Economies: China, India Japan Face Tougher 2012 Outlook
Some of our most vital export markets are facing a worsening in growth prospects for 2012.
Read MoreSome of our most vital export markets are facing a worsening in growth prospects for 2012.
Read MoreIt’s a difficult task being the CEO of a big Australian bank: they have to sound concerned, informed and above all authoritative, as we saw with Westpac’s Gail Kelly yesterday, and will hear from the NAB’s Cameron Clyne later today and from the ANZ’s Mike Smith tomorrow.
Read MoreThe Reserve Bank’s biggest concern at the moment is the eurozone crisis: those fears have driven the rate cuts in November and this month and judging by a speech in Sydney yesterday from Deputy Governor Ric Battellino.
Read MoreAccording to the market, APA Group’s $1.06 billion takeover offer for fellow pipeliner, Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund (HDF), is over before the shouting starts.
Read MoreThe US Federal Reserve was faced with difficult choice overnight, how to sound concerned, but not too worried about an American economy which is showing more and more signs of life.
Read MoreAs opposed to some earlier reports on business confidence and conditions this year from the National Australia Bank, the November report out yesterday, is pretty conventional.
Read MoreThe pace of Chinese imports may have slowed in November, to a ‘weak’ 13.8% annual rate from a year earlier, but that wasn’t the whole story.
Read MorePoor and not so poor news for iron ore and resource companies in the steelmaking materials businesses.
Read MoreThe impact of China’s slowing economy on our export performance was clearly shown yesterday, but home loans rose for yet another month.
Read MoreRatings group Standard and Poor’s and Europe’s banks have emerged as the big worry points for markets in the wake of the latest deals from the EU and eurozone.
Read MoreWe can expect China to move more quickly in changing monetary and fiscal policy next year after a flood of weak economic data for November over the weekend, and a rare statement from the country’s senior policy making group on economic policy in the coming year.
Read MoreEurope of course will dominate the week ahead as the fallout from last week’s summits continues, and the impact of the move by Britain to stand alone and not participate is examined by markets.
Read MoreIt’s now up to the 17 eurozone leaders to come up with something dramatic to regain the confidence of markets after the European Central Bank refused to backstop the zone in bond markets.
Read MoreAt the end of a big week for the Australian economy, there are definite signs the jobs market is going sour.
Read MoreAustralia’s Reserve Bank cut rates this week, but NZ’s Reserve Bank resisted the temptation to follow and sat pat yesterday, leaving its key rate at 2.5%, despite warning that the economy is slowing.
Read MoreIf it hadn’t been for the looming crisis in Europe, there wouldn’t have been interest rate cuts last month and this month from the Reserve Bank after the release of figures yesterday showing a solid rise in third quarter economic growth.
Read MoreAnd while the bank bashing continued (rightfully) against the big four, there was good news for a couple of the regions and a bit of bad news for another, from the final round of re-ratings from Standard & Poor’s.
Read MoreA case of battening down the hatches and preparing the economy for worse to come?
Read MoreThe market turmoil in November, ignoring the stellar final three days of the month, has had an impact on not only the performance of the market, but also on IPOs and other fund raising.
Read MoreInfrastructure services, group, UGL has concluded the purchase of UK property consultancy DTZ Holdings for 77.5 million pounds ($A118 million), in a move to expand its corporate property services and growth in China.
Read MoreAs we have just read, the Reserve Bank board meets today to look at interest rates and the state of the economy as we head into 2012.
Read MoreWorld stocks edged higher on Friday, ending the best week since March 2009 as the great relief rally of 2011 halted for a breather ahead of the decisive week ahead.
Read MoreThe flow of economic data and decisions will perhaps be the most important week this year and for the early months of next year for the global economy, and especially Europe and Australia.
Read MoreAs pointed out in the Diary (see below), the coming week is going to be crucial for the future of the euro and Europe’s slumping economy.
Read MoreRetail sales rose 0.2% in October, but building approvals slumped thanks partly to a sharp fall in private residential approvals.
Read MoreNo wonder China moved to ease monetary policy by trimming its controls on bank lending.
Read MoreAustralia’s big four banks had their credit ratings cut by a Standard & Poor’s as a result of major changes in the criteria it uses to assess risk.
Read MoreA big day for Metcash yesterday, with a reasonable and a convincing win over the ACCC on its $200 million takeover of the Franklins supermarket chain in NSW.
Read MoreThe resources boom powers on, according to the September quarter private investment data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday.
Read MoreA dramatic end to November overnight with markets in Europe and the US soaring on the news that six major central banks had moved to ease funding pressures and China made its first monetary policy easing in three years.
Read MoreThe resources boom is well and truly alive, as we saw yesterday, and will have more confirmation of the size of the boom later today.
Read MoreThe contrast couldn’t have been more telling.
Read MoreBrisbane-based Campbell Brothers expects full year net profit to be in the range of $200 million to $220 million, after reporting a 54% jump in first half profit.
Read MoreIt’s not quite clear why Qantas shares rose strongly yesterday.
Read MoreIt was good timing for Rio Tinto to hold its quarterly investor update yesterday; the bounce on markets on reports of moves to try and fix the eurozone crisis offset an escalation in warnings from the company about the impact of the volatility on customer demand and sales.
Read MoreSo is this the "Big Bazooka" than many have said that Europe needs to convince sceptical markets that the eurozone crisis can be controlled and conquered?
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