BUSINESS

Earnings: Dec 31 A Bit Better than Thought

The Australian December half earnings reporting season finished today with several large groups reporting interim of full year results See the Diary).But the real story will again be the flood of poor reports, mostly from small miners, that will be released in their hundreds during the day and into this evening.Failure to release reports could see the company involved suspended by the ASX.QR Natio...

Markets: Confidence To be Tested Again After Last Week's Fall

It's not going to get any easier for global markets in the coming week.Global sharemarkets might have had the roughest week of the year so far last week, thanks to the unrest in Libya and other Middle Eastern countries.This week however they not only have to contend with the deepening crisis in Libya and the impact that will have on oil pries and investor sentiment, but there are a couple of ...

DIARY: Local Rates, Growth, US Jobs, Oil, Ireland

The economy dominates Australia this week, with the Reserve Bank board meeting tomorrow, the fourth quarter economic growth figures out on Wednesday, after the current account figures and other data today and tomorrow.In the US there's some important economic data, with the February jobs figures on Friday night, our time, dominating.The events in the Middle East will be watched closely for si...

Australian Dollar Outlook 25/02/2011

The Australian Dollar has opened slightly stronger this morning, supported by the stronger oil price and some positive Australian investment data released yesterday.
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China Is Worried Too

- Africa is not getting its act together as supplier of natural resources to the world- China has become the number one industrial contractor to Africa- It is possible that China will slow down more in order to avoid more mayhem across the globe By Gavin Wendt, Founding Director & Senior Resource Analyst MineLife Pty LtdI had the opportunity to attend the annual Indaba mining conference in Cape To...

China Is Worried Too

- Africa is not getting its act together as supplier of natural resources to the world- China has become the number one industrial contractor to Africa- It is possible that China will slow down more in order to avoid more mayhem across the globe By Gavin Wendt, Founding Director & Senior Resource Analyst MineLife Pty LtdI had the opportunity to attend the annual Indaba mining conference in Cape To...

The Overnight Report: Rumours Fly

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 37 points or 0.3% while the S&P fell only 0.1% to 1306 and the Nasdaq actually closed 0.6% higher after two days of sharp drops.It was an unusual start to the session on Wall Street last night – unusual because the economic data were poor and that has not been the trend of late. New durable goods orders rose 2.7% in January but only because of lumpy aircraft o...

The Overnight Report: Rumours Fly

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 37 points or 0.3% while the S&P fell only 0.1% to 1306 and the Nasdaq actually closed 0.6% higher after two days of sharp drops.It was an unusual start to the session on Wall Street last night – unusual because the economic data were poor and that has not been the trend of late. New durable goods orders rose 2.7% in January but only because of lumpy aircraft o...

Feature: Living With Expensive Oil

The gradual disintegration of Libya, coming after the collapse of the regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, plus demonstrations in Algeria, Bahrain, Yemen and talk of unrest on Saudi Arabia has combined to send oil prices higher.The AMP's chief strategist and economist, Dr Shane Oliver looks at expensive oil and what it means.Oil prices are surging again. While US West Texas Intermediate is lagging d...

Feature: Living With Expensive Oil

The gradual disintegration of Libya, coming after the collapse of the regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, plus demonstrations in Algeria, Bahrain, Yemen and talk of unrest on Saudi Arabia has combined to send oil prices higher.The AMP's chief strategist and economist, Dr Shane Oliver looks at expensive oil and what it means.Oil prices are surging again. While US West Texas Intermediate is lagging d...

Australian Dollar Outlook 24/02/2011

The Australian Dollar has opened unchanged from late yesterday, despite the developments in the Middle East, which is weighing heavily on risk tone and associated risk asset classes.

Daily Forex Forecast 24/02/2011

Stronger-than-anticipated wages growth in Australia helped to push the currency back over parity against the greenback yesterday.

World Market Overview 24/02/2011

U.S. stocks fell for a second straight session as investors dumped shares of Hewlett-Packard and oil continued higher on concerns over Libya.

