VENTURE CAPITAL POST

HSBC (HSBA.L) pledged a new era of higher dividends on Tuesday, laying out plans to slash nearly one in five jobs and shrink its investment bank by a third to combat sluggish growth across its sprawling empire.

Shares in Europe and Asia fell on Tuesday as speculation intensified that the Federal Reserve could raise U.S. interest rates sooner than many expect, although this failed to give the dollar a significant boost.

The dollar held firm in early Asia on Monday, trading near 13-year highs against the yen after strong U.S. employment data bolstered expectations for an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve before year-end.

Japanese firms have been so busy paying top dollar in overseas acquisitions that sellers looking to offload assets in Asia now expect them to pay over the odds, according to the head of the country's biggest insurer, Tokio Marine Holdings Inc (8766.T).

Hungary has become the first European country to sign a cooperation agreement for China's new "Silk Road" initiative to develop trade and transport infrastructure across Asia and beyond, China's foreign ministry said late on Saturday.

Hong Kong's securities regulator said on Friday it will propose laws boosting cooperation with its foreign counterparts, at a time when the emergence of a number of cross-border fraud and corruption scandals make such collaboration vital.

When Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) spent $2.4 billion on a stake in South Africa's Massmart (MSMJ.J) five years ago, the world's biggest retailer said it was buying a gateway to high-growth markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

Crude oil futures edged lower toward $65 a barrel as the dollar strengthened on Monday, with a public holiday in the United States and much of Europe keeping trading muted.

China and Peru have agreed to study the feasibility of a controversial 5,300 km (3,300 miles) transcontinental railroad that will connect Peru's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic coast, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to provide $110 billion in aid for Asian infrastructure projects, as China prepares to launch a new institutional lender that is seen as encroaching on the regional financial clout of Tokyo and its ally Washington.

Crude oil prices bounced back on Wednesday from steep falls in the previous session as industry data showed that U.S. crude stocks fell more than expected last week.

A 12-nation Pacific trade agreement cleared a crucial test in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, giving a resounding thumbs-up to legislation that holds the key to President Barack Obama's diplomatic pivot to Asia.

Government bonds sold off again on Tuesday, driving down stocks and helping push the euro sharply higher against the dollar.

World bond and stock markets rose on Friday after a bruising week and sterling jumped to a two-month high after the business-friendly Conservative party won Britain's national elections.

HSBC Holdings (HSBA.L), Europe's biggest bank, said it has started a review of whether to move its headquarters out of Britain following regulatory and structural changes in the industry.