-- Aztech Global's (SGX:8AZ) net profit zoomed 167% during the first quarter of the year to SG$4 million from SG$1.5 million a year earlier, according to a Tuesday filing with the Singapore Exchange.
Earnings per share stood at SG$0.0051 compared with SG$0.002 in the year-ago period.
Revenue climbed 54% year over year to SG$64.7 million from SG$42 million, backed by strong demand for IoT services.
Energy stocks were higher premarket Tuesday, with the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) gaining 1.4%.The United States Oil Fund (USO) rose 3.3%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1% higher.Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 3.5% to $99.66 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil rose 2.4% to $104.20 per barrel, and natural gas futures were 0.6% lower at $2.71 per 1 million British Thermal Units.BP (BP) stock was more than 2% higher before the opening bell after the company reported higher Q1 underlying replacement cost profit and sales.
The Case-Shiller National Home Price index rose by 0.3% in February before seasonal adjustment following a 0.2% decrease in January.The 10-city index rose by 0.6% in the month, while the 20-city index was up 0.4%.National home prices were up 0.7% year-over-year, down from a 0.8% annual gain in January."More than half of major U.S. metropolitan markets posted year-over-year price declines in February, signaling that the housing slowdown has broadened well beyond its Sun Belt origins," said Nicholas Godec, Head of Fixed Income Tradables & Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices.National home prices were up 0.1% month-over-month in February after seasonal adjustment, with the 10-city measure up 0.1% but the 20-city measure 0.1% lower.The monthly home price index report from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller measures single-family home prices across the US with a two-month lag, broken down by city, with combined measures of the 10 and 20 largest cities and a national index. Case-Shiller reports percentage gains both from the previous month and a year earlier.Higher home prices are inflationary and are usually negative for bonds. The possible outcome for housing-related stocks is mixed, as higher prices suggest strong demand, but prices that are accelerating too fast can also deter potential buyers.
The FHFA's measure of home prices held steady in February after an upwardly revised 0.2% increase in the previous month, below the 0.1% gain expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET.Prices were up 1.7% from a year earlier in February.Sale prices were up in four of the nine regions from the previous month, down in four other regions and unchanged in the East North Central region.The monthly home price index report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency measures single-family home prices across the US with a two-month lag, broken down by region. The FHFA reports percentage gains both from the previous month and a year earlier.Higher home prices are inflationary and a negative for bonds. The outcome for housing-related stocks is mixed, as higher prices suggest strong demand, but prices that are accelerating too fast can also deter potential buyers.