US: Debt Deal, More Smoke And Mirrors
So there’s an agreement on the US debt ceiling and spending cuts?
Read MoreSo there’s an agreement on the US debt ceiling and spending cuts?
Read MoreThe US debt debacle, central bank meetings in Australia, Japan, Europe and the UK, manufacturing surveys in all major economies starting later today with China and more corporate profits in Australia, the US, Europe and Asia.
Read MoreThe debt debacle overshadows the outlook for markets.
Read MoreThere’s no way to hide the unpalatable fact: the US economy, the world’s biggest, has stalled and prospects of a slide into recession can’t be dismissed, especially if the debt ceiling remains unresolved.
Read MoreFor much of last decade Australia’s outlook wasn’t an issue for investors.
Read MoreWesfarmers’ shares partly recovered from a sharp and irrational sell-off yesterday after it released its 4th quarter financial year 2011 sales figures for its Coles and Bunnings retail chains.
Read MoreTonight we get the first estimate of US second quarter economic growth and the news is not expected to be convincing.
Read MoreStruggling industrial conglomerate Alesco Corporation seems to have emerged from a couple of years of tough times, losses and lean profits.
Read MoreThe resources boom and subsequent higher terms of trade continue to pay off for Brisbane company, Campbell Brothers.
Read MoreReserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens has once again demolished a storyline from the investment markets that had developed about retailing and consumer spending.
Read MoreInflation and interest rates will grab the headlines in Australia this week with the all important June quarter consumer price index figures due out on Wednesday.
Read MoreOnly one issue this week for markets to fret over, the US debt ceiling brawl which seems to be continuing towards a very large cliff with no real attempt to resolve it once and for all.
Read MoreAnother big week here, in the US and Asia.
Read MoreConflicting reports yesterday on the state of health of our two major export customers, China and Japan.
Read MoreBig global and regional fund managers continued to dump European shares in July, but were more optimistic about Japan and Chinese growth.
Read MoreBuried yesterday’s BHP Billiton exploration and development report for the 4th quarter and for all of the 2011 financial year was another major story for the world’s biggest mining company.
Read MoreBesides the expansion of its Chilean and Peruvian copper resources, BHP also achieved production records in four commodities with production of iron ore posting its 11th consecutive record.
Read MoreMore of the same for the year ahead was the call from major retailer Woolworths yesterday in the wake of the release of the financial year and 4th quarter sales figures.
Read MoreOZ Minerals shares edged higher yesterday as the company maintained confidence it would meet its full year copper and gold production targets.
Read MoreWoodside Petroleum managed to align higher production and rising oil and gas prices in the June quarter and it paid off.
Read MoreNo rate rise and no rate cut. The Reserve Bank has explained while its prudent to wait longer than many in the market thinks to see if an increase should occur this year.
Read MoreOnce again a major listed investment company has signalled an investment stance by what it didn’t do in relation to a solid rise in profit for its latest financial year.
Read MoreMeanwhile Santos, which already owns 21% of Eastern Star Gas, will take control of the company via an agreed bid and then sell 20% of its permits to TRUenergy.
Read MoreSo much for fears about mining resource taxes or the carbon tax.
Read MoreA less frenetic week would normally be expected this week after the volatile trading conditions and poor data flow last week, but with the unofficial deadline of Friday night, our time, for the US debt ceiling/spending cuts talks to reach some sort of agreement, tension will remain high until a deal emerges.
Read MoreThe debt crisis in Europe and the one approaching in the US helped gold go higher last week.
Read MoreWill the markets have more of what upset them last week, or will things become more strained if the US debt talks fail to make progress and Europe again wobbles?
Read MoreContrasting reports from our two biggest miners.
Read MoreThere were a lot of interesting trends in the June monthly and half yearly economic figures, beyond the headline grabbing data on growth, trade and inflation.
Read MoreThere have been three major disasters in the first three months of this year in the Pacific region: the Japanese quake and tsunami ranks the highest for the human and financial costs, followed by the Christchurch quakes in New Zealand and then the Queensland (and Brisbane) floods and cyclone.
Read MoreDepartment store group, David Jones issued a shock profit downgrade last night, blaming a dramatic deterioration in trading conditions.
Read MoreAs expected, Australian consumer sentiment has fallen to its lowest level in over two years, battered lower by a combination of negative media reporting, the slowdown in domestic spending by consumers, the noisy carbon tax debate and the worries about interest rates.
Read MoreMore confirmation of slowing in the Chinese economy, but so far it’s not too dangerous, but inflation remains a big concern.
Read MoreThe sell off accelerated yesterday in Asia, but slowed overnight.
Read MoreAnd there was Bob Brown, leader of The Greens and his mates telling us they wanted to see the end of the coal mining industry, and then we had a plethora of commentators telling us the carbon tax would see miners head offshore, while jobs and investment would be lost.
Read MoreAnother knock to business confidence in June with conditions remaining subdued, despite a small pick last month, according to the latest National Australia Bank survey of business confidence and conditions.
Read MoreA whiff of something better in the economy, a statistical blip or something else?
Read MoreThe eurozone debt crisis is taking a new and more dangerous course, with signs that contagion is spreading to Italy, Europe’s third biggest economy.
Read MoreThe Australian stock market was whacked by a combination of fears about the carbon tax, China losing control of its economy, the worsening health of the US economy and the focus on Italy as markets search for a new focus in Europe’s debt woes.
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