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Written by Terri Belkas, Currency Analyst

Normally, the release of US Non-farm Payrolls takes center stage in the forex markets, as the figure tends to spark significant volatility and can shape interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve. However, Wednesday’s FOMC rate decision may steal the limelight, as futures are currently pricing in an 82% chance of a 25bp cut to 2.00% and an 18% chance that the Fed will leave rates unchanged.

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TAMPA — Two well-known Tampa Bay entrepreneurs have spearheaded the formation of a local chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a group designed to allow members to draw on the collective resources and expertise of kindred spirits in the business world.

Along with other players in the local business community, Kevin Harrington, CEO of Reliant International Media LLC, and Greg Stemm, co-founder of Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. (Nasdaq: OMEX), have started to actively recruit for the organization and say they plan to have the chapter up and running by the summer.

Roughly 75 people attended an invitation-only party to promote the launch of the chapter at Harrington’s spacious waterfront estate in St. Petersburg on April 10. Local celebrity boxer Ronald “Winky” Wright, who owns independent record label Pound 4 Pound Records Inc. and is involved with other Bay area entrepreneurial ventures, put in an appearance along with some other heavyweights in the local business community.

Since the launch, there have been preliminary talks about appointing a president and board of directors for the chapter. Once 20 people join the organization, it would have the critical mass needed to get off the ground, Harrington said.

Sources: David Guidi

PARIS (KUNA): The French Senate, or upper house of parliament, announced here Thursday that it is organizing two round table discussions May 14 to examine the role France can play in attracting Islamic funds and the opportunities opening up to work with Islamic funds on international finance markets. The sessions will be presided over by the Senates Finance Commission president Jean Arthuis and will include participants from a variety of financial and investment bodies. The first round table will examine “the integration of Islamic finance in the global financial system” and seek to determine the challenges for France in this area, the Senate said in a statement. According to the statement, Islamic funds are now valued at around 700 billion dollars and have a “recognized growth potential” but these funds remain centred in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where they continue to grow. Read more

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THE corporate regulator is preparing a crackdown on the $400billion-plus property finance sector in an attempt to curb a spate of collapses in the high-risk market dominated by mum and dad investors.

The move follows the release yesterday by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission of a report into its investigation of 94 unlisted companies operating in the $8 billion property “debenture” finance industry. Read more

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The euro retreated from a record high versus the dollar on Wednesday after a fall in manufacturing activity suggested that euro zone is starting to feel the pinch of a global slowdown and a strong currency.

Investors also sold the euro after a European Central Bank official toned down his hawkish comments, cooling speculation that the ECB’s next move on interest rates may be a rise, rather than a cut.

The RBC/NTC Eurozone Purchasing Managers Index for manufacturing dropped to 50.8 in April, its lowest in nearly three years. German manufacturing activity also fell, although both German and euro zone readings for the service economy rose. [ID:nL23902285]

“Manufacturing has dropped quite a bit and that has been the driver of growth in Germany … the euro is off a touch on it,” said David Pais, currency strategist at Citigroup. Read more

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The Stock Exchange appears to have taken a step back on its battle with listed finance companies to make certain information public.

Last Friday NZX asked all its listed finance companies, or listed companies with significant finance arms, to provide “material” information about the state of their finances.

It wanted monthly updates on several matters including: the reinvestment rate of investors for the month to date; the debt being serviced for the month to date; the anticipated income for the following month. Read more

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The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in the country will be increasingly looking at non-traditional sources for financing needs, a business outlook survey conducted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) revealed Read more

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Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance is the second largest private life insurer in India. At the helm of Bajaj Allianz is Kamesh Goyal, regional CEO for Allianz Middle-East, North Africa and South Asia Region and CEO Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance. In an interface with ET, Mr Goyal speaks of his strategy for this high growth market. Read more

There are signs that European banks are not in the clear quite yet, and if anything, have been less than forthcoming about their problems. As the Euro struggles to break 1.60, traders are wondering what could cause the next big move in the currency. If European banks are forced to reveal larger than expected losses, we could see a major reversal. Read more

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New figures from Access Economics show Tasmania’s economy is in a strong position, and business confidence is growing.

However Tasmania’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) is not convinced it is all good news. Read more