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Australian Shares Up; CSL Acknowledges Shareholder Frustration, Says Company Was Slow in Adapting to Competitive Pressures

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Australian shares rose on Thursday, after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates and signalled one more rate hike later this year.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.41%, or 35.90 points, to close at 8,732.40.

Overnight on Wall Street, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The US Fed raised interest rates by 25 basis points, the first hike in over three years.

Brent crude oil futures ​fell to trade around $105 per barrel after Saudi Arabia reportedly offered additional crude cargoes through Oman.

On the domestic front, advertised salaries in Australia recorded a 0.3% month-on-month increase in August, softening slightly after accelerating a little in June and July, according to the SEEK Advertised Salary Index.

Australia's job ads rose 0.5% month-on-month in August, marking the first increase in more than a year and offering early signs of stabilization in the labor market, although they remained 4.5% below the level a year earlier, SEEK said.

In company news, CSL's (ASX:CSL) board acknowledged shareholder frustration over the company's "disappointing" commercial and financial performance, saying it aims to win back their trust by delivering results. CSL leadership is "acting with urgency" to address these issues through a strategy to invest in the core of its plasma business, with only selective investment beyond that area.

MA Financial Group (ASX:MAF) acquired a 50% interest in Melbourne's Glen Shopping Center for AU$327.5 million through a managed fund, taking its retail property transactions to AU$500 million in the second half.

Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) entered into a new investment partnership with Japanese real estate group Tokyo Tatemono and UBS Asset Management for a portfolio of industrial and logistics assets across Australia's east coast with an end value of AU$1.2 billion.

What else is happening in Asia?

Asia

Market Chatter: China Airlines Plans Codeshare Partnership with Britain's Virgin Atlantic

China Airlines (TPE:2610) plans to launch codeshare partnership with Britain's Virgin Atlantic Airways, according to a Focus Taiwan report on Wednesday, quoting the airlines' president Kevin Chen.Initially, China Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic will share flight codes on each other's services and will subsequently tap into complementary route networks to faciliate better flight services between Taiwan and the UK, Chen said.China Airlines' sahares were up over 1% in Thursday's trade.(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.)

TPE:2610
Asia

China Petrochemical Unit Wins Court Ruling Revoking Land Seizure

China Petrochemical Development (TPE:1314) unit Core Pacific Development won a ruling from the Taiwan High Court, that revoked a criminal seizure order on a plot of land in Taipei, Taiwan.The land had been subject to four seizure rulings issued by the Taipei District Court at the request of the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.The company said the matter has no financial or business impact.

TPE:1314
Asia

Lotus Pharmaceutical's Unit to Reduce Capital by $70 Million

Lotus Pharmaceutical's (TPE:1795) subsidiary, Lotus International, will reduce its capital by $70 million, according to a Wednesday filing with the Taiwan Exchange.The reduction involves the cancellation of 70 million shares as part of the group's capital utilization plan.Following the reduction, Lotus International's share capital will stand at $16.1 million.

TPE:1795