Adds China Fire & Security Group (NASDAQ: CFSG), China Housing & Land Development, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHLN), China Information Security Technology, Inc (NASDAQ: CPBY), China Sky One Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSKI), General Steel Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GSI), Zhongpin, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOGS), Wuhan General Group (China), Inc. (NASDAQ: WUHN), China Direct, Inc (NASDAQ: CDSDD)

Markets in Asia sold off sharply. The Nikkei fell 4.3% to 10,473. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial fell over 9%. Other financial stocks fell sharply as did big exporter Canon. The Hang Seng sold down 4.4% to 16,901. China Construction Bank fell over 6%. PetroChina (PTR) fell almost 5%. Lenovo was off over 6%. The Shanghai Composite was off 5.2% to 2,174. Data from Reuters Douglas A. McIntyre

Markets in Asia were sharply lower and Shanghai was closed. The Nikkei fell 1.9% to 10,938. According to Reuters, Toyota (TM) hit a three-year low and Nissan hit a seven-year low. Kyocera was off over 3%. Canon was down almost 5%. The Hang Seng dropped 2.4% to 17.767. Petrochina (PTR) fell over 4% and CNOOC was off nearly as much. Data from Reuters. Douglas A. McIntyre

Asia markets fell sharply. The Nikkei dropped 4.1% to 11,260. The Hang Seng fell 2% to 17,629. Sun Hung Kai Properties fell as much as 6%. Petrochina (PTR) and CNOOC were both off over 3%. Shanghai was closed for a holiday. Data from Reuters Douglas A. McIntyre

BEIJING--September 29, 2008--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on September 24 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and both presidents agreed to further increase the countries' cooperation and exchange in various fields. The presidents signed 12 agreements, including one between Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) (Caracas) and China's PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR), and another between PDVSA and China's state-owned China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (NYSE:SNP) (Sinopec) (Beijing).

Dallas-based ENSCO International, Inc. (ESV) is a leading supplier of offshore contract drilling services to the oil and gas industry. The company's drilling fleet consists of 44 jackup rigs, two ultra-deepwater semi-submersible rigs (ENSCO 7500 and ENSCO 8500), and one barge rig. Additionally, the company has six ultra-deepwater semi-submersible rigs (ENSCO 8500 series) under construction. ENSCO shares have been beaten down in recent days, broadly inline with its peer group, in response to the commodity-price weakness and overall market turmoil. The stock is down roughly 20% in the last four weeks alone, only modestly better than the 22% drop for offshore drillers (the S&P 500 pulled back roughly 15% during the same time period. While we have liked this name all along, we think that valuation has become even more compelling[More...]

In a move that underscores the potential of China’s auto market - as well as the viability of so-called “green” technology - investing guru Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holding Co. will pay roughly $230 million for a 10% stake in BYD Co. Ltd., a Chinese producer of both cars and specialized batteries. MidAmerican is [...]

Energy stocks rebounded on Thursday on rising crude prices despite the U.S. Energy Department's report that nation's natural gas stockpiles have gone up by 67 billion cubic feet for the week ended Sept. 12.[More...]

Sentiment Watch: Shade of red known as "de-leveraging". The energy groups for the last couple of days have looked like they want to pick themselves up off the floor but, at the end of the day, have been unable to shake off the swooning broader market. We’ve gone from window-dressing-end-of-quarter concerns about having "energy" names (...)[More...]

Companies featured in this segment: Medtronic Incorporated (NYSE:MDT), E.ON Climate & Renewables (Xetra:EONGn.DE), Poweo S.A. (EPA:ALPWO), Verbund (WBAG:VER), Essar Steel Limited (BSE:500627), General Motors (NYSE:GM), Severstal (MCX:CHMF), Power Grid Corporation of India (BSE:532898), PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (NYSE:SNP), (NASDAQ:SIAL)

Companies featured in this segment: POSCO (NYSE:PKX), Iberdrola S.A. (MCE:IBE), Husky Energy Incorporated (TSX:HSE), Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO), General Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM), Endesa (MCE:ELE), PetroChina (NYSE:PTR), Sinopec (NYSE:SNP)

Companies featured in this segment: NOVA Chemicals (NYSE:NCX), KBR Incorporated (NYSE:KBR), Repsol YPF's (NYSE:REP), Suez S.A. (OTC:SZEZY), United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), General Electric (NYSE:GE), PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR)

Companies featured in this segment: Williams Companies Incorporated (NYSE: WMB), VeraSun Energy Corporation (NYSE: VSE) Suez SA (OTC:SZEZY), Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited (SHA:600875), the ABB Group (NYSE:ABB), Alstom (EPA:ALO), General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Gamesa Corporation (MCE:GAM), Foster Wheeler Limited (NASDAQ:FWLT), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A), PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE:PTR), SPX Corporation (NYSE:SPW)

Schaeffer's Laura Houser takes a look at activity on the Street ahead of the market open