US markets returned to trade on a positive note, with the S&P rallying to yet another record of 1,912. Not only did the S&P print a record high, it also closed right at the highs, which is a positive sign and says a lot about momentum. Sentiment was lifted by a string of positive data releases out of the US, including durable goods orders and the Case Shiller house price index. Both indicators were quite positive and confirmed the US continues to bounce back after a tough start to the year. As ...
Vittorio Hernandez
May 28, 2014
In US economic data, the 20-city S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index lifted by a larger than expected 1.2% in March and was up 12.4% on a year ago. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence index rose by 1.3 points to 83.0 in May. The regional manufacturing indices were mixed, with the Dallas Fed index retreating from +11.7 to +8.0 in May, while the Richmond Fed index remained at +7 in May. US durable goods orders rose by 0.8% in April after an upwardly revised 3.6% in March.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 28, 2014
Coffee giant Starbucks sold its 24 stores in Australia to The Withers Group, which owns the 7-Eleven franchise in the country covering 600 outlets. Prior to the sale, Starbucks, which opened its first store in Sydney in 2000, was wholly owned by Starbucks in the U.S., based in Seattle.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 28, 2014
Apple devices across Australia had been reportedly hacked with hackers claiming ransom
Athena Yenko
May 27, 2014
Time Inc. has decided to break the long tradition of keeping advertisements from magazine covers.
Daniel Joseph Cruz
May 27, 2014
The ASX 200 spent the afternoon session consolidating having surrendered a 17 point improvement in early trade. The lack of direction felt from the closure of Wall St overnight remained in place in the 2nd half of the day. Volumes were a feature in that that were unusually low with less than $3.6 bln in shares changing hands. Most sectors were higher at the close of trade although the gains were unspectacular.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 27, 2014
Wearables in mobile enterprise computing is betted as an exploding market for investors come 2020
Athena Yenko
May 27, 2014
Sony is set to market its gaming consoles Playstation 4 (PS4) and PS Vita to China since the game console ban has been lifted.
Tanya Diente
May 27, 2014
Apple Inc is reportedly gearing up its home automation software to be introduce in the upcoming WWDC
Athena Yenko
May 27, 2014
The Australian share market is only slightly firmer at lunchtime in the East, after US and UK markets were closed overnight for public holidays.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 27, 2014
A study released by University of Canterbury on Tuesday said nightlife in the 2011 quake stricken Christchurch in New Zealand has bounce back as much as 95 per cent to pre-earthquake levels.
Esther Tanquintic-Misa
May 27, 2014
The electronics giant is all set to make and sell PlayStations for the vest first time in China.
Sounak Mukhopadhyay
May 27, 2014
Apple Inc stock has significantly declined in the portfolios of major tech investors compared to stocks of companies like Microsoft and HP in an analysis from Morgan Stanley. According to the report, analysts believe the low portfolio allocation will benefit Apple Inc as it prepares to release new products soon including the iPhone 6 and long-rumoured i-Watch.
Reissa Su
May 27, 2014
With the US and UK closed for bank holidays, attention was solely in Europe where we finally saw sentiment swing positive. The highlight of the session were comments by ECB President Mario Draghi which essentially confirmed that action will be taken at the June 5 policy meeting. Draghi discussed the possibility of negative deposit rates, further LTROs and a broad-based asset purchase programme. He also made it clear that they were concerned about an undesirable tightening of monetary conditions ...
Vittorio Hernandez
May 27, 2014
European shares rose on Monday following uneventful European Union elections and a decisive result in presidential elections in Ukraine. Reuters reports ´´Results from around the 28-nation bloc showed pro-European centre-left and centre-right parties will keep control of around 70 percent of the 751-seat EU legislature, but the number of Eurosceptic members will more than double.´´ In Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire chocolate manufacturer, record an emphatic victory in presidential elec...
Vittorio Hernandez
May 27, 2014
The Australian share market started the trading week in positive territory, following gains on offshore markets on Friday. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed at its highs of the day, up 20.1pts or 0.4 per cent to 5490.4 points, while the ASX 200 (XJO) finished above 5500 points at 5512.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 26, 2014
BBC Worldwide confirmed the premiere of its new Australian channel, BBC First on Aug 3
Athena Yenko
May 26, 2014
Samsung is working on a smartwatch that combines the ability to make 'phone calls,' along with capturing images, and sending emails. It is worth noting that, in order to make or receive phone calls, the upcoming 'stand-alone' smartwatch need not be connected to a smartphone.
Pavithra Rathinavel
May 26, 2014
Local stocks saw a flat start to the trading week on Monday. Selling intentions harboured by participants were stymied by the strong finish seen for US stocks at the conclusion of last week which saw the broader US market end at record highs on Friday.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 26, 2014
Nine Samsung phone models face ban from Apple Inc.
Athena Yenko
May 26, 2014
Equities managed to get into the weekend on a positive note, but developments out of the weekend remain on the European front. The dominant theme from Friday's session was modest US dollar strength with a solid new home sales reading helping sentiment along. The greenback enjoyed good strength against the yen and the euro, with USD/JPY nudging the 102 level. This puts the Nikkei in a very good position at the open today and we are currently calling it up 0.8% to 14,573.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 26, 2014
In US economic data, new home sales rose by 6.4% to a 433,000 annual pace in April, above forecasts centred on result near 425,000. The weekly Economic Cycle Research Institute index eased from 136.3 to 135.1 in the latest week but is up 5.0% on a year ago.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 26, 2014
Australia's richest family, the Rineharts, continue to be divided by their feud over the family billions of dollars wealth.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 26, 2014
Despite May about to end in one week, an April Fool's Day joke by Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson fooled CCTV, China's state broadcaster.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 26, 2014
After a volatile week ,the ASX 200 has ended in positive territory, albeit by a small margin of 0.25%. The transformative event of the week was the improved reading on Chinese manufacturing on Thursday which provided the mining sector with a timely fillip following the selling seen at the start of the week. Miners ended lower as a group although this came after the strong gains seen on Thursday. Gold miners were one of the weak spots in the resource sector. St Barbara Limited (SBM), an Australia...
Vittorio Hernandez
May 23, 2014
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) toppled Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as top holding of hedge funds and as world’s most valuable brand
Athena Yenko
May 23, 2014
The Australian sharemarket continues to make up for the tough start to the week, with better than expected signs for China's manufacturing industry yesterday and modest gains in U.S. markets overnight helping. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.3 per cent, with only the miners and energy stocks losing ground at lunch.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 23, 2014
Consumer confidence in Australia dropped to its newest level in over two years as Australians begin to worry about the impact of the Abbott government's budget on their family's finances. According to reports, the Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment declined 6.8 per cent in May to its lowest level since August 2011.
Reissa Su
May 23, 2014
Australians currently in Thailand, and even those who need to go there, have been strongly warned to exercise all necessary precautions, following the confirmation of a military coup. Travel insurance companies have expressed the policies of travelling Australians in Thailand may be cancelled because of the development.
May 23, 2014
Equities extended their gains in US trade on the back of some encouraging manufacturing readings, particularly from China and the US. China's HSBC manufacturing PMI reading hit a five-month high yesterday and triggered strength across the risk space in Asian trade. Meanwhile in Europe the readings were mixed with manufacturing mostly weaker resulting in further strain in the single currency.
Vittorio Hernandez
May 23, 2014
