Investing Trends

MUMBAI: Equities opened higher Thursday trailing positive planetary cues. Cement shares led the rally. Indices also got support from banking and metallic element majors. At 10 americium the National Stock Exchange’s Bang-Up was at 4229.75, higher by 77 points or 1.84% from the former close. The Greater Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex shot up 258 points or 1.81% to 14506.36. Biggest Sensex weight gainers include Ambuja Cements (5.59%), ACC (4.92%), HDFC Depository Financial Institution (3.61%), State Depository Financial Institution of Republic Of India (2.75%), Satyam Computer (2.75%) and Reliance Energy (2.65%). There were no also-rans in the 30-share index. The marketplace comprehensiveness showed 887 progresses and 231 diminutions on BSE, while on NSE 624 progresses and 54 declines.

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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Courier-Post staff

Do you want to compare the property taxes on your home to similar homes on your street?

Then check out property assessment records at Data Universe, the "Courier-Post" public information site on the Web, newly updated to include local tax information.

More than 3 million property ownership records, from vacant land to homes to major commercial sites, now include detailed tax information on each parcel.

The enhanced property assessment records can be accessed by visiting and clicking on the topmost link: Property Owners/Assessments.

The data is based on 2006 tax rates and assessments from the state.

The state updates its property ownership records once a year and most records are current. For recent transactions, Data Universe provides a database of property sales current through January 2007.

Data Universe also offers nearly two dozen searchable databases that cover criminal conviction records, public employee salaries, public school performance benchmarks and links to medical and consumer information sites.

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Japanese stocks advanced, set for the
largest gain since March. Companies that will report earnings
this week rose after the Nikkei newspaper said profit at Tokyo
Electron Ltd. will climb to a record.

Banks advanced with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.,
which fell to a 19-month low on April 27, climbing 3.2 percent as
investors judged recent losses excessive. The Topix Banks index
dropped 4 percent last month.

``Japanese stocks are catching up with rallies in other
markets as investor concern over earnings has eased,'' said
Takeshi Yamaguchi, who looks after $674 million at Sumitomo
Mitsui Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. ``All the bad news on bank
profits has already been discounted by previous declines.''

Exporters such as Canon Inc. and Honda Motor Co. also
advanced on speculation that slowing U.S. jobs growth and wage
increases will prompt the Federal Reserve to cut borrowing costs
in Japan's biggest overseas market.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 301.43, or 1.7 percent, to
17,696.35. The Topix climbed 30.69, or 1.8 percent, to 1734.91 as
of 2:27 p.m. in Tokyo. Both gauges are headed for the largest
gain since March 8.

The Topix fell for a second straight month in April, losing
0.7 percent while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and South
Korea's Kospi index climbed to records last week.

Tokyo Electron, the world's second-biggest supplier of
chipmaking equipment, advanced 150 yen, or 1.8 percent, to 8,480.
Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's largest automaker, added 60 yen, or
0.8 percent, to 7,290. Mitsubishi Estate Co., the nation's No. 2
property developer, climbed 170 yen, or 4.5 percent, to 3,920.

`Across-the-Board Gain'

All three companies are scheduled to report their earnings
this week.

Tokyo Electron's net income will probably rise 9 percent to
about 93 billion yen ($775 million) in the year ending March 2008,
the Nikkei reported, without saying where it got the information.
Sales will gain 5 percent to 880 billion yen, the report said.

``Japan's market had an across-the-board gain today but
money is flowing especially into companies with strong earnings
outlooks,'' said Yoshihiro Ito, who helps look after $689 million
in assets at Okasan Capital Management Co. in Tokyo.

Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan's biggest lender by assets, rose
40,000 yen, or 3.2 percent, to 1.3 million. Mitsubishi UFJ
dropped to the lowest since September 2005 on April 27 on concern
its profit growth will not improve soon. Mizuho Financial Group
Inc., the nation's second largest, added 19,000 yen, or 2.6
percent, to 749,000.

Japan's major banks are set to report their earnings this
month with Mitsubishi UFJ being scheduled on May 23 and Mizuho on
May 22.

