MARKETS

Market Pushes Gunns Shares Up 27%

Tasmanian timber group Forester Gunns Ltd was a market star yesterday with a surprisingly strong surge in its share price after it issued a short statement that on repeated reading was actually a statement of the group's corporate strategy.

Economy Watch: The GDP And The RBA

- GDP negative 1.2% worst since 1991- consumers still saving but wages pressure growing- business investment is back- not a lot to sway the RBABy Greg PeelI've come to appreciate that following economist forecasts of an upcoming quarterly GDP result is just like watching an auction on eBay.

Rio Tinto forms venture with Beijing's Chinalco

Beijing's Chinalco and Rio Tinto will explore mainland China for world-class mineral deposits under a joint venture (JV) formalised today. The JV is subject to Chinese regulatory approvals and once established will operate under the name Chinalco Rio Tinto Exploration Co. Ltd. (CRTX).

World Market Overview 06/02/2011

Australian stocks overcame a weak start to finish flat on Wednesday, as market players digested positive manufacturing data from China and better than expected domestic gross domestic product (GDP) figures.
More news

Australian dollar surges

Australia’s manufacturing industry continued to contract for the third straight month in May with only three of the 12 sub-sectors experiencing growth according to the latest Australian Industry Group - PwC Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index.

Chinese Competition Arising For UGL Rail

- Rail update shows both opportunities and challenges for UGL- Earnings guidance reiterated, brokers make only minor changes to forecasts- Broker opinions on UGL remain divided between Buy and HoldBy Chris ShawEngineering and infrastructure group UGL ((UGL)) held an investor day at its Newcastle Rai...

Hong Kong's strategy in resolving Lehman Brothers-related matters bears fruit

The latest edition of the Enforcement Reporter published by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (HK-SFC) reports that the latter has recently reached two other agreements on Lehman Brothers (LB)-related products, involving repurchase offers totaling approximately $1.489 billion. To date, the SFC has reached agreements with 25 distributors and non-distributors of such products.

Time to pounce for canny investors

The combination of ongoing seller discounting, healthy rental income growth and longer term capital gains means that investors could benefit from the current market conditions.

CalPERS 'strongly endorses' AIMA's hedge fund guide

The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has strongly endorsed a new guide by the Investor Steering Committee of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the global hedge fund association, to promote better alignment of interests between institutional investors and hedge fund managers.

Four Corners sparks live export outrage

A report by the ABC's Four Corners has sparked renewed outrage over the export of live Australian cattle to parts of the world without animal welfare protections.

Charter Hall Office Is Selling

- Charter Hall Office now likely to sell all US assets- Sale price expected to be above book value- Proceeds to be returned to shareholders- Broker opinions on value remain splitBy Chris ShawFor some time Charter Hall Office REIT ((CQO)) has been intending to dispose of some of its US assets but the...

Markets: Go Away May, Now For June

Well, the old saw about selling in May and going away turned out to be pretty accurate after the big sell off in silver on May 7 triggered the market volatility of the past three and a bit weeks.

World Market Overview 06/01/2011

U.S. stocks finished the day's session and May on a buoyant note, shrugging off a spate of weak economic data as investors cheered a new bailout plan for Greece.

Lend Lease Kicking Goals

- Lend Lease asset sales continue- Barangaroo and other projects on track- Valemus proving a better acquisition than first assumed- Brokers lift target prices By Greg PeelProperty developer Lend Lease Group ((LLC)) held an Investor Day last week to update the market on how things were progressing.

Uranium Rumour Confirmed

By Greg PeelThe story so far:The US Department of Energy was planning to sell 5.2m pounds of U3O8 equivalent from its stockpiles systematically out to 2013 to pay for the clean-up of the Portsmouth enrichment facility.

World Market Overview 05/31/2011

European stocks finished flat to lower Monday, with volumes thinned by the absence of U.S. and U.K. markets and with German utility shares lower on a report that the country has set a final date for shuttering its nuclear reactors. The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.1% to 278.82.

Australian Stock Market Report 05/31/2011

According to a report by Reuters, EU officials are drafting a second bailout package for Greece in an attempt to prevent the country defaulting on debt next month.

Global Markets Overview 05/30/2011

U.S. stocks rose Friday but failed to avoid a fourth-straight week of losses as major indexes recorded their longest weekly losing streak in more than a year.

Australian Stock Market Report - Midday 05/30/2011

The Australian sharemarket is continuing on its weak run, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) down 0.1 pct or 2.6 pts to 4757.7. Shares were down by as much as 0.4 pct this morning, however have recovered over the past hour thanks to gains from the mining and energy sectors.

World Market Overview 05/30/2011

The Australian stock market recovered from early softness on Friday to end the week higher, as bargain hunters moved in to recover value in a heavily sold-down bourse.

Australian Stock Market Report 05/30/2011

US personal income rose by 0.4pct in April, in line with consensus. Personal spending was also up 0.4pct, slightly below the expected 0.5pct increase. The final reading for consumer sentiment in May was 74.3, up from 72.4 in April. But pending home sales slumped by 11.6pct, well short of forecasts of a 1.4pct fall.

Australian Stock Market - Midday 05/27/2011

The Australian sharemarket is holding onto modest gains, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) up 0.4 pct or 17.8 pts to 4752.9. All sectors are trading higher, with the healthcare sector leading the way in percentage terms.

Pages