It takes a strong stomach to be bearish on Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.Just ask Robin Zhu. The Hong Kong-based Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst has advised investors to avoid Geely since August 2015, a span where the share price has soared more than 500 percent. The owner of Volvo cars is the world’s best-performing auto stock this year and one of the most highly valued, trading at 26 times profit.

The International Monetary Fund agreed to a new conditional bailout for Greece, ending two years of speculation on whether it would join in another rescue and giving the seal of approval demanded by many of the country’s euro-area creditors.The Washington-based fund said Thursday its executive board approved “in principle” a new loan worth as much as $1.8 billion.

Systemic risks in global financial markets have remained relatively contained over the past six months, despite increases in some areas, says Moody’s Investors Service in a report.It said more stable banking sector fundamentals have also been supportive of credit conditions over the past year.Moody’s Managing Director, Credit Strategy and Standards and the report’s co-author Colin Ellis said financial conditions in global markets are more favourable than a year ago and are likely to remain so

Overseas insurers including Prudential Plc are pursuing plans to sell stakes in their Malaysian units, in deals that could raise at least a combined $2 billion and help them comply with foreign ownership limits, people with knowledge of the matter said.Prudential has asked banks to pitch for a role advising on a domestic initial public offering of its Malaysian unit, an option it is considering alongside a potential stake sale to an investor, according to the people.

When it comes to raising funds from large groups of anonymous donors over the internet, women come out tops. That could be a boon for job creation and economic growth.A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and The Crowdfunding Center shows that women across the world consistently outperformed men on funding campaigns: Globally, females were 32 percent more successful than males in reaching their funding targets; in Asia, women achieved twice as much success as men.Crowdfunding websites

The activist investor that Whole Foods Market Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Mackey labeled as “greedy bastards” has sold its stake in the grocer and made a profit of about $300 million in a matter of months.Jana Partners sold about 26 million shares in Whole Foods over the past month for combined proceeds of about $1.1 billion, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday.

Credit Suisse Group AG is planning to hire more relationship managers in Saudi Arabia, joining rivals including Deutsche Bank AG in designating the country as a priority for their wealth management businesses.The recruitment drive comes after the Zurich-based bank established a platform allowing it to offer private banking services and products in the country, according to an emailed statement from the company.“Credit Suisse is further expanding and investing in its business in Saudi Arabia,

If there was pent up demand from investors for new Turkish stocks after four years of meager supplies, it isn’t showing.Average trading volumes for three of the latest Turkish companies to hold initial public offerings --  Global Ports Holding Ltd.

Malaysia’s unemployment rate is expected to average at 3.3% in 2017 as the domestic as well as global economic activities will stay on upward trajectory given key economic indicators are showing sign of optimism.Therefore, the research firm forecast global trade will improve further this year and Malaysia as an export reliance economy will benefit from the development via increase in exports demand and more jobs creation in the export oriented industries.In May, Malaysia’s employment expanded