Canon Jumps

Canon, the world's largest digital camera maker, surged 270
yen, or 4 percent, to 7,080, gaining the most since Oct. 5. Honda,
which made 55 percent of its sales in North America in the year
ended March 2006, advanced 80 yen, or 2 percent, to 4,120. Sony
Corp., the world's biggest video-game maker, climbed 140 yen, or
2.2 percent, to 6,550.

The Labor Department said on May 4 the 88,000 increase in
employment last month followed a 177,000 gain in March that was
smaller than previously estimated. The U.S. jobless rate rose to
4.5 percent from 4.4 percent, which matched a five-year low.

The report also showed that average hourly earnings grew at
a 3.7 percent pace in April from a year earlier compared with a 4
percent rate in March.

Mitsui Fudosan, Nippon Steel

``Inflation in the U.S. has cooled down and that's behind
the rally in the country's equity markets,'' said Ryoji Musha,
chief investment officer at the Japanese brokerage unit of
Deutsche Bank AG.

Property developers such as Mitsui Fudosan Co. and
steelmakers such as Nippon Steel Corp. jumped on expectations
that they will have strong earnings for this business year.

Mitsui Fudosan, Japan's biggest property developer, surged
240 yen, or 6.8 percent, to 3,750. Nippon Steel Corp., Asia's No.
1 maker of the alloy, advanced 36 yen, or 4.4 percent, to 848.
Sumitomo Corp., the third-biggest trading house in Japan, rose
110 yen, or 5.1 percent, to 2,260.

``Real estate companies were bought on a trend of rising
asset prices and office rents,'' said Okasan Capital's Ito.
``There's also strong expectation that steelmakers and trading
companies will have a profit expansion over the medium term,
helped by demand in emerging markets.''

Property shares also gained after the Nikkei reported on May
5 that Japan's public pension fund, the world's largest pool of
retirement funds, may start investing in privately placed real
estate funds and mortgage-backed securities to limit risk from
stock and bond markets.

TDK, Fujitsu

``Investment in the real estate industry is a global trend
so related stocks in Japan are likely to gain further,'' said
Sumitomo Mitsui's Yamaguchi.

TDK Corp., Japan's biggest maker of magnetic heads, advanced
190 yen, or 1.9 percent, to 10,240 after saying it will spend 50
billion yen ($416 million) to build an electronics component
factory.

The new factory, located in Yurihonjo, northern Japan, will
increase the company's manufacturing capacity of ceramic
capacitors by 40 percent, Nobuyuki Koike, a spokesman for the
Tokyo-based company, said today, confirming a Nikkei newspaper
report on May 6.

Fujitsu Ltd., Japan's biggest computer-services provider,
rose 14 yen, or 1.9 percent, to 755 after the company said it
plans to buy France's GFI Informatique SA for 419 million euros
($570 million) to add clients and trim its reliance on Japan.

Fujitsu said on May 2 it plans to offer 8.50 euros for each
GFI share and 3.15 euros for each warrant of the Paris-based
computer consultant. The companies have no ``formal agreement,''
it said.

Nikkei futures expiring in June climbed 1.6 percent to
17,720 in Osaka and rose 1.5 percent to 17,715 in Singapore.

To contact the reporter for this story:
Makiko Suzuki in Tokyo at

Minneapolis -

MINNEAPOLIS -- Collins, whose strong growth has enabled it to become one of the world’s leading reinsurance brokers, has formed a new subsidiary – Collins Capital Advisors LLC – with plans to assist firms in the insurance and reinsurance industry with investment banking advice and capital markets expertise, Collins President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Denzer announced today.

Gregory G. Clapp, a veteran of insurance practices at Wall Street investment banking firms, has been named managing director and head of Collins Capital Advisors, which will be based in New York City.

“Collins Capital Advisors is being established to offer traditional investment banking services in such areas as private equity, debt, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic financial advice,” Mr. Denzer said. “It also will focus on developing and delivering capital market solutions, which could include securitizations, cat bonds or other insurance-linked securities.

