MARKETS

Demand for higher yielding assets dampened on concern China's bank stress tests will reveal losses, softening the Australian Dollar during Asia.

Wall Street hung slightly lower all session on little volume. Dow down 5. (Locked for subscribers until 10:00 AEST)

Rio Tinto has well and truly recovered from its self-inflicted near death experience in 2008-09 that saw it almost fall ...

So much for the idea that gambling is a recession-proof industry; it hasn't been in the US where many casinos have colla...

The National Australia Bank bid for AXA Asia Pacific just won't go way for a rest, it keeps coming back to remind us of ...

There are a growing number of gold bears emerging from hibernation.If we believe that despite the slowing US economy, th...

On the face of it, news of a possible halt to Indian iron ore exports is good news for the likes of BHP Billiton, Rio T...

The Australian stock market is set for a flat start after an unexpected rise in jobless claims and weak retail sales data in the US resulted in a moderately lower Wall Street.

A glance through the latest expert views and predictions about commodities, with Goldman Sachs lifting its zircon estimates, analysts updating on the natural gas and iron ore markets and arbitrage activity in copper.

The Australian market posted a solid gain finishing o.5% higher with cyclical/growth stock leading the way

The Australian share market closed stronger thanks to higher mining stocks.

Australia’s coal producers are facing stiff competition from Mongolia and Canadian mining magnate Robert Friedland is predicting that the country could eventually lose a sizeable share of its global market from Mongolia’s lower tax measures for its resource industry.

Profit takers were active today as the local market opened strongly on the back of positive leads from the US overnight.

Global media group News Corporation (ASX: NWS) revealed on Thursday that it has regained profitability in financial year 2009/10 with its net profit of $US2.54 billion or $A2.77 billion after bleeding huge losses on the year before as the company attributed growths on its business segments, stronger advertising markets and strings of blockbuster films for the impressive recovery.

Hutchison Telecommunications delivered a surprise result, suggesting the company is winning market share from its competitors.

Renewed strength in the gold price has been partly attributed to Beijing's easing of internal gold trading restrictions.

The AUD has pushed higher again overnight as investor risk appetite continues to grow.

The US ISM services index rose from 53.8 to 54.3 in July - above expectations for a result near 53.0.

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday as better than expected signs for the employment environment calmed investors' jitters ahead of the government's Friday payrolls report.

The Australian goods and services balance printed a trade surplus of 3.54 billion in June annihilating expectations of 1.81 billion.

Tuesday night saw weak economic data and earnings, and last night saw the opposite. Reverse everything, Dow up 44.

Export income surging, the service sector cooling, house prices still growing but more slowly, and car sales still posit...

Services: Another report yesterday confirmed the sluggishness in the service sector (as we have seen from retailing).The...

Another private equity retail success story bites the dust within a few months of being sold into the market.Myer was th...

Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings will be happy; the partly-owned associate West Australian Newspapers is more than dou...

Wealth manager AXA Asia Pacific Holdings yesterday met its updated July guidance for its profit and investment returns f...

The ASX 200 down 0.7%

The Australian share market followed Wall Street into the red today, snapping a two day winning streak. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) fell 26.8pts or 0.6pct to 4559.7, while the S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) fell 29.5pts or 0.7pct to 4542.1.

While market conitions are volatile Russell Investments doesn't see another downturn for the global economy, so the group forecasts sharemarkets end the year higher than current levels.