links for 2010-02-03

Some commercial banks are suspending loans to real estate developers, due to excess lending in 2009 and greater regulatory focus on real estate risk, China Business News reports February 3 quoting an unnamed commercial bank employee.

Higher Kindle book prices may boost profits for publishers and Amazon while discouraging consumers who buy e-readers to pay $10 per title

The boom in the high-yield debt markets has bought time and breathing space for companies needing extra financial flexibility. But that has come at a cost, according to the latest annual report by Moody’s Investors Service: more than $700 billion will come due between 2012 and 2014.