BUSINESS

Global Copper Supply Deficit Seen Until 2013

Mining experts are convinced that the global supply deficit could further push copper prices higher until the year 2013 to the benefit of mining companies world-wide, mining experts attending the CRU World Copper conference in Sanitago, Chile said today.

The Economy: It's Growing Solidly, The Jobs Market Says So

A strong jobs report will not be ignored at the Reserve Bank, but you bet there will be a flock of commentators, lobbyists and their employers who will ignore it and still insist that the Australian economy is sluggish, two speed and worse.

Metals: Copper Should Be Up, But Its Weak

Copper prices face a curious outlook in 2011.Despite a record hit in February, the metal has fallen by around 8%, while oil, gold and silver (other speculators' favourites) have hit new all time or recent highs.
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Construction industry contracts at slower rate in February

Australia's construction industry remained in the red in February, although the rate of contraction eased, with the Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI) in conjunction with the Housing Industry Association, up 4.4 points to 44.6 (readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity).

Manufacturing fell in March on strong exchange rate

The strong Australian dollar together with weak domestic demand, rising overseas competition and the increasing cost of raw materials pushed the manufacturing sector back into the red in March according to the latest Australian Industry Group - PwC Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI). The seasonally adjusted index fell 3.2 points to 47.9 bringing it below the 50 points level separating expansion from contraction.

Australian Dollar Outlook 4/7/2011

The Australian Dollar has pushed to another post-float high above 1.0400 with the US Dollar sold right across the board and commodity prices surging.

Forex Market Insight Report 04/07/2011

After an initial breather it was AUD/JPY breaking through yearly highs and surging higher that saw AUD/USD off the lows. It was one way since then and we easily broke through the previous high of 1.0400, which now forms the base for which traders feel higher is the play. Watch the ECB decision, if there is no rate rise and EUR gets sold, AUD may also reverse.

Australian dollar outlook 04/07/2011

The Australian Dollar has pushed to another post-float high above 1.0400 with the US Dollar sold right across the board and commodity prices surging.

Damn The Oil Market Speculators

- Oil expert Dian L. Chu believes investors/speculators are dominating the direction of oil prices- The thesis will be put to a test as futures contracts will roll over later this month- Chu believes persistently high oil prices will again attract the attention of market regulators Oil Market Specul...

Daily Forex Forecast 04/07/2011

The Australian dollar opens this morning at a rate of 1.0435 against the greenback after hitting a fresh post-float high of 1.0450 in offshore trade.

Rio Tinto takes control of nearly half of Riversdale

Global miner Rio Tinto Group (ASX: RIO) says its wholly-owned subsidiary Rio Tinto Jersey Holdings 2010 Ltd (RTJ) has obtained an interest in 49.49 per cent of all the shares of Riversdale Mining Ltd as of a short time ago

Rudi's View: Your Feedback (Thank You)

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArena ****Hi Rudi, Greg and the team,I depend on the sensible, accurate and unbiased guidance and analysis that I get from FNArena to make my decisions.

Home loans slump to lowest this year

Home loans plunged in February as the share of first-home buyers continue to decrease. This is home loan’s second consecutive month drop with New South Wales posting its biggest monthly decline in fourteen years.

Telstra offers faster 3G connection on the go

Australian telco giant Telstra (ASX: TLS) says it is launching a new high-speed mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to enable Australians to connect multiple mobile devices to the internet when they’re on the go.

More Upside In Store For Norfolk

- Norfolk has guided to solid full year results and stockbroker Moelis anticipates further earnings growth in FY12- No debt means growth options can be pursued- Moelis rates Norfolk a BuyBy Chris ShawServices provider Norfolk Group ((NFK)) is not due to report full year earnings until late May, but ...

Core Fed Incompetency

Core IncompetencyGuest commentary by Michael Pento, Euro Pacific Capital,For years the Federal Reserve has told us that in order to detect inflation in the economy it is important to separate "signal from noise" by focusing on "core" inflation statistics, which exclude changes in food and energy pri...

Australian Dollar Outlook 4/6/2011

The Australian Dollar has eased off recent highs overnight, dipping below USD 1.0300, as equity markets reacted to the China Central Bank’s announcement to raise interest rates by 0.25%.

The Overnight Report: Gold Hits A New High

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 6 points while the S&P was steady at 1332 and the Nasdaq added 0.1%.March purchasing managers' indices from the service sector were the focus around the globe yesterday.

Oil Price Likely To Remain High

- Libyan sweet crude oil production is unlikely to return to pre-war levels anytime soon- As the world struggles for alternatives, the price for gasoline is likely to remain high- Global shortage in sweet crude to coincide with seasonal uptick in demandWhy the Resumption of Libyan Oil Shipments Won&...

Leighton wins $148M QLD mine development contract

Leighton Holdings (ASX: LEI) subsidiary Leighton Contractors says it has been awarded a $148 million contract by BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and Bechtel to deliver the Broadmeadow Sustaining Operations Project at the Broadmeadow mine in Queensland.

Aussie retailers happy with RBA decision

Retailers have breathed a sigh of relief with the decision of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) this afternoon to keep the cash rate stable at 4.75 per cent, according to the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA).

The Economy: RBA Sits On Rates Again

As expected, the Reserve Bank left its cash rate on hold yesterday at 4.75%, and didn't really tell us any more about the health of the economy than we already knew.In fact yesterday's trade figures (a surprise deficit in February, thanks to a big rise in oil imports) and solid car sales for March, told us a bit more about where the economy is than did the post board meeting statement wh...

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