U.S. stock futures slid in early Asian trading Friday after a another volatile session on Wall Street and the dollar added to its gains, pointing to unrelenting stress even as policy makers strengthen efforts to contain the coronavirus crisis.

Futures were higher in Hong Kong and Australian stocks gained after the S&P 500 Index closed slightly higher Thursday. Japan markets are shut Friday for a holiday. The dollar continued its charge higher as the recent dash for cash showed little sign of easing, while Treasury yields dipped. Crude dipped after a record surge Thursday; U.S. President Donald Trump said he would get involved in the oil price standoff at the “appropriate time.”

MALAYSIA-BASED Top Glove Corporation on Thursday posted a 9.3 per cent rise in net profit to RM115.7 million (S$38 million) for its second quarter ended Feb 29, 2020, from RM105.8 million a year ago. This came on the back of higher revenue from stronger nitrile glove sales, a slight rise in other operating income and narrowed taxation.

MICRO-MECHANICS (Holdings) has reduced operational activities at its factories in Penang and California to a minimum due to government measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, it said on Thursday. Malaysia's movement control order, which lasts from March 18 to March 31, includes a shutdown of business premises except for those in essential services.

MAINBOARD-LISTED Soilbuild Construction Group has won a contract from Soilbuild Reit to build a warehouse development in Pioneer. The contract will either be worth approximately S$75.8 million based on a plot ratio 1.0 design scheme for a contract period of 14 months, or around S$78.2 million upon approval from the relevant authorities to convert the plot ratio to a 1.32 design scheme for a contract period of 16 months, said the group in a statement on Thursday.

CATALIST-LISTED precision engineering firm Allied Technologies is closing its operations in Malaysia from March 18 to March 31 to comply with the government's movement control order. In a bourse filing on Thursday, the company said that its Malacca and Johor Bahru offices will remain contactable, while all business support functions will be run from its main office in Singapore.

BREADTALK Group has launched a consent solicitation exercise (CSE) to get noteholders' approval to waive a technical default for S$100 million 4 per cent fixed-rate notes due 2023, the company said on Wednesday. The food and beverage player is seeking to waive breaches of the consolidated tangible net worth covenant and the consolidated total borrowings to consolidated tangible net worth covenant.

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