still a mess, as the ruble made new lows against the dollar today after reports said that Russia is weighing capital controls — or legal limits on how much money you can take out of a country — to stem the outflow of money from Russia. 

9. The biggest stock story of the day was news that eBay will spin off its Pay Pal unit into a separate publicly-traded company. The deal is expected to be complete in the second half of next year. Additionally, eBay CEO John Donahoe will step down after the completion of the spinoff. eBay shares gained more than 7% on Tuesday, and Carl Icahn yet again showed why investors follow him into stocks:he gets results. Icahn had long sought to get eBay to separate its PayPal business. 

CDC Confirms First Case Of Ebola In The US

LAUREN F FRIEDMAN

 OCT. 1, 2014

REUTERS/Frederick Murphy/CDC/Handout

The Ebola virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of Ebola on US soil on Tuesday. There will be a press conference at 5:30 ET and we will update this post with more information as soon as it becomes available.

This is likely the patient who was in isolation in Dallas on Tuesday, according to reports by the local ABC affiliate, WFAA, but we will know more after the CDC’s 5:30pm press conference. Here is the statement from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas Monday night:

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas has admitted a patient into strict isolation to be evaluated for potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), based on the patient’s symptoms and recent travel history.

The hospital is following all federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors.

The CDC anticipates preliminary results tomorrow.

While the ongoing epidemic in West Africa made an eventual imported Ebola case likely, the risk of an actual outbreak in the US is very low since our healthcare system is much more advanced than the fragile healthcare systems of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Ebola is spread via bodily fluids, so it is not nearly as contagious as respiratory viruses like the flu or SARS.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has infected 6,574 people and killed more than 3,000, making it far larger than all previous Ebola outbreaks combined. The hardest-hit countries are Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. There were also cases in Nigeria and Senegal, but those countries appear to have contained the disease’s spread, the CDC announced on Tuesday.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

SEP. 30, 2014

REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Lufthansa pilots will strike Sept. 30, 2014, after talks over an early retirement scheme broke down again.

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know. 

The Euro Is Getting Hit. Poor inflation and unemployment data Tuesday morning have driven the euro down another 0.75% against the dollar, to $1.26. 

Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Protests Are Gaining Momentum. The massive demonstrations, led by China’s youth, could get even more dramatic on Wednesday when most of China celebrates its national day.

Apple’s Tax Headache Is Getting Worse. Apple could owe $8 billion in back-taxes after the following The European Commission’s preliminary finding that the company’s tax deals with the Irish state breached rules over state aid

Eurozone Inflation Is Still Crumbling. Prices are up just 0.3% in the year to September, the lowest recorded in five years. 

Vanguard And Blackrock Could Reap Billions From PIMCO. The firms could be prime destinations for hundreds of billions of dollars in assets that may flee Pimco in the wake of the sudden exit of Bill Gross.

Consumer Confidence Comes Out Later. Case-Shiller house price index figures are out at 9 a.m. ET, with consumer confidence one hour later. Economists expect a 92.5 reading, the best since 2007. 

Japanese Industry Is Struggling. The country’s industrial production dropped 1.5% between July and August, heightening concern that the economy is struggling after April’s sales tax hike. 

Asian Markets Took A Beating. The Hang Seng closed down 1.28%, while the Nikkei dropped 0.84% from the previous day’s close, following the massive protests in Hong Kong. European markets are mixed, with France’s CAC 40 up 0.98%, Germany’s DAX up 0.47% and the UK’s FTSE 100 down 0.15%.

Lufthansa’s Pilots Are On Strike. The 15-hour strike will affect thousands of passengers, following the end of Air France’s pilot strike on Tuesday. 

China’s Economy Is Holding Steady. HSBC’s PMI reading hit 50.2 for September, unchanged from last month and indicating modest growth. 

The 10 Most Important Things In The World Right Now

DINA SPECTOR

 SEP. 30, 2014

Pool/Getty Images

Hello! Here’s what you need to know for Tuesday.

1.  As pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong enter their fourth day, Hong Kong’s chief executive Leung Chun-ying has demanded that the Occupy Central founders “stop this campaign immediately.” The Occupy Central movement issued an ultimatum to Chun-ying: Meet their Oct. 1 deadline for greater democracy or step down. 

2. Omar Gonzalez, the man who was arrested for breaking into the White House, reportedly made it as far as the East Room, much deeper into the building than the Secret Service originally claimed. 

3. The US is set to become the world’s largest producer of petroleum, overtaking Saudi Arabia for the first time in over two decades, the Financial Times reports. 

4. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared ISIS to Hamas in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Monday.“When it comes to their ultimate goals, ISIS is Hamas, and Hamas is ISIS,” he said. 

5. Apple has received the go-ahead to start selling Phone 6 in China, although it’s not clear when the devices will be available for purchase. 

