MARKETS

By Greg PeelUnlike the uranium spot market, which in recent weeks has been dominated by traders and hedge funds on both sides of the price, the uranium term market more represents legitimate supply deals between producers and utilities and is thus more representative of ongoing longer term uranium d...

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 258 points or 2.4%. The S&P fell 2.9% to close at 1099, breaching the earlier August intraday low of 1101.

Limbaugh blasts GM for trying to sell the Chevrolet Volt in China, but his central premise (based on a New York Times story, no less) may be wrong.

Aldi has won its Federal Court case against ePAL, which has been found liable for misleading and deceptive conduct under the Competition and Consumer Act.

Coal prices, along with iron ore, will endure erratic price adjustments despite the global markets' roller-coaster ride and declining output in China's manufacturing, analysts and experts said.

Investors in Australia have used the uncertainty and extreme volatility in share markets over the past two months to further reduce exposure to higher risk equities in favour of pure plain cash in the bank.

World crude steel production was the second lowest monthly total so far this year, despite continuing solid production in China and most of Asia.

In what seemed to be a major breakthrough for debt-ridden Greece, it had gained trust from a Qatar-based holdings firm to invest in one of its gold-mining projects.

Fast-developing and emerging market leaders China and India will push the global demand for raw steel-making ingredients by as much as 68 percent between 2010 and 2025, according to mining giant BHP Billiton on Friday.

Chinese grain harvest posted its eighth consecutive increase this year but it will still failed to stabilize domestic prices as supplies continue to struggle to meet growing demand.

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEST)The Australian share market ended what has been another volatile week on a flat note, despite attempting a rally in early trade. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) added 2.2pts or 0.1pct to 4070.1 while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) firmed by 0.3pts to 4008.6.

China's manufacturing sector continued to contract for the third straight month in September due to weaker global consumer demand, showing proof that even the world's second-largest economy is not immune to the financial crisis.

MIDDAY REPORT (12pm AEST)It has been a volatile session of trade so far today, with the Australian sharemarket losing ground after posting gains for the first two hours of trade. The All Ordinaries index (XAO) is down 0.4 pct or 17.4 pts to 4050.5. Almost all sectors are lower with weakness from the financials and miners holding the market back.

Representing one of the most agriculturally bio-diverse nations in the world, India has become a primary target for biotechnology companies like Monsanto and Cargill to spread their genetically-modified (GM) crops into new markets.

Germany voted to support the European Stability Fund overnight, a welcome decision.

The 2011 Telstra Business Women's Awards have kicked off around the country, and three HR leaders are in the running to receive the prestigious title in front of business heavyweights.

Buried in last Friday's Stability Review from the Reserve Bank was yet another warning to banks and their investors not to be too optimistic about the outlook.

- Supply side issues persist in copper- Oil prices expected to range trade- Updates on Australian developers and contractorsBy Chris ShawThe current focus in the copper market is on downside demand risks in China, the US and Europe but Macquarie suggests it is important to remember ongoing poor supp...

Minmetals Resources Ltd. of China is poised to buy Anvil Mining of Congo for $1.31 billion to secure copper mine production output in Africa amid the recent fall of the commodity's prices in the world market.

A superannuation umbrella group demanded on Thursday the sweeping ouster of the incumbent News Corp board led by Rupert Murdoch and his sons, charging that all six directors, were guilty of gross oversight in relation to the UK phone hacking scandal that made headlines in July.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 143 points or 1.3% while the S&P finished up 0.8% to 1160 and the Nasdaq closed down 0.

After gaining considerable momentum throughout the domestic session yesterday the Australian Dollar traded as high as 0.9878 following strong gains on global equity markets as well as better than expected economic data out of the US.

New claims for unemployment insurance in the US (jobless claims) fell by 37,000 in the latest week to 391,000.

New claims for unemployment insurance in the US (jobless claims) fell by 37,000 in the latest week to 391,000. Economists had tipped a result near 420,000 The US economy grew at a 1.3pct annual pace in the June quarter, up from the previous estimate of 1.0pct. US pending home sales fell by 1.2pct in August. And the Kansas City Fed index rose from +3 to +6 in September.

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEST)The recent rally on the Australian share market came to an abrupt end today, although the losses weren't overly significant or surprising. US and European markets closed in the red overnight, as investors looked to square their books ahead of the end of the month and end of the September quarter. A lack of concrete and decisive action from European leaders also frustrated investors. The Australian market, which has gained around 4.5pct over the past couple o...

Australian stocks fell today as investors played it safe waiting for the result of a German vote on whether to approve new powers for a European bailout fund.

A study by investment group Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), forecasts that spending on so-called targeted media will rise by 7.1 per cent to $200 billion this year, as companies on a tight budget focus on their key customers.

It's all systems go as Qantas and American Airlines have been given the approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to enforce their joint business agreement on Pacific flights.

With world oil prices on a rollercoaster ride lately, the Chinese are more determined than ever to lessen their dependence on the precious commodity and exploit their abundant coal reserves.