“We’re proud that Greg Clapp, with his exceptional expertise and track record, has joined Collins to lead this operation,” Mr. Denzer added.

Mr. Clapp has been a senior investment banker serving the insurance industry for the last 14 years. Prior to joining Collins, he was a managing director at Fox-Pitt, Kelton, where he led the insurance investment banking practice and served on the management committee. Prior to that position, he held a similar position at Sandler, O’Neill & Partners. He was also a managing director in the insurance practice at J.P. Morgan Chase.

“I’m pleased and excited to join Collins,” Mr. Clapp said. “The model we are developing to offer knowledgeable, independent financial advice is clearly what the market wants, and what I hope to contribute.

“The extensive insights of Collins’ professionals, combined with our new financial advisory services, will offer a powerful new advantage to companies in the marketplace,” he added.

Mr. Clapp began his career with Chase Manhattan Bank in 1983 and worked in leveraged finance and debt restructuring before joining Chase’s insurance banking practice in 1993. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and also studied at the London School of Economics.

Collins, established in 1987, serves clients in the property-casualty, life, and accident & health insurance markets. Headquartered in Minneapolis, it has offices across the United States as well as in London and in Bermuda. It has recorded a compound annual growth rate of 23 percent since 1995.

The privately-held company provides reinsurance brokerage services, risk transfer advice and analytical services to insurers, reinsurers, managing general agents and others in the insurance marketplace. Those services include catastrophe modeling, actuarial analysis, dynamic reinsurance modeling and financial consulting. Additional information is available at the company’s website, .

NORCROSS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Real Estate Funds Inc. today announced the launch of the Wells
Timberland Real Estate Investment Trust, the first public, nontraded
REIT investing in timberland.

“This new expansion of our product family fits
with our focus on offering the individual investor the opportunity to
invest in quality real estate,” said Leo
Wells, founder and president of Wells Real Estate Funds. “Professionally
managed timberland is a potentially attractive type of commercial real
estate – but historically, it has been almost
entirely for institutional investors. We’re
helping to change that.”

Wells Timberland REIT will seek to generate revenue and income through
the sale of timber harvesting rights, as well as leasing land-use rights
and, in some cases, the eventual sale of land for higher and better use.

Jess Jarratt, a veteran forester and finance executive, has joined Wells
as chief timberland officer and president of Wells Timberland Investment
Management Organization.

“Timberland is a distinct asset class, and as
with our other REITs, we’ll seek to build a
diverse portfolio for our investors – in this
case, by geography, age and timber type,”
Jarratt said. “Another attractive feature
about timber is that it’s an ecologically
sound, renewable resource – after harvesting,
you can plant again and literally grow new resources.”

Jarratt most recently was managing director, structured real estate, for
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. His previous positions include timberland
investment officer with John Hancock. He holds a B.S. in Forestry from
Texas A&M and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Texas.

Wells Timberland REIT is designed to offer portfolio diversification,
current income through the payment of distributions, and potential
capital appreciation upon the ultimate sale of assets. Over its
lifetime, the fund will acquire and invest largely in geographically
diverse timberland properties in U.S. timber-producing regions,
including the Appalachian, Great Lakes, Northeast, Northwest and
Southeast regions. The Timberland REIT also may invest in timber-growing
regions internationally.

The fund will be offered to investors through financial professionals.

Wells Real Estate Funds is a national real estate investment company
based in suburban Atlanta. Since its founding in 1984, Wells has
invested more than $9 billion in real estate for more than 200,000
investors. Wells funds include REITs, mutual funds and other commercial
real estate investment vehicles. For more information, see

For more information, visit Wells online at .

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including discussions regarding
Wells’ use of proceeds and certain other
factors that may affect future earnings or financial results. Such
statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual
results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the
forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to
differ materially include changes in general economic conditions,
changes in real estate conditions, construction delays, increases in
interest rates, lease-up risks, lack of availability of financing, and
lack of availability of capital proceeds. This is neither an offer nor a
solicitation to purchase securities. For SEC filings: .