6. Islamic State militants have released a third propoganda video featuring captured British journalist John Cantlie. 

7. Spain’s central government has suspended Catalonia’s vote for independence scheduled for Nov. 9. 

8. New Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue talks with President Obama at the White House on Tuesday. 

9. A new report by the World Wildlife Fund finds that Earth has lost 50% of the animal population in the last 40 years. 

10. Scientists have made a direct link between last year’s oppressive heat waves in Australia and climate change. 

And finally …

Netflix will release the sequel to Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” at the same time that the film hits theaters. 

Markets Are Up

MIKE BIRD

 SEP. 30, 2014

REUTERS/Stringer

European markets are nudging higher early Tuesday, after a grim performance overnight for Asian stock indexes. 

Here’s the scorecard:

France’s CAC 40 is up 0.48%.

Germany’s DAX is up 0.04%

Spain’s IBEX is up 0.46%.

Italy’s FTSE MIB is up 0.42%

Britain’s FTSE 100 is down 0.11% 

Asian markets took a hit overnight. Nikkei’s 225 closed down 0.84% after some dreary economic data, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed down 0.94%, following the massive protests there.

U.S. futures are nudging up a little, with Dow futures up 0.15% and S&P futures up 0.18%.

Here’s what data is coming out of Europe on Tuesday:

At 4.30 a.m. ET there’s the second estimate for the UK’s Q2 GDP growth, which should come it an around 0.8%.

At 5 a.m. ET we have Eurozone CPI for September, with expectations of just a 0.3% increase from last year.

And in US data later on:

The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index is expected to show that home prices fell by 0.1% month-over-month in July or 7.35% year-over-year.

The Chicago Purchasing Manager Index, which provides a regional view of business activity, will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET. Economists estimate this regional activity index slipped to 62.0 in September from 64.3 in August.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index is expected to climb to 92.5 in September from 92.4 in August.

The Euro Is Getting Smashed

JOE WEISENTHAL

SEP. 30, 2014

Europe just keeps getting worse.

The latest this morning is Eurozone inflation continuing to slip, with prices rising 0.3% year-over-year, down from the 0.4% gains in previous months.

That Europe would could slip into outright deflation is a huge worry for the ECB (and everyone else).

The more inflation continues to fall, the more pressure there will be on the ECB to do even more, which is causing the Euro to collapse.

Here’s an intraday look at the Euro. It’s not hard to spot the moment the inflation numbers came out.

FinViz

And here’s a longer look at the Euro, so you can see how much of a trainwreck it is.

We’re starting to get fairly close to the worst levels of the Eurozone crisis.

FinViz

STOCKS SLIP: Here’s What You Need To Know

MYLES UDLAND

 SEP. 30, 2014

REUTERS/Bobby Yip

A student provides supplies on a tram track as thousands of students occupy a main street at Causeway Bay shopping district in Hong Kong September 29, 2014.

Stocks fell on Monday after opening sharply lower following a turbulent week and protests in Hong Kong that broke out over the weekend and pressured Asian stocks overnight.

First, the scoreboard:

• Dow: 17, 068.33, -44.8, (-0.2%)
• S&P 500:1,978.35, -4.5, (-0.2%)
• Nasdaq: 4,506.31, -5.8, (-0.1%)

And now, the top stories on Monday:

1. The latest report on personal income and outlays showed that “core” personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, which is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation and excludes the more volatile prices of food and gas, rose 0.1% month-over-month. On a year-over-year basis, “core” PCE rose 1.5%. Personal spending rose 0.5% in August and personal income rose 0.3%. Following the report, Ian Shepherdson at Pantheon Macro said, “In one line: Autos drive August spending up, but Q3 will look pedestrian… Assuming no revisions, that implies Q3 consumption will rise by only 1.6% annualized, down from 2.5% in Q2.”

2. Pending home sales in August fell more than expected, falling 1% against expectations for pending home sales to fall 0.5%. On a year-over-year basis, pending home sales fell 4.1% in August. Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, said of the report: “Fewer distressed homes at bargain prices and the acknowledgment we’re entering a rising interest rate environment likely caused hesitation among investors last month. With investors pulling back, the market is shifting more towards traditional and first-time buyers who rely on mortgages to purchase a home.”

3. The Dallas Fed’s latest manufacturing report beat expectations, coming in at 10.8 against estimates for a 10.5 reading, and the report said, “Perceptions of broader business conditions were more optimistic this month.”

4. Stocks opened lower on Monday and clawed back most of those gains, but on Monday Business Insider’s Joe Weisenthal noted a few reasons why the sell-off might be different this time. Short-term Treasury yields have been increasing steadily this year, and Dan Greenhaus of BTIG wrote that the speed at which market sentiment shifted from bullishness to bearishness could find this character of this market changing in ways some investors may not expect. 

5. Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn is the largest shareholder of Einstein Noah Restaurant group, which agreed to be acquired for $20.25 per share in deal worth about $374 million. All told, it was a pretty good day for Einhorn.

6. GoPro shares were on a tear again on Monday, gaining more than 11% and bringing the share price above $90 for the first time. It’s been about three months since the wearable camera company went public at $24 per share, and Business Insider’s Henry Blodget did some quick math to show GoPro investors what kind of revenue and profit performance the company might need to justify its current stock price. 

7. Over the last year or so, the idea of “secular stagnation,” that the world economy is facing a new limit on potential future growth has become popular among economists after Larry Summers first discussed the idea at the IMF last year. On Monday, Deutsche Bank’s Torsten Slok circulated an email that said with economic headwinds fading and expectations for economic growth of more than 3% over the next six quarters, secular stagnation is over.

8. The Russian ruble, as well as the Russian stock market, have been getting crushed as the Russian economy starts to really feel the pain of Western sanctions. On Monday, the ruble fell to about 39.4 against the US dollar, its worst level in more than 10 years. 

10 Things In Tech You Need To Know Today

JAY YAROW

SEP. 29, 2014

Today’s “10 Things In Tech” is sponsored by

Chip Somodevilla/ Getty Images

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Good morning! It will be warm, but cloudy here in New York today. Let’s look at the news. 

1. Apple is under investigation by the European Commission for its tax arrangement in Ireland. There are allegations that Apple got a sweetheart tax deal in exchange for promising to bring jobs to Ireland. Apple denies any such arrangement and says it was only following established rules.

2. Facebook is rolling out a new ad network, called Atlas, which is based on the technology it bought from Microsoft.Facebook will use Facebook data on users tracked around the web to run ads on other sites.

3. Consumer Reports put Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus through stress tests and it found that the 6 Plus is more durable than HTC’s phone, and even more durable than the iPhone 6. 

4. Oracle founder (and now CTO) Larry Ellison delivered a keynote speech at Oracle’s conference, OracleWorld, where he pushed the idea of a cloud platform that will make it easier for companies to update their applications.

5. The grey market for new iPhone 6s in China has slowed down, says the NYT. There was too much supply, and now prices are being cut.

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6. Greg Gardner had his “Launcher” app for the Notification Center on iOS pulled. The app would allow you to jump into other apps straight from the notification center. Initially Apple allowed it, but it then pulled it. 

7. Japanese internet/teleco company Softbank is trying to buy Dreamworks Animation. This is a bit of a surprise since it had previously been interested in buying T-Mobile, but worried that regulators wouldn’t let it happen. (It currently owns Sprint.)

8. The new Forbes list of the wealthiest people in America is out. Bill Gates is #1 with an estimated $81 billion net worth. Larry Ellison is #3 at $50 billion.

9. Microsoft is opening a flagship retail store only a few blocks away from Apple’s flagship glass cube store in Manhattan. We expect long lines for Windows Phone to bump into the long lines for iPhones. Well, not really.

10. An UberX driver in San Francisco allegedly hit a passenger in the head with a hammer.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

SEP. 29, 2014

Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

Riot police in Hong Kong try to calm things down.

Good morning! It’s been an eventful weekend, and these are the major events round the world already moving markets today. 

Hong Kong Is Seeing Massive Protests. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated through the night in the city. Tear gas and pepper spray were used, a rarity for Hong Kong.

PIMCO Is Suffering. Following the departure of founder and veteran bond fund manager Bill Gross, investors are exiting PIMCO. The Wall Street Journal thinks the outflows amount to around $10bn, but Morgan Stanley analysts say the share price drop discounts about $400 billion in outflows.

Apple Could Be Billed Billions By Tax Authorities. The massive tech firm could learn today whether their current arrangement for corporation tax in Ireland will be found illegal. 

European Markets Are Down A Little. The FTSE 100 is down 0.22%, France’s CAC 40 is down 0.24% and the German DAX index is down 0.13%. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed down 1.90% after the turmoil there.

The Dollar Hit A Four Year High. The strengthening dollar reached its highest level since 2010 against a basket of currencies in early Asian trade on Monday. 

Eurozone Confidence Is Dropping. Another month of falling business and consumer confidence was revealed by the European Commission, with inflation expectations dropping too. 

SoftBank Wants DreamWorks. According to reports, the Japanese firm is in talks to buy the animation company for as much as $3.4 billion.

Lenovo Will Close a $2.1 Billion Deal With IBM. The company is snapping up IBM’s x86 server division.

Personal Income Data Is Out Later. US figures on personal income and spending are out at 8.30 a.m. ET, and data on pending home sales will be released at 10 a.m.

Air France’s Pilot Strike Is Over. The strike which lasted two weeks, loomed over French politics and nearly destroyed Air France’s new budget airline is finally ending.