Markets: Profits Carry Warning For Australian Investors
The Australian market got a big reality check last week from two directions.
Read MoreThe Australian market got a big reality check last week from two directions.
Read MoreUS sharemarkets finished the week with barely a spark as economic data gave little reason to reverse the downturn in sentiment triggered by the Fed’s cutting of its economic outlook and several poor data announcements in the three days afterwards.
Read MoreWorld oil prices fell for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, taking the drop to more than $US6 a barrel or more than 6%, as commodity investors reassessed their forecasts in the wake of the downgrading in US economic growth by the Fed and the continued cooling of the Chinese economy.
Read MoreAfter the sudden change in market sentiment last week after the US Federal Reserve’s meeting and downgrading of the US economy, we can look forward to more concerns on markets here and offshore this week.
Read MoreCash rich, profit poor might describe the plight of Telstra after yesterday’s 2010 earnings report and outlook.
Read MoreInvestors shrugged off the lack of a final dividend from Qantas after the airline yesterday reported another tough year with a 5.7% fall in full-year net profit to $116 million.
Read MoreIn contrast to the lower result from Telstra, Singapore Telecommunications said yesterday that Optus’ net profit was up steeply in the June quarter, thanks to the strongest growth in five years.
Read MoreCoca-Cola Amatil says it made a record net profit in the six months to June, thanks to price rises which helped offset slow consumption growth.
Read MoreAustralian unemployment rose to 5.3% yesterday in something of a surprise, but the Australian Bureau of Statistics has recast the labour force data in a major revamp, which has boosted the number of people in the labour force and the number of people working and unemployed.
Read MoreNo wonder the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) says it is cautious about its prospects for the 2011 financial year, despite posting a 42% rise in cash profit to a record $6.10 billion for the year to June.
Read MoreMore evidence yesterday that China’s economy is cooling, despite a rise in consumer price inflation thanks to the surge in food prices from the bad floods of the past month.
Read MoreStockland, Australia’s biggest residential property trust, might have stormed back to full-year profit because of increased sales in its residential communities business, and no asset impairment losses, but its taking a very circumspect view of the next year.
Read MoreThe slump in global markets in the June quarter, as well as in Australia, has cut the number of takeovers, global and local floats and dropped sharemarket trading, so Computershare, the major share registry business was bound to be hurt.
Read MoreEven as consumer confidence rises, business confidence and conditions remain weak.
Read MoreChina’s economy remains solid, with exports up in July to a record, imports down, property prices falling, car sales strong, but easing and imports of iron ore ands copper both up on lows in June.
Read MoreNow there’s either no good news in the latest business confidence and conditions update from the National Australia Bank, some good news, or a big worry.
Read MoreThe US Federal Reserve has taken a tiny step to boost the US economy, but it was also a big step in terms of policy switch.
Read MoreCochlear Ltd has booked a 19% lift in annual net profit, and says the dynamics of the hearing implant industry remain positive.
Read MoreNational Australia Bank says it had quarterly cash earnings of $1.1 billion in the June quarter, in line with the quarterly average of the first half, as personal and business lending grew modestly.
Read MoreThe long running takeover battle for AXA Asia Pacific Holdings will run for another month at least after the ACCC said it would consult the market on the latest attempt by the National Australia Bank to get the bid approved.
Read MoreIgnore the reports that the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has reported a 189.5% increase in full-year net profit.
Read MoreEven the high performing consumer electronics retailer and discounter JB HI Fi couldn’t avoid the second half slowdown in sales growth that hit retailing from March onwards.
Read MoreWe got updates from two completely different parts of the economy yesterday with very contrasting pictures revealed.
Read MoreThe June housing finance figures were just terrible.
Read MoreA big, week for the US, China, Australia and in fact, for the global economic recovery.
Read MoreSwallow hard and believe this, the Reserve Bank sees a "robust’ (their description) growth rate for Australia in 2011 and 2012, but doesn’t see that causing too many problems.
Read MoreWheat was the focus last week for commodity markets and for equities where commodity groups’ shares rose sharply, but some big food groups saw their share prices come under pressure.
Read MoreAmerican shares recovered after earlier losses on Friday in the wake of the release of poor July jobs figures.
Read MoreWarren Buffett turns 80 on the 30th of this month, and as an unwelcome advance present, his Berkshire Hathaway company has again underlined what a treacherous investment financial derivatives can be.
Read MoreRio Tinto has well and truly recovered from its self-inflicted near death experience in 2008-09 that saw it almost fall into Chinese hands.
Read MoreThe National Australia Bank bid for AXA Asia Pacific just won’t go way for a rest, it keeps coming back to remind us of its complexity.
Read MoreSo much for the idea that gambling is a recession-proof industry; it hasn’t been in the US where many casinos have collapsed and yesterday industry giant Tabcorp revealed results that confirm it wasn’t in the year to June 30, with sluggish spenders and more intense competition cutting into the profit line.
Read MoreThere are a growing number of gold bears emerging from hibernation.
Read MoreOn the face of it, news of a possible halt to Indian iron ore exports is good news for the likes of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale of Brazil and Fortescue Metals and a cast of hopefuls.
Read MoreExport income surging, the service sector cooling, house prices still growing but more slowly, and car sales still positive but also showing signs of slowing.
Read MoreAfter the news on the trade boom yesterday, other reports on the economy were not so upbeat.
Read MoreAnother private equity retailing ‘success’ story bites the dust within a few months of being sold into the market.
Read MoreWealth manager AXA Asia Pacific Holdings yesterday met its updated July guidance for its profit and investment returns for the June 30 half year, but the company’s outlook remains as clouded as ever by the ongoing attempt by the National Australia Bank to craft a deal that will pass muster with the competition regulator, the ACCC.
Read MoreKerry Stokes’ Seven Group Holdings will be happy; the partly-owned associate West Australian Newspapers is more than doubling final dividend after a 10% rise in profit for the 2010 financial year.
Read MoreNo rate rise from the Reserve Bank yesterday, and no signals for what might happen in future months, as we got from September 2009 to May of this year.
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