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by Freddie Mooche - Senior Financial ColumnistPetroChina (NYSE: PTR) cut back gas exports due to rising domestic demands while attempting to iron out contract terms with SHELL.

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Trevor Williams, chief economist at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, "UK businesses have good reason to be optimistic. "Over the coming 12 months we can expect to see the UK economy gaining strength, with the possibility that GDP [gross domestic product] could rise by around three per cent after posting an increase of 2.7 per cent in 2006." He said that the growth was largely due to a robust export market to Europe, as well as a "boom" in business investment and consumer spending.

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honda Motor Co., Ltd., announced its automobile production, domestic sales, and export results for the month of October 2006.

Banc Of America Investment September 10, 2003 (AXcess News) - China's no. 2 oil refiner, PetroChina (NYSE: PTR, HKSE: 0857.HK), lowered its September gasoline exports to 150,000 tons from earlier expectations of 180,000 tons due to increasing domestic demand.

Tokyo, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., today announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the month of October, time records...

Banking Investment The cut back in exports was 30% below the prior month's figures of 210,000 tons.

The largest share of final demand at around 70%/$44 Billion, comes from jewellery, accounting India, the world’s largest gold jewellery market by volume for around 555 t, followed in terms of consumption demand by the United States, the global second largest gold jewellery market with 306 t, China with 302 t, the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Dubai), Turkey and Italy. Gold trade is a chief driver of economic diversification in the Gulf region, exported 287 t into the vigorous Arab and Indian markets. The industrial and dental uses account for around 12% of gold demand, while investment demand is estimated at 18%, around $11, 3 Billion.

Investment Solution Strategic China's total September exports were estimated to be 470,000 tons according to traders familiar with that market.

"One of the strongest sides of the national cosmetics industry in the Arab market is the segment of hair products, which represents 44% of the total exported to the region, followed by oral hygiene products and fragrances, " remarked Jov Carlos da Silva, president of the Brazilian Association of Toiletries, Perfumes & Cosmetics Industries (Abihpec), which organises the companies' participation in the event with support of the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).

Investment Banking Services Sinopec Corp (NYSE:SNP, HKSE:0386.HK ), China's largest refiner, had cut September exports to about 220,000 tons, down from August's 250,000. Sinopec concurred that demand for gasoline in China was on the rise.Traders in China were skeptical to forecast October demands, citing strong economic growth that was fueling the soaring number of privately owned vehicles in china.Axcess World News had covered the growing demand for automobiles in Hong Kong in June (See"China's Car Sales Booming").

Bank Investment According to Chinese customs data China, Asia's largest gasoline seller, exported 4.57 million tons in the January-July period, 43 percent higher than the previous year.

Alternative Investment Last week PetroChina had announced that it had made a new oil and gas find in northwestern China's Qaidam basin. The report estimates potential oil and gas reserves in the northern part of the basin at 2 billion metric tons of oil equivalent.

Online Investment Services Spudded in early August, the Mabei-1 well flowed 32.4 cubic meters a day of crude oil and 2,962 cubic meters/day of natural gas through a 4-millimeter choke, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Accompany Essential Investment PTR had also announced in late August that they had started to develop a major natural gas field in northwestern China's Tarim basin, slated to begin supplying natural gas to the country's east via pipeline in 2005.

Investment Company Development of the Kela 2 gas field will cost 6.2 billion yuan, or $1 billion dollars.

Investment Management Solution But the pipeline seemed fraught with delays according to Philip Watts, chairman of Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch/Shell (Amsterdam:RD.AS, London:SHEL.L) saying in an interview last week with the Financial Times that "there was no end in sight to discussions over investment terms for the pipeline."

Investment Management Services "Negotiation between PetroChina and the foreign consortium for the project is underway and the pipeline construction is going smoothly and on schedule," PetroChina said in an official statement.PetroChina has said the pipeline is scheduled to begin pumping gas at the end of this year, but it has yet to sign agreements with foreign partners to invest in the project, and has not signed gas sale agreements with users.

Guide Investment Stock October 20th is looming over the horizon as well, which is the dividend date for shareholders of record as of September 15th. Motley Fool's, Bill Mann, had said in a story released last week Friday that PTR was a prime candidate for "timed trading". Timing works a little differently and is based on the arbitrage between market hours in the U.S. and overseas, mainly.

Investment Manual Solution In that story, Mann said that, "If PetroChina (NYSE: PTR) announces a big dividend increase, its shares trading in China react. But it's still nighttime in the US, so timers have the ability to jump into funds on one day, wait for the price to react to the news, and then get out."

Investment Stock Mann's article focused on NY Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer's, complaint sent to Canary Capital LP over the recent Mutual Funds trading Spitzer claimed CCLP spearheaded.

Essential Investment Solution On Wednesday, Sept 3, Spitzer executed a complaint against Canary Capital Partners and its principal, Edward Stern, claiming that they had conspired with 30 different mutual fund companies to engage in two practices: "late trading," which is illegal; and "timing," which, while not illegal, must be disclosed in fund prospectuses. Which it wasn't.

Citicorp Investment Services Canary agreed to cooperate with Spitzer's investigation, to disgorge $30 million in ill-gotten profits from the practices, and to pay $10 million in fines.Under the current scrutiny given the mutual fund industry, few if any "timing trades" will most likely occur in PetroChina's shares.

Fool Guide Investment Motley PTR closed Wednesday at $32.69, down $0.31 or 0.94% on volume of 637,500 shares. Average volume was reported at 404,363 shares. The 52 week hi/lo for PTR is $18.40 to $36.11. The dividend yield was reported at $2.04 or a staggering 6.18%, yet the consensus was that PTR's 12 month target price would be $21.65.

Fidelity Investment Services As China is still attempting to adjust to its economic boom, old ways are hard to part with, which was evident in Phillip Watts' frustrations voiced in his Financial Times interview last week. Even though China's economy is booming and domestic demands for fuel are on the rise, chances are that further delays in finalizing PetroChina's foreign partnerships will have adverse affects on PTR's share price. In support of that believe, Axcess News added its stock to our Stock Guide's 'worst picks' column at the close of trading Wednesday, Sept 10th.

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