Minerals: Behind The March Quarter’s Export Slump
Figures out this week flesh out the dramatic impact of the floods and cyclones on Australia’s minerals sector in the three months to March.
Read MoreFigures out this week flesh out the dramatic impact of the floods and cyclones on Australia’s minerals sector in the three months to March.
Read MoreSlowly but surely Japan’s recovery from the terrible impact of the March 11 quake, tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear crisis is growing stronger.
Read MoreOur market has lurched downwards in sympathy for the rest of the world on Thursday as local investors large and small (and the hedge funds and other short term players) reckoned the bad news from Greece and the US economy was bad news for us.
Read MoreUnderstandably, global investors continued trimming their positions in the past month, remaining defensive, as they tried to work out whether the current Wall of Worry was a repeat of 2010’s or more serious.
Read MoreAustralia’s winter grain crops are in very good shape, according to the quarterly update from the country’s premier forecaster, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.
Read MoreQantas Airways has hacked into its overly ambitious expansion plans for the second time in three months as weak growth and high fuel cost carve a hole through the company’s operations.
Read MoreNewcrest Mining, the country’s biggest gold miner (and Number 4 in the world) has flexed its muscles and expanded its domination of the local industry.
Read MoreConsumer sentiment is at its lowest level in two years, as cautious households worry about interest rates, taxes and the economy.
Read MoreFocus will now centre on the August meeting of the Reserve Bank board for the next possible rate rise after comments yesterday by Governor Glenn Stevens in a speech in Brisbane.
Read MorePrivate equity has a lot of questions to answer (if the various groups can ever be bothered) about why their business model is supposed to be so good, especially for retail.
Read MoreEight hours or so after IAG issued its investor day update, QBE, the country’s biggest insurer, revealed that while its expecting as 50% to 60% rise in first half earnings, the spate of natural disasters would play havoc with its insurance returns.
Read MoreWe had further confirmation yesterday that the Australian economy is struggling to recover from the flood-related slowdown in the first quarter of the year and cautious consumers who are saving, not spending worrying retailers, but pleasing banks with their higher savings.
Read MoreNot the best way to start an investor day briefing for Insurance Australia management with news of another round of earthquakes and damage from Christchurch headlining news broadcasts and at the forefront of investor’s thinking.
Read MoreChina’s central bank last night raised bank reserve ratios on Tuesday for the ninth time in nine months last October after consumer price inflation jumped to an annual rate of 5.5% in may, the highest for 34 months.
Read MoreOnce again markets have looked at China’s monthly trade figures and fretted and fussed about a slowdown or a bust in 2013 (why?) or suggested that the economy is heading into no man’s land.
Read MoreAccording to one view, China’s import data in May was fairly benign; according to other views, it’s a signal of a gathering slowdown.
Read MoreJudging by the market outlook commentaries over the weekend and last night, it’s going to be a seventh negative week for global markets this week.
Read MoreThe most important announcement for the Australian and global markets will be the second round of Chinese data for May due out later today.
Read MoreThe May import figures for copper upset the applecart among commodity punters large and small.
Read MoreThe stories and figures confirming the high level of consumer caution and savings in Australia, are dominating much business thinking.
Read MoreDrift is a bad thing in economic policy and in an economy generally, it can indicate a lack of momentum, an absence of strong policy making, or an economy that just won’t answer the helm.
Read MoreAnother test of China’s economy and for the belief the shorting bears in the west who see nothing but the negative.
Read MoreAs expected, NZ’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate at a record low yesterday, despite more signs the country’s economy is bouncing back strongly from the devastating impact of the second Christchurch earthquake.
Read MoreThe May jobs figures confirm what the Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens suggested in his post meeting statement on Tuesday, the labour market is cooling.
Read MoreIt’s an old story: a new CEO comes into a moderate performer and a few months later out comes the axe and a bit of slash and burn, a big loss and the decks are cleared so the new boss can look good.
Read MoreSo much for all the doom and gloom about high taxes, such as the mining and carbon tax coming from the mining industry.
Read MoreForeign investors are not letting Japan’s rough trot upset them, or the fear of a credit rating downgrade worry them; they are continuing to load up on Japanese securities, according to figures released yesterday.
Read MoreDon’t go overboard about a housing rebound after the April housing finance stats showed a bigger than expected 4.8% rise in new home loans.
Read MoreTwo statements from Stockland Holdings yesterday failed to have a dramatic impact on the share price, but they did show the way the company is changing its orientation.
Read MoreThree week ago, Penrice Soda Holdings downgraded earnings and saw its shares fall more than 11% in a day and then a lot more as investors deserted the tiny company.
Read MoreShares in Troy Resources rose 4% yesterday after the company revealed a plan to return to paying dividends.
Read MoreVirgin Australia continues to construct a strategy to take on Qantas with the news that it has entered into a partnership with the powerful Singapore Airlines.
Read MoreNo rate rise from the Reserve Bank, in fact it was a bit more of the same according to yesterday’s post meeting statement from Governor Glenn Stevens.
Read MoreGrocery wholesaler Metcash Ltd has met and topped its reduced guidance and reported a 6% rise in annual profit for the 2011 financial year, but it has warned that it still faces challenging conditions over the rest of the calendar year.
Read MoreA successful divorce for casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group, which was spun out of gambling giant Tabcorp Holdings last week.
Read MoreAustralian farmers remain highly confident about the outlook as they approach the winter cropping season (mostly for wheat, the most important crop of all).
Read MoreNow this is a more significant outcome from the monthly ANZ jobs ads series.
Read MoreFancy a punt?
Read MoreIt was no wonder shares in mineral sands group, Iluka jumped more than 8% yesterday to a new record high.
Read MoreAnother rotten week for markets around the globe, with most notching a fifth week in a row in the red.
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