BUSINESS

What’s Quite Clear About Australian Property These Days

We went to our first house auction on the weekend. We wanted to see just how 'hot' this market is. It was a beautiful sunny day in Melbourne, and there was a small crowd gathered around the 'cosy' (read small) two bedroom weatherboard St Kilda home.

Why Central Banks Are Not Printing Money

It really pays to set up shop in close proximity to a central bank. Australian banks, who have surrounded the Reserve Bank of Australia (the bank in the centre), are raking it in. Yesterday the Commonwealth Bank announced a first quarter profit of $2.1 billion, up 14% on the same quarter last year.
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Australian Stock Market Report – Midday 11/7/13

The Australian share market is modestly weaker at lunchtime in the East, despite US blue chip stocks recording solid performances overnight. The US Dow Jones Index closed at record highs, although weaker than expected earnings from electric car maker Tesla weighed on the NASDAQ.

Oprah Winfrey Shares Her Favorite Things In 2013

Oprah Winfrey has unveiled her favorite things in 2013. Each year, the Queen of Talk Shows makes a list of her favorite things and shares it with her viewers, even giving away some of these amazing products to lucky fans. Are you wondering what made her fabulous list this time around? Listed below are 10 of Oprah Winfrey's favorite things in 2013.

Gold Not Safe Right Now

By Jonathan BarrattGold looks to be suffering, as we mentioned last week. The move have not been aggressive, regardless of ongoing stimulus.

Global Markets Overview – 11/7/13

Global equities managed to push higher despite some key event risk approaching. Some positive data prints from Europe and more taper talk were at the forefront of the equity price moves. Fed member Williams said he wants to see a fairly convincing case that the economy can grow faster than recent trend before reducing asset purchases. Meanwhile Pianalto hopes the recovery will accelerate to allow the Fed to taper. This is probably the most dovish we've heard Fed members since the meeting and ...

Australian Stock Market Report – Morning 11/7/13

In US economic news, the leading index rose by 0.7pct in September, just above forecasts. Planned layoffs by companies lifted by 40,289 to 45,730 in October according to Challenger. And the mortgage market index fell by 7pct in the latest week with purchases down 5.2pct and refinancing down 7.9pct.

The Right Time for Buying an Electric Car

Eight States pledge for Zero-Emission Vehicles. Governors of eight states announced a groundbreaking initiative to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) on the roads by 2025.

EU Misspent Nearly $9 Billion Of Budget In 2012: Auditors

Approximately 6.6 billion euros ($8.9 billion) in European Union funds were misallocated or lost to inefficient expenditure schemes last year, according to the bloc's official auditors on Tuesday, marking a 0.9 percentage point rise from the previous year and the third year in a row that inefficient spending have rose.

Australian Stock Market Report – Afternoon 11/6/13

A reasonable performance from local stocks to end flat after the early deficit seen in the first ten minutes of trade. The ASX200 was at its best levels around the open when it was up by 1.5 points. Not long thereafter the lows were put in place when the index was down by 26 points. The market spent the remainder of the session trading higher, and by the final bell it just crossed the line into positive territory.

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday 11/6/13

Australian shares are lower for the fourth time in five trading sessions, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down by 0.3 per cent. Despite low volumes yesterday (generally around 30% quieter than usual on Melbourne Cup day), local stocks rose by 0.75 per cent, which is still keeping the market positive this week.

This Time Really Is Different

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportOne of the greatest mistakes you can make in this finance and investing caper is to fall for the old defence of an improbable explanation or argument that "this time it is different.

Global Markets Overview – 11/6/13

We continue to see a cautious tone in global equities, with the bulls sceptical about adding to longs as the tapering debate ramps up. A better-than-expected ISM non-manufacturing PMI (55.4 versus 54.2 expected) set the tone for the tapering argument.

Australian Stock Market Report – Morning 11/6/13

In US economic news, the ISM services index rose from 54.4 to 55.4 in October, ahead of forecasts centred on a reading near 54.0. The employment component rose from 52.7 to 56.2. And weekly chain store sales, as monitored by Redbook, were up 3.8pct on a year ago, ahead of the 3.6pct gain in the previous week.

Apple Inc's iPad Air Boosts Adoption Rate; supports Employment Nondiscrimination Act

Apple Inc has released the iPad Air in its stores in Nov. 1 and is expected to show strong opening weekend sales. Investors who are concerned with the sales performance of Apple's latest tablet may be happy to know that the iPad Air has a higher adoption rate than the previous iPad. Mobile analytics company Fiksu reported that the iPad Air had five times the adoption rate of the iPad 4 during the first three days of sale.

Australian Stock Market Report – Afternoon 11/5/13

The Australian sharemarket rose for the first time in four trading days, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) gaining by 0.8 per cent or 41pts to 5425.7. Most of the key data globally is out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; namely Chinese and American economic data.

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