BUSINESS

Goldman Sachs is the bank everyone loves to hate. In the first of our two-part investigation into the bank, we ask why they emerged as the biggest winners in the financial crisis.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super Report27 January 2012Okay, the stock market has been nice to investors since October with Wall Street up over 20% and we have put on more than 10%, but the critical question is can it last?An even more interesting question is: can Aussie stocks surge over 40% as one v...

Indian manufacturer Mahindra will make its first venture into Australia's passenger vehicle market in 2012 when it launches the XUV500. The seven-seat SUV joins the Mahindra Pik-Up, which will continue in its single and dual cab chassis and cargo body styles.

Australia's national road toll last year fell to its lowest level since 1946.

While equities had another good week in most markets (Europe fell for the first time in four weeks), the real stars were commodities with gold and copper notching up good gains as 'risk on' returned to fashion among investors and speculators.

The US economy's performance in the December quarter and 2011 underlined the performance of much of the global economy: warm in places, cool in others.

The health of the world's manufacturing sector will again be tested this week by the monthly surveys of activity across Asia (led by China), Europe and the US.

Investors in Australia remain sceptical about the outlook for equities this year, despite the share market enjoying its best opening month for the new calendar year since 2001 when the All Ords started the new year with a gain of near 5%.

By Jamie Saettele, CMT FXCMSince the top on the second day of the year, crude is quietly making lower lows and lower highs.

Tonight we will get a further sign that the US economy is doing better than even the country's central bank seems to think, judging by its post meeting statement this week and comments by chairman Bern Bernanke.

Australian inflation is easing, interest cuts are on the cards for the Reserve Bank and despite much of the gloomy comments about the local economy; things are not all that bad.

For Australia, the most important global indicator isn't the prices of copper, gold or oil, or even Chinese GDP.

US durables orders rose by larger than expected 3pct in December. Durables orders excluding defence and aircraft orders - a close proxy for business spending - rose by 2.9pct.

The Victorian State Government has been heavily criticised for offering a grant to Singapore-based Olam International Limited for helping build its proposed "state-of-the-art" almond processing plant in Victoria.

Property research firm www.globalpropertyguide.com investigated on the property development in Japan almost a year after the devastating earthquake.The Tohoku Earthquake of March 2011 had a not entirely surprising effect - the Japanese are now more nervous of condos, and their prices have fallen sharply.

Property research firm, www.globalpropertyguide.com has featured the possibilities of investing in the thriving property market of Seychelles. Blessed by nature, the Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands with superb beaches, an unspoiled landscape, virgin forest, amazing marine life, lots of orchids, bougainvilleas, hibiscuses, gardenias and frangipani, and a profusion of bird species found nowhere else. It is 1,600 km off the coast of East Africa, with a population of only 81,000.

Research in Motion's game plan for the rest of the year was leaked online. The roadmap for the next 15 months reveals that RIM will launch new products later in the year culminating the first BlackBerry device running the new operating system in the latter half of 2012.

Apple Inc. posted record numbers for the last quarter of 2011 with sales of $46.3 billion a tech industry record.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Tuesday that it will seek an injunction from the Federal Court to stop Air Asia from publishing misleading advertisements.

Giant global miner Rio Tinto Group bought additional shares of Ivanhoe Mines Ltd for $283.71 million, giving it 51 percent stake on the mining firm that only a month before had maneuvered to thwart Rio's takeover initiatives.

Research in Motion Ltd. named a new CEO Friday replacing Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis at the helm of the troubled Blackberry Maker. As Thorsten Heins steps up to take the reins at RIM, the question is can he still do anything to revitalize the stumbling Research in Motion?

Nokia's gambit may be paying off as reports came out this week that its Lumia product lines breached the one million mark by the end of December last year, boosting the company's efforts to recover its lost ground soon.

Toyota has reportedly developed a way to produce its hybrid and electric vehicles without using scarce and expensive rare earth metals.

The Australian Stock Market has recorded early morning gains as of 10: 16 AM, the benchmark The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index is up 22.6 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 4309, while the broader All Ordinaries index is up 23.5 points, or 0.6 per cent, at 4247.7. Analysts are optimistic of the day's trading, sharing new leads and market insights.

The Australian Dollar fell from a 12-week high yesterday with investors selling the Nation’s currency consistently for the majority of the overnight session.

Ahead: In Australia, the Consumer Price Index is released. In the US, the Federal Reserve hands down its monetary policy decision.

Volvo is looking to partner with another car maker and share platforms in a bid to offer greater international competition in smaller vehicle segments.

London Session: IMF is downbeat while the SNB stands firmBy Kathleen Brooks, Research Director UK EMEA, FOREX.

It shouldn't surprise that a mining company has reported that wet weather affected its business in the December half year.