-- Defense manufacturer Apollo Micro Systems (NSE:APOLLO, BOM:540879) has secured new orders worth a total of 510.3 million Indian rupees, according to a Friday filing to the Indian stock exchanges.
Of the total, orders of 174.8 million rupees from the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, contracts of 95.3 million rupees from public sector defense undertakings, and orders worth 240.2 million rupees from private companies.
The company's shares were up nearly 4% in recent trade.
SML Isuzu's (NSE:SMLMAH, BOM:505192) total commercial vehicle sales in April rose to 1,711 units from 1,492 units sold a year ago, according to a Friday filing to the Indian stock exchanges.Exports in the month grew to 30 units from 20 units in the previous year, while production was up at 1,588 units from 1,529 units.The company's shares were down over 1% in recent trade.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has urged Taiwan's private sector to increase investment in Paraguay, saying the country offers political stability, strong economic growth, and access to wider Latin American markets, Focus Taiwan reported Thursday.He said Paraguay, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in South America, is outperforming regional peers, with the IMF projecting about 4.2% GDP growth in 2026 and Moody's recently upgrading its credit rating to investment grade, according to the report.Peña also pitched deeper cooperation in AI and high-tech industries, highlighting Paraguay's hydropower capacity and Taiwan's semiconductor strength as a "perfect match" for joint development, the news outlet said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
Malaysian palm oil futures edged lower on Friday and were on track for a second weekly loss, as crude oil prices logged sharp declines amid peace deal hopes and as weakening demand continued to weigh on sentiment.The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives' June crude palm oil contract slipped 0.04 % to 4,505 Malaysian ringgit ($1,152.83) per metric ton. The July contract eased by the same extent to 4,539 ringgit/mt. The contracts were set to lose more than 0.6% over the week.Malaysia has seen softer exports in the first 25 days of April, with cargo surveyors estimating a 15.7% to 16.8% month-over-month decline in shipments, largely due to logistical disruptions in the Middle East and as buyers exercised caution with buying due to high prices.Palm oil discounts to rival edible oils have eroded due to the recent price uptrend, resulting in a demand shift in India. Dealer estimates cited by Reuters showed a month-over-month drop in the country's palm oil purchases in April, and a rise in soybean oil and sunflower oil imports.S&P Global said that price spreads between Asian crude palm oil and South American soybean oil have shifted from negative to positive territory. From discounts of $50/mt to $100/mt earlier in the year, palm oil has traded at premiums to soybean oil of $80/mt to $100/mt in March and April.India typically buys soybean oil from Argentina and Brazil, and imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia.High freight rates, however, limit arrival of South American soybean oil to Asia, with costs surging by about $130/mt in recent weeks, according to S&P Global.Over the week, the local currency has strengthened 1.3% versus the US dollar, raising purchase costs to international buyers and further weighing on export demand.A potential increase in production in April, following a seasonal low in Q1, may also pressure prices. Toward the end of the year, output trend could reverse as the El Nino weather phenomenon develops.Nonetheless, expected increases in domestic consumption in Indonesia and Malaysia, with the implementation of higher biodiesel blending mandates, could provide an upside.The release of Malaysia's April palm oil data on May 11 is expected to influence price movement.