Economics

US corporate profits are set to achieve their fastest growth rate in nearly three years, providing a substantial lift to the stock market as it approaches record levels in the latter half of the year.

Nvidia has emerged as a standout performer in the financial markets during the first half of 2024, with its stock soaring by an impressive 150%. This surge has notably outpaced the S&P 500 index, which saw a more modest 15% increase over the same period, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

In a pivotal move for environmental conservation, a ban on Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) has been implemented in Arctic waters, aiming to mitigate its profound ecological impact. HFO, a thick and economical fuel favored by many shipping vessels, is notorious for emitting significant amounts of black carbon, accelerating the melting of Arctic ice and snow.

America’s eight banking giants revealed their capital management plans late Friday after the US Federal Reserve had cleared them in the latest stress test of the health of the country’s financial system.

Australia's export earnings from natural resources dropped by roughly 10% over 2023-24 and are forecast to fall further in the coming year, according to the June quarter Resource and Energy Quarterly, released on Monday.

Are the growing number of rare earth projects in Australia and elsewhere starting to force China onto the back foot?

Anglo American has closed an underground coal mine in central Queensland after a fire broke out over the weekend.

In a weekend media interview, Warren Buffett revealed a substantial change to his planning for his $US128 billion-plus estate, confirming that his three children will play a major role after his death. He also announced that the Gates Foundation, established by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his then-wife Melinda, will no longer be included in his post-death planning.

A significant 35-point drop is anticipated on the first day of ASX trading in the 2024-25 financial year, likely to become a frequent occurrence in the months ahead amidst mounting uncertainties surrounding inflation, the global economy, and politics.

Global iron ore prices ended the 2023-24 financial year with a reasonable 11% gain.

Gold dominated, reaching a record of $US2,454 an ounce on Comex in May, closing the month, quarter, and half-year at $US2,336.98—an increase of 0.06% for the week, down 0.46% for June, but up 3.46% for the past three months and nearly 13% for the year to date by Friday.

This week will see some important data and decisions emerge that will tell us a lot about the health of the global EV market and the strength of the auto transition.

Happy new financial year in Australia, and happy new quarter elsewhere. There is more drama from the French elections on Sunday and the UK polls this Thursday.

Oil prices start the new month, quarter, and financial year today on the back foot after a soft end to June.

And now there are five, the so-called Magnificent Seven having dropped a couple of amigos on the way to driving Wall Street to a 14% plus gain in the six months to June 28.

So, what’s the fallout from the surprise 4% annual reading of monthly inflation from the Australian Bureau of Statistics? There was the usual ‘rate rise looms’ knee-jerk reaction from some quarters, but most analysts and economists cautioned that while the news is not good, it shouldn’t generate a premature reaction.

The Tesla Cybertruck EV costs around $100,000 USD and is a sales sluggard, according to data from the US government.

Buried in the production data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics for May were a couple of data points that tell different stories about the health of China’s huge steel industry, the most important business in that country so far as Australia is concerned.

Volkswagen has sprung a major surprise by acquiring a $1 billion stake in the struggling U.S. EV maker Rivian, making the German giant the latest major company to partner with the smaller U.S. rival.

Gold might have gained early on Friday, but like oil, it eased as the session went on. However, similar to oil, it is still heading into the final week of the second quarter and first half with notable gains.

Oil prices might have had a good week, but American companies continue to chase productivity with another cut to active rig numbers last week.

The final week of the 2023-24 financial year, the second quarter of 2024, and the first half of the same year is approaching, so companies and investors are reviewing their books to ensure the best performance can be reported.

Nvidia dragged Wall Street markets lower on Friday, but they still ended the week higher, albeit a bit stretched.

Booming share prices for Australia’s big four banks – Commonwealth, NAB, ANZ, and Westpac – have saved investors from a miserable first half of 2024 and ensured the market performed better than inflation over the 2023-24 financial year, which ends next Sunday.

The sell-off in Trump Media accelerated Thursday, with shares losing 15% in a day of high turnover.

As temperatures plummet on the East Coast, a dual threat looms: a shortfall in gas supplies exacerbated by a lack of renewable power generation. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has issued a stark "threat notice," cautioning that current conditions could lead to peak day shortfalls in gas supply across NSW, Victoria, the ACT, South Australia, and Tasmania, persisting possibly until the end of September.