【财经看点】国家统计局:5月份CPI同比上涨2.5%

China's CPI jumps to 4-month high at 2.5 pct New government data shows China's consumer inflation edged up to a four-month high of 2.5 percent in May while factory price deflation eased, reinforcing signs of stabilization in the economy. The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, a main gauge of inflation, was 1.8 percent in April. Accelerated increases in food prices were the main contributor to the higher CPI figure. Food prices increased over 4 percent year on year, nearly double that in April. The government has set an inflation target of around 3.5 percent this year. The producer price index, or PPI, fell 1.4 percent in May from a year earlier - the 27th consecutive month of decline – versus a 2 percent fall in April and market expectations of a 1.5 percent drop. China approves 10 IPOs after four-month halt The China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved 10 new IPO applications. The move marks the official restart of the IPO process, which has been stalled since mid-February. The CSRC says five companies will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Five others will be listed in Shenzhen. The names of the companies haven't been released. The CSRC plans to allow 100 new IPO's before the year is out. About 600 companies are now awaiting to be listed here in China. There have been concerns about the restart of the IPO process, as investors are worried the new listings might dilute market values, leading to potential losses for existing market players. China c.bank cuts banks' reserve requirement ratio by 50 bps Anchor: China's central bank is set to lower the deposit amounts that banks have to leave with the central lender, cutting them by 50 basis points in some cases. The move is meant to free up more cash for lending, with the goal of spurring economic growth here in China. The People's Bank of China says the reduction will be effective from next Monday. In making the move, the central bank also says the current amount of liquidity in the Chinese banking system is ample, and that the direction of the country's monetary policy hasn't been changed. For more on this, CRI's Paul James spoke earlier with Gao Shang, analyst with Beijing-based Guantong Futures. … Back to Anchor: That was Gao Shang, analyst with Beijing's GuangTong Futures. China set for 'Golden Age' of natural gas The International Energy Agency says that demand for natural gas is set to nearly double within five years in China but will meet half that demand with domestic supplies. In its latest medium-term forecast for the natural gas sector, the IEA has trimmed its five-year outlook for consumption by 0.2 points to an annual increase of 2.2 percent as European countries step up use of renewable energy. It says demand for cleaner-burning natural gas was likely to grow in China as air quality concerns prompted authorities to take measures to reduce pollution. The IEA says "driven by booming demand, the 'Golden Age' of natural gas that is now firmly established in North America will expand to China over the next five years." The energy analysis arm of the OECD group of advanced countries says China is also set to benefit from a boom in gas production. China Mobile buys $880 mn stake in Thailand's True Corp. Thai telecommunications firm True has agreed to sell an 18-percent stake in its business to China Mobile for about 880 million US dollars, creating a strategic partnership. True says it will use the money to reduce its debt and pursue its goal of becoming "an all-powerful leading convergence telecommunications player", bringing together broadband Internet, pay TV and mobile telephone services. True also says the partnership "reflects the international business community's confidence in Thailand's long-term economy". China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile operator by subscribers, says the purchase reflects its international expansion and search for strategic investment opportunities overseas.