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Australian Stock Market Report – Midday 7/9/13

Following on from a 0.6 per cent fall yesterday, the Australian market is being pushed higher by global market strength. Overnight, US stocks rose for the third straight session, while the major European markets improved by as much as 2 per cent thanks to solid data. On the economic front, Chinese inflation remains under control while Australian business confidence is sluggish.

The End of a Share Market Correction… or the Beginning?

Your editor returns to his Daily Reckoning post finding that nothing and everything has changed in the markets. Our last day in the office was Friday, June 14th. The S&P ASX/200 closed at 4791 on that day. As we fire up our lazy neurons today, the market is trading at 4810, down on the day but up over the last three weeks.

China Backs Shanghai To Be Mainland’s First Free Trade Zone

China's key financial centre Shanghai has received State Council approval to establish a trial free-trade zone within its surrounding area, serving as a test for some of the government's financial overhauls, including interest rate liberalisation and full convertibility of the renminbi, reported the China Daily on Thursday.
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Intel Rattles ARM? Battle for Battery Life Takes a Huge Leap

It is often hard to trust what manufacturers say about their product’s battery life. Usually, the hype is created to boost sales. Before, when a company claims their laptop can last up to six hours, the actual performance is lower than that – the common reason is that battery life depends on a case to case basis and on what the user is trying to execute. Haswell changed all of that.

Australian Stock Market Report – Afternoon 7/8/13

Better than expected employment numbers in the US at week's end and gains for US stocks failed to translate to gains for the local market on Monday. There was a fillip at the outset of trade with some modest gains, although the gains were short lived and the index spent most of the day in the red.

Australian Markets Ignoring China Risk

The Australian market seems to want to ignore looming risks, like China's credit-crunch induced slowdown. Yesterday, the Reserve Bank of Australia kept rates on hold but basically said they stand ready to cut further if the economy continues to weaken. The market liked the sound of that and had its strongest day in 18 months.

Central Bankers in Driving Seat

Today's market action is brought to you by - once again - central bankers. In what has apparently come as a shock to the market, overnight the European Central Bank (ECB) and The Bank of England (BOE) have come out and said they will keep rates on hold for a long time. Can you believe it?

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday 7/8/13

Australian shares kicked off the week in the red, only to rise by around 0.3 per cent in early trade, trade flat at one point and then shoot lower by lunch. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is now down by 0.8 per cent, after a 1 per cent improvement recorded over the previous week.

Survival Guide for Windows 8.1: What Microsoft Must Do to Beat Android and iOS

Traditional personal computers are starting to fade while laptops, ultrabooks and tablets are becoming more prevalent on the market. Along with these changes comes a new operating system from Microsoft. The company has run majority of the computers in the world and the operating system giant is looking into dominating the other side of the coin – running slimmer and portable devices.

Laptops Running on Intel's Haswell: Reasons Why Sony Vaio, Asus Transformer and Macbook Air Are Good Deals

Processors are one of the most complex tech products on the market. They are launched differently and production takes longer than computers. There are stringent quality controls and standards to follow before any chip powers up a computer. When Intel launched their Haswell processors, it seemed every company is featuring it but in reality, the percentage of systems or devices running on them is relatively small.

Out Of Time

By Tim Price, PFP Wealth"Investment based on genuine long-term expectation is so difficult today as to be scarcely practicable.

Sony Claims that PS4 Is the Most Powerful Gaming Device Ever Conceived

The latest PS4 has been receiving much hype and attention. Following the release of its competitor, Xbox One, all eyes are on Sony to see what the company will bring on the table. Reports indicate that Sony is trying its hardest to deliver possibly the best gaming console on the market yet.

Dell: Tablets Are Not That Great, Wearable Tech is Much Better

Sales for Dell’s computers are sliding and the company is looking into wearable devices to boost earnings. It was not a secret that Dell is struggling with their computer offerings. In order to save their sales and improve company position, the computer maker is refocusing their investments on wearable technology.

Don't Panic, Asia Grinding Ahead

- Chinese PMIs weaker- Trend steady nevertheless- Asia still the growth driverBy Greg PeelIn last month's round of manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) data, China's result fell slightly to 50.

Late July Release Date for the $600 Nokia Lumia EOS in AT&T?

Speculations said that the Nokia Lumia EOS will be in Microsoft Stores by July 22, which means it will be available on store shelves by the later part of the month. A screenshot of a Microsoft Store inventory showed a Nokia device called the 1020 said to be an AT&T exclusive.

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday 7/5/13

One of the more volatile weeks in recent memory is coming to a close and investors are helping push the market higher. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.9 per cent. The dollar value of shares changing hands is remaining a little light though, due to the closure of US markets last night (Independence Day holiday).

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