The Overnight Report: Saudi Scramble

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 107 points or 0.9% while the S&P fell 0.6% to 1307 and the Nasdaq dropped another 1.2%.It started with one man's suicide protest in Tunis and now, by the virtue of the internet and social networking, it has spread across the Arab world led by disaffected youth who are exponentially better informed than their parents were at their age. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it is ...

Could Oil Spike US$20 Per Barrel?

- Unrest In Middle East boosting oil prices - ANZ Sees scope for further US$20 per barrel jump if unrest continuesBy Chris ShawWhen signs of unrest in Egypt first emerged late last month the oil market began to aggressively price a risk premium into the crude oil market. As ANZ Banking Group notes, this risk premium has seen both Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate Prices spike by close to US$...

A Hot Construction Junior

- Global Construction posts strong interim result - DJ Carmichael lifts earnings forecasts and price target - Maintains Buy ratingBy Chris ShawCommercial and residential construction group Global Construction Services ((GCS)) delivered an 86% increase in net profit compared to the previous corresponding period, DJ Carmichael viewing the profit of $9.1 million as a high quality result.Earnings were...

A Hot Construction Junior

- Global Construction posts strong interim result - DJ Carmichael lifts earnings forecasts and price target - Maintains Buy ratingBy Chris ShawCommercial and residential construction group Global Construction Services ((GCS)) delivered an 86% increase in net profit compared to the previous corresponding period, DJ Carmichael viewing the profit of $9.1 million as a high quality result.Earnings were...

Results: Coke's Fat 2010 Profit

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd shares rose yesterday after the company delivered on its lowered guidance for the year to December, and indicated that it had made a solid start to 2011.The shares finished up 31c or, 2.7%, at $11.68.That's still around a dollar under the 52 week high of $12.74 set late last October before the company first warned that the cool, mild and wet weather was having an impact o...

Results: Coke's Fat 2010 Profit

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd shares rose yesterday after the company delivered on its lowered guidance for the year to December, and indicated that it had made a solid start to 2011.The shares finished up 31c or, 2.7%, at $11.68.That's still around a dollar under the 52 week high of $12.74 set late last October before the company first warned that the cool, mild and wet weather was having an impact o...

IAG downgrades FY11 guidance due to Christchurch earthquake

Insurance Australia Group (ASX:IAG), Australia's top home and car insurer, has revised its FY11 insurance margin guidance down to 8 to 10 per cent from 9 per cent to 11 per cent in the wake of the disastrous event in Christchurch, New Zealand.

A Turning Point For Mirvac

- Mirvac interim result better than expected - Forecasts lifted in line with guidance update - Recommendation upgrades on relative valueBy Chris ShawProperty development group Mirvac ((MGR)) delivered an interim operating profit of $200.1 million, a result boosted by higher net operating income and lower interest charges and showing better than expected numbers from the investment management and h...

Why Hedging Isn?t a Dirty Word for Precious Metals Anymore

- Producer's hedging their precious metals prices is making a return- So far the come-back appears limited to by-product producers - This favours gold over silver this year Why Hedging Isn’t a Dirty Word for Precious Metals Anymore…By Tony D’Altorio , Investment U Research Tuesday, February 22, 2011For years, hedging was a dirty word among gold and silver miners. It meant they h...

Australian Dollar Outlook 23/02/2011

The Australian Dollar has opened weaker this morning, currently trading around the parity level after trading to a low of 0.9970 in the offshore session.

Daily Forex Forecast 23/02/2011

The Aussie opens lower today at 0.9975 after another session of risk aversion on speculation political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa will intensify.

World Market Overview 23/02/2011

The Standard & Poor's 500 stock index posted its biggest intraday drop of the year Tuesday as escalating tensions in the Middle East and North Africa sent oil prices soaring.

Death In West Texas

(This story was first published on February 15, 2011. It has now been re-published to make it available to non-paying members at FNArena and to readers elsewhere).-Egypt is not responsible for the spread between WTI crude oil and European Brent- West Texan Intermediate has lost its relevance because of specific circumstances- Crude oil in most other price benchmarks is priced around US$100 per bar...

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