A Quick Glance at News

v Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index heading for a second day of decline, as a drop in profits at Chinese industrial companies offset optimism policy makers around world will move to boost growth.

v Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) fell the most in almost four years in Seoul trading after a U.S. jury found the mobile-phone maker infringed Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s patents and ordered the South Korean company to pay more than $1 billion.

v Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), both looking to increase U.S. sales of smart phones, stand to get a much-needed boost as Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) products face a possible ban and phone makers come under pressure to consider alternatives to Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android software.

v Oil gained the most in a week as Tropical Storm Isaac shut Gulf of Mexico production and gasoline reached a four-month high after a refinery explosion in Venezuela killed 39 people. Asian currencies fell on concern global economic growth is slowing.

v Gold and oil rose on Monday, supported by Friday's news of a potential framework for the European Central Bank's new bond buying scheme and hopes of a strong easing move by the U.S. Federal Reserve, but Asian shares eased.

v The market could be in for a bumpy ride this week ahead of Friday's meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Investors are looking for clues on whether Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will announce a third round of quantitative easing.

v Shanghai copper edged up on Monday, supported by hopes of Chinese stimulus after a state-backed paper called for plans to tackle economic risks, while the U.S. Federal Reserve also raised expectations for further easing.

v Japan's Nikkei share average pared gains on Monday morning as weakness in Chinese shares tempered improving risk appetite on expectations that the European Central Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve will soon launch further stimulus.

v Central bank sources told Reuters on Friday that the ECB is considering setting yield band targets under the bond-buying programme to shield its strategy from speculators, but the decision would not be made before its September 6 policy meeting.

v Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said "there is scope for further action by the Fed to ease financial conditions" in a letter he sent to a U.S. House panel, reinforcing market's persistent views the Fed would soon implement a third round of quantitative easing, known as QE3.

v Australian shares rose early Monday, taking a lead from a strong U.S. session on Friday amid revived hopes of fresh stimulus efforts by the Federal Reserve.

v Retail stocks edged lower Friday, as reflected in the S&P 500's consumer discretionary index's 0.6% slide.

v Autodesk Inc. on Thursday reported a fiscal second-quarter profit of $64.6 million, or 28 cents a share, compared with a profit of $71.2 million, or 30 cents a share, for the year-earlier period.