Guangdong Guanghua Sci-Tech (SHE:002741) appointed Huang Qixiu as chief financial officer.
Huang joined the chemical manufacturer in 2008, and recently served as general manager of the finance center, according to a Friday filing with the Shenzhen bourse.
Shares of the company rose 10% in recent trade.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TYO:9501) received 7.2 billion yen in grants from the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation (NDF), according to a Friday filing with the Tokyo Exchange.The compensation is tied to Japan's ongoing Fukushima nuclear accident compensation program.To date, the electric services company has received 11.5 trillion yen in grants and 188.9 billion yen in indemnity payments from the regulator.Through the financial assistance, the company will be able to provide support to individuals who were impacted by the nuclear accident. A
Australian shares climbed up on Friday as optimism prevailed over a potential peace agreement between the US and Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East.The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.41%, or 35.30 points, to close at 8,657.Brent crude oil futures rose by around 2% to trade at nearly $105 per barrel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were "some good signs" in talks with Iran. However, differences remain over the control of the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear issue.On the domestic front, Australia's housing demand took a measurable hit in the March quarter, and total loan commitments fell 6.2% in the quarter due to central bank rate hikes and low confidence, Cotality said in a report. The overall value of lending dropped by 3.8%. However, both measures remained higher than in March 2025.Westpac points to quarter-over-quarter gross domestic product growth of around 0.4% in the March quarter, with a range of 0.3% to 0.55%. The bank's framework points to growth stalling at just 0.1% quarter-over-quarter in the June quarter. The longer the Middle East conflict persists, alongside other sources of uncertainty, the greater the risk of a contraction in the June quarter.In company news, Guzman y Gomez (ASX:GYG) is exiting the US market with immediate effect as the business has not delivered sales momentum and is not meeting financial targets. As a result of the exit, the company expects to recognize a one-off profit and loss impact of between $30 million and $40 million in its 2026 results. Its shares were up 10% on market close.Tuas (ASX:TUA) said the sale and purchase agreement between it and its unit, Simba Telecom, and Keppel Konnect and Konnectivity regarding Simba's purchase of the shares in M1 was terminated.Lastly, Mayne Pharma Group (ASX:MYX) is entitled to nearly AU$13.3 million in legal costs following court proceedings against Cosette Pharmaceuticals in the New South Wales Supreme Court last year. Its shares closed up 3%.
Shanghai Zhonggu Logistics' (SHA:603565) Zhong Gu Nan Chang container vessel was among the few ships that passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, Reuters reported Thursday, citing marine tracking data.The ship is on its way to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from Port Klang, Malaysia, according to live tracking data.An average of 10 ships pass through the strait in recent days, including cargo ships and other vessels such as chemical and liquefied petroleum tankers, the newswire reported.Uncertainty still surrounds the reopening of the strait as peace talks have stalled, the report 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.)