Search parties returned on Friday night from another unsuccessful day's search for the market bears who had spent all of October pushing bond yields higher, driving down shares and commodities, and leaving everyone else fearful of a still-too-high US dollar.

Data out last week has confirmed that US oil production continues to edge higher to a new all time high in August, despite falling rig numbers.

Australian interest rates are set to dominate the financial markets, overshadowing offshore events. The Wall Street-driven rebound this week could prompt unfavorable comparisons if the Reserve Bank raises rates on Tuesday.

Once again, a quarterly report from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has left more questions than answers for markets to ponder. Has another quarter of concerted share sales been an accurate reflection of what he thinks of the current value of equities, given his continued investment in bonds and cash? Or have he and his Berkshire managers misjudged the situation amidst the sudden change of heart by investors in the wake of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy stance and the surge in share markets late last week?

Apple's revenue fell for the fourth consecutive quarter in the three months ending in September, failing to reassure investors about the stability of the so-called Magnificent Seven as dependable market growth supports.

Will the figures whack or boost the bond market rally that erupted in the wake of what was a not unexpected outcome of the second-to-last Fed meeting of the year on Wednesday afternoon?

Iron ore prices have surged to their highest levels in over five weeks, and analysts at Citi suggest that the rally could continue, potentially pushing the steel-making commodity to $US130 per tonne by the end of the year.

The volatile building approvals data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics worked its now-familiar magic in September, revealing a fall of nearly 5%, partly reversing the solid gain in August.

Unlike its US rivals such as GM and Ford, Toyota believes in the necessity of transitioning to electric vehicles. Ford and GM have begun hedging their bets on the EV transition due to the higher costs resulting from recent multi-year wage negotiations with the United Auto Workers Union. They argue that the early adopters have already purchased EVs at the high prices they offer, making further EV sales challenging.

As expected, the Federal Reserve in the US held its key Federal Funds Rate at a 22-year high on Wednesday, with no rate rise in sight.

According to the latest data from the World Gold Council (WGC), central banks, led by China, reduced their gold purchases in the three months to September but appear to be on track for another near-record performance in 2023.

In October, some markets experienced positive gains, but the story was quite different for key commodities, including major ones. Oil and copper faced harsh realities, and despite gold briefly surpassing $2,000 per ounce, it quickly retreated.

Sky Television, a New Zealand pay TV group, has announced that it recently received a takeover offer; however, the company did not disclose the bidder's identity or the offer's price.

According to the latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China and the EU are identified as the weak points in the global economy for 2024, with the US playing a stabilising role.

Iron ore and coking coal futures slid to six-week lows in Asia on Tuesday as China returned to business after the eight-day holiday last week, and traders concluded that not much had changed.