Financing growth in Infratil’s data centres
New Zealand infrastructure investor Infratil (ASX:IFT) announced on Monday that it is seeking more than NZ$1 billion to finance the rapid growth in its data centre businesses.
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Serbia considers reversal on Rio Tinto’s $US2.55 billion Jadar mine approval
Out of the blue, the Serbian government is reported to be ready to reverse itself and approve the nearly $US2.55 billion Jadar lithium/borate mine of Rio Tinto.
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Oil market dynamics
Oil prices might have bounced back last week from the post-OPEC+ meeting sell-off the week before, but market fundamentals continue to tell another story.
Read MoreMarket turbulence ahead of Reserve Bank’s rate meeting
Heading into the Reserve Bank’s rate meeting this week, the ASX will not be in a confident mood.
Read MoreGold, silver, and copper navigate market uncertainties amid political and economic shifts
How many legs does gold have left in its current rally? What about silver? And can copper staunch the losses as more metal than the market can handle ends up in LME and Shanghai Metals Market stockpiles?
Read MoreKey economic events to watch this week
More action from central banks is expected this week, with the Bank of England, Norway’s central bank, and the Reserve Bank of Australia all holding rate-setting meetings.
Read MoreChinese NEV sales rebound despite impending EU tariffs
Ahead of Wednesday's news that the European Commission will impose varying tariff levels on imports of Chinese battery-powered cars, the latest industry figures show a rebound in Chinese sales in May from April’s surprise dip.
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IEA warns of impending global oil glut
A stark warning from the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that the surge in oil production in the US will lead to a significant glut in global markets much sooner than OPEC and its allies, like Russia, anticipate.
Read MoreMusks $56 billion pay package approved by shareholders
Tesla shareholders approved CEO Elon Musk’s substantial share pay package, but it will still be decided by a court in Delaware, even though shareholders also voted to move the company's U.S. domicile from that state to Texas.
Read MoreThe Fed’s rate cute dilemma
As clever economists, analysts, and others try to determine when the one rate cut by the US Federal Reserve will occur this year, they should keep in mind that we are only one poor monthly inflation reading away from having no rate cuts in 2024.
Read MoreSigma Healthcare shares drop amid ACCC concerns
Sigma Healthcare (ASX:SIG) shares fell more than 9% at one stage on Thursday after its proposed $8.8 billion merger with the massive Chemist Warehouse encountered potential competition issues with the key regulator, the ACCC.
Read MoreUS dollar surge sends precious metals lower
Gold, copper and sliver fell Thursday after the US dollar bounced higher. Oil was also easier but iron ore rose.
Read MoreStrong May jobs data
There were no signs of weakness in the May jobs data, with nearly 40,000 new jobs, a small fall in unemployment, a drop in the jobless rate, and continuing high levels of participation.
Read MoreACCC raises competition concerns over Sigma Healthcare and Chemists Warehouse merger
The competition regulator, the ACCC, has raised questions about the planned $8.8 billion backward merger between Sigma Healthcare and Chemists Warehouse, citing ‘competition concerns’.
Read MoreEU imposes varied tariffs on Chinese EV imports
As widely expected, the European Union will impose significant tariffs on imports of Chinese battery-powered EVs. However, the tariffs will not be uniform and will vary from company to company.
Read MoreApple surpasses Microsoft as world’s most valuable company
The great Apple charge continued Wednesday, with the company’s market value topping Microsoft’s for a while during trading, regaining the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.
Read MoreFed maintains rates amid surprising inflation data
In an action-packed day, US inflation in May cooled slightly. The US Federal Reserve then held rates steady at its meeting but reduced the number of rate cuts it projects for this year to one from the forecast of two in March and three last December.
Read MoreMagmatic Resources and Fortescue Metals announce joint venture
In March, Magmatic Resources (ASX:MAG) announced a joint venture with Fortescue (ASX:FMG) for the Myall copper-gold prospect in central western NSW.
Read MoreCost pressures diverge in China and Japan
Ahead of the US inflation data and the Fed interest rate decision tonight and early tomorrow respectively, cost pressures continue to show different outcomes in two of Asia’s major economies.
