IN BRIEF (Page 17)

Indian output

India's annual industrial output growth continued to lose strength in January, posing a dilemma for policymakers faced with decelerating economic growth and accelerating inflation.

Data released yesterday showed output in January grew 5.3 percent from a year earlier, markedly below both economists' forecasts in a Reuters poll for 8 percent and the previous month's upwardly revised annual rate of 7.7 percent.

Wheat slides

Wheat futures in Chicago declined for the first time in three days as investors bet recent gains were overdone and on speculation farmers will plant more to take advantage of record prices.

Wheat for May delivery was down 20.5 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $12.025 a bushel at 4:09 pm Singapore time after trading between $11.91 and $12.4825 in after-hours electronic trading.

Ad firm's earnings

JCDecaux SA, the world's second-biggest seller of outdoor advertising, said full-year profit rose 9.9 percent on new contracts and ads on transport systems such as metros.

Net income climbed to 221 million euros ($339.7 million) from 201.1 million euros a year earlier, JCDecaux, based in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, said.

SocGen searched

Societe Generale SA, France's second-biggest bank, said its headquarters were searched by police yesterday morning and confirmed that an employee was taken into police custody.

The arrest is "part of normal procedure", linked to the investigation of unauthorized trades carried out by Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel, Laura Schalk, a spokeswoman for the bank, said in an interview.

Agencies

(China Daily 03/13/2008 page17)