US payroll gains plunge to 20,000 as wages top estimates. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 20,000 after an upwardly revised 311,000 gain the prior month, a Labor Department report showed on Friday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey called for an increase of 180,000. Average hourly earnings rose a better-than-projected 3.4 per cent from a year earlier, while the jobless rate declined to 3.8 per cent, near a five-decade low.

China has less room for reserve ratio cuts, PBOC's Yi says. China still has some room to cut the amount of money banks have hold in reserve, but it's much smaller than in previous years, the People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang said. "At China's current stage of development, a certain level of reserve-requirement ratios is necessary and appropriate," Mr Yi said at a press conference during the National People's Congress in Beijing Sunday, without specifying what that level is.

Keppel O&M clinches repeat order for semi rig worth about US$425m from Awilco. The repeat order represents the exercise of an option that Awilco had as part of an earlier US$425 million contract for a similar rig signed in March last year. Awilco has independent options to order up to another two rigs to be exercised in 2020 and 2021.

DLF Holdings in JV to collaborate on marine engineering contract. DLF Holdings, a mechanical and electrical engineering services firm, has entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with Prosper Environmental & Engineering (PEE) to collaborate on a work order through a JV company.

The sponsor of Singapore-listed ESR-Reit files for HK listing. ESR Cayman, the sponsor of Singapore-listed ESR-Reit, yesterday said that it had on Feb 28 made submissions to the Hong Kong stock exchange operator for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of its shares to be listed on the exchange. ESR, the largest Asia-Pacific-focused logistics real estate platform, was formed by a merger of Shanghai-based warehousing services firm e-Shang and Singaporean logistics real estate investment firm The Redwood Group in 2016.

Water-treatment firm gets proofs of claims of $3.51b from 73 parties. Hyflux has received proofs of claims from 73 parties amounting to $3.51 billion. Retail investors in Hyflux's perpetual securities and preference shares have filed proofs for some of the largest claim amounts. Owners of its $500 million, 6 per cent perpetual securities are claiming $540.7 million while owners of its $400 million, 8 per cent preference shares are claiming $429.3 million. Medium-term note-holders are claiming a combined total of $277.7 million.

Source: Business Times, Financial Times, SGX Masnet, , Bloomberg, Channel NewsAsia, Reuters, PSR