MARKETS

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 49 points or 0.3% while the S&P lost 0.5% to 1701 and the Nasdaq dropped 0.2%.

Sellers had the market in a headlock in early trade although the balance shifted following the release of the HSBC flash reading on Chinese manufacturing. The only release of note in regional trade today saw sellers pause as they considered the bigger picture. The Chinese HSBC Flash PMI came in at 51.2 in August, above a consensus forecast of 50.9 and the prior reading of 50.1. Chinese figures released most recently point to the Chinese economy turning a corner which could have positive ramifica...

These ominous words hit the finance sphere this week. If you've tuned in to the Daily Reckoning lately, you might think it was Family Wealth editor Vern Gowdie repeating his warning of a 90% stock crash. But these words actually belong to William White.

The stock market isn't just about how much money the Federal Reserve is printing. US earnings season is less than three weeks away. And expectations aren't pretty, reports our sister publication in the US, the 5 Minute Forecast.

The obstacle of Fed tapering appears to be out of the way for the time being and at face value it seems as though the markets finally have some clear air. Although the price action of the markets most recently suggests that in the absence of any Fed temperance in relation to Q.E, investors are erring on the side of caution and calculating that tapering is a matter of when rather that if.

FNArena is surveying investor sentiment in Australia in an effort to generate, over time, a gauge similar to the AAII Investor Sentiment Survey in the US.

Despite 0.3 per cent fall today, this still was an eventful and largely positive trading week for many markets around the world. Local shares edged higher by 1.08 per cent, US stocks are up 1.69 per cent and Germany's DAX is 2.1 per cent firmer (both the US and German markets have one session remaining this week).

The Australian market cracked through a five year high on Thursday, thanks to the announcement of continued stimulus from the US central bank. Investors are taking a breather today, with local stocks down around 0.4 per cent.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 40 points or 0.3% while the S&P lost 0.2% to 1722 as the Nasdaq gained 0.2% on a 1.

The Australian share market is hovering at 5 year highs at lunchtime in the East on Thursday, following a spectacular night for US stocks which saw the Dow Jones Index close at a record high.

By Greg PeelIn the past two months, the US economy has shed 347,000 jobs, notes the UK Telegraph's Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, roughly comparable with the rate of loss seen post-GFC.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 147 points or 1.0% while the S&P gained 1.2% to 1725 and the added Nasdaq 1.3%.

At the close, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) eased by 0.3 per cent ahead of the Federal Reserve's statement on monetary policy tomorrow morning. The two biggest sectors of the Australian market (the miners and financials) headed in opposite directions and played a balancing role for local equities.

Investors are sitting on the sidelines ahead of tomorrow morning's US central bank update on its stimulus strategy. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 0.3 per cent, however still is hovering around five-year highs. Local stocks have improved over seven of the past eight sessions. Global markets moved negligibly overnight and interrupted trade in the region is also keeping a lid on trade.

It was a relatively quiet day on the stock market. The S&P500 backed off a little, but it's had a pretty good run lately. We've been telling our subscribers that the market is set up for either a meltdown or a melt-up. We're sitting in the meltdown camp.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportCall me old fashioned but I love the 7% plus play and I always think of this when, like now, a lot of experts are talking about "rotation".

FNArena is surveying investor sentiment in Australia in an effort to generate, over time, a guage similar to the AAII Investor Sentiment Survey in the US.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 34 points or 0.2% while the S&P gained 0.4% to 1704 and the Nasdaq added 0.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) forecasts that the country's beef and veal exports will go up 6 per cent while dairy exports will increase 15 per cent.

Local shares edged higher today, to make it seven wins in eight trading sessions. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) improved by a modest 0.1 per cent, hitting a fresh five-year high. The ASX200 index has now closed above 5200pts for six trading sessions (June 2008 was the last time this happened).

The Australian dollar and New Zealand dollar climbed to their respective month highs as investors became cautious ahead of the scheduled 2-day policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve which is expected to begin the slowdown of its massive stimulus program.

Despite a negative start influenced by generally weaker commodity prices, Australian stocks are holding near five year highs at lunchtime in the East.

By Greg PeelUranium market participants gathered in London last week for the World Nuclear Association Annual Symposium and it appears, as is often the case when industry colleagues get together to gee each other up, that some buying interest emerged as a result.

Tourism Australia will focus on the country's food and wine for its new international marketing campaign with the theme Restaurant Australia. The target of the new campaign are the foodies and wine connoisseurs.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 118 points or 0.8% while the S&P gained 0.6% to 1697 with the Nasdaq easing 0.

Local stocks edged higher on light volume on Monday as investors steeled themselves for a likely tapering of the US Federal Reserve's Q.E program.

Australian shares are improving for the sixth time in seven sessions, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) edging higher by 0.6 per cent at lunch. Former treasury secretary, Larry Summers has withdrawn from the race to head the US central bank this morning.

PDF file attached.Corporate bonds offer an alternative to equity investment in providing a fixed "coupon", or interest payment, unlike equities which pay (or not) non-fixed dividend payments, and a maturity date, unlike equities which are open-ended.

The uptrend holds for a 13th week. All previous resistance levels have been broken and the market looks for the next direction.