Read MoreEvolution Mining faces production challenges
For the second quarter in a row, wet weather and seismic problems have cut Evolution Mining’s (ASX:EVN) gold output.
Read MoreCopper boomlet deflates amid rising inventories
The boomlet in copper was again deflated on Tuesday, with London Metal Exchange prices and Comex futures prices in New York touching their lowest levels in seven weeks due to pressure from rising inventories and currency volatility.
Read MoreBain’s Bid and Bapcor’s share saga
Interesting how the Bapcor (ASX:BAP) share didn’t get near the $5.40 trailed by Bain and Co in one of those airy-fairy non-binding indicative, perhaps-we-might-make-a-bid deals on Tuesday, revealed after the long weekend.
Read MoreApple’s AI leap
Apple has made fools of all those investors, analysts, and others who had been chiding it (and stronger) for falling behind in AI – its big launch Monday was "underwhelming," according to most critics.
Read MoreFrench Giant Saint-Gobain set to absorb CSR
CSR is set to be absorbed by the French giant Saint-Gobain after the Foreign Investment Review Board okayed the $4.3 billion offer for the local building products group.
Read MoreAlkane Resources faces gold production setback
Alkane Resources (ASX:ALK) surprised on Tuesday with a downgrade of its 2023-24 gold production and cost estimates for its Tomingley mine, even though the shares failed to reflect the news with an early session rise.
Read MoreNational Australia Bank’s May survey
The recent federal budget had no positive impact on business conditions and confidence, according to the May monthly survey from the National Australia Bank.
Read MoreBapcor considers non-binding offer from Bain Capital
Struggling automotive parts retailer and distributor, Bapcor (ASX:BAP), has confirmed that US private equity group Bain Capital has lobbed a non-binding offer at around $5.40 a share, approximately $1 above Friday’s close of $4.36.
Read MoreThe financial tides of Beach Energy
Beach Energy (ASX:BPT) has flagged more asset impairments for the year to June 30, with the total bill topping $1.1 billion.
Read MoreElon Musk threatens Apple ban over OpenAI integration
Elon Musk wants shareholders in Tesla to approve his controversial multi-billion dollar share deal at Thursday’s annual meeting. To show that he has their best interests at heart, he says he will ban Apple products from Tesla cars and other products if the phone giant integrates OpenAI’s technology into its iPhones.
Read MoreTesla’s Model Y dilemma
It’s no wonder Tesla CEO Elon Musk has knocked down stories that the company is planning to refresh its key seller, the Model Y EV, this year.
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China’s import trends in May
Amid the slower-than-forecast imports for China for May, the usual suspects – iron ore, copper, and coal – stood out, but oil slid, even though global prices were not all that strong.
Read MoreCentral Banks’ diverging paths
The US Federal Reserve meets this week, and one thing is certain: after the surprise surge in US job numbers in May, the Fed won’t be following the European Central Bank and Bank of Canada in cutting its key interest rates anytime soon.
Read MoreOPEC+ adapts amidst shifting oil markets
Reality drifted through global oil markets last week after OPEC+ bowed to reality and announced it would start easing its production caps, while keeping others in place until next year.
Read MoreDiary
After the excitement of last week, this week should be quieter, even though two central banks are meeting – The US Fed and the Bank of Japan on Friday. The May US consumer inflation report mid-week could trigger a return of volatility to markets if the data shows no change in US price pressures (as early forecasts suggest).
Read MoreMarket highlights: Tech earnings, investor concerns, Berkshire’s moves
A handful of results, and lots of annual meetings, are scheduled for the US and European markets this week.
Read MoreFailed BHP takeover sparks mining sector rally
BHP's (ASX:BHP) unsuccessful takeover attempt of Anglo American has invigorated the mining industry, boosting share prices and highlighting the sector's critical role in decarbonizing the global economy. Now, the challenge for executives is to convert this attention into the financial support needed to produce the metals required for renewable energy infrastructure.
Read MoreRecord temperatures drive early demand surge for fuel oil and renewable energy
Last year was the warmest on record since global data collection began in 1850, with extreme weather and prolonged heatwaves pushing temperatures 1.18°C above the 20th-century average. This year, heatwaves have already affected the Middle East and Southeast Asia, starting as early as April, indicating a busy year ahead for power companies.
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