MARKETS

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down one point, while the S&P 500 was flat at 1685 and the Nasdaq rose 0.5%.

-Japanese oil demand growth unlikely-Improved Chinese steel sentiment-Iron ore purity to feature-Australian producers currently profitableBy Eva BrocklehurstJapan's oil demand development is normally low profile as the market focuses squarely on China and India.

MID WEEK UPDATEAs predicted the market has started the week flat with gains starting today. The weekly upside resistance at 5058 is in focus as the index continues to creep higher.

After initial weakness, the local share market managed to finish flat today after comments from Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens sent buyers back in.

Manufacturers of Russian vodkas stand to suffer potential losses after the global LGBT movement has unilaterally decided to ban the type of alcoholic drinks from gay bars in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's crackdown against the sector in his home country.

The Australian share market is lower at lunchtime in the East, as investors show caution ahead of a speech by RBA Governor Glenn Stevens.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportBeing known and hailed in the media as a so-called money guru effectively means that most people are more likely to ask me about what the RBA is going to do before they ask me how I am!And while I know I sound like I'm a shares junkie in most of my writings...

By Andrew NelsonThe steady and significant retreat of the uranium price over the month of July gathered even more pace last week.

Mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) placed on hold its planned $5 billion expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia because of the Mongolian Parliament's stand that it must approve the financing for the project.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 36 points, or 0.2%, while the S&P lost 0.4% to 1685 and the Nasdaq dropped 0.

Australian consumers have found themselves appalled at recent report uncovering taxpayers Down Under are paying 50 to 100 percent more than the U.S. buyers of the same technology products. The report by the parliamentary IT pricing inquiry committee enrages the tech consumers, who helped complete the report that began in 2012.

Cautious trading today left the Australian market relatively unchanged today with the All Ordinaries closing higher by 0.08 per cent to end at 5027.9pts. Sector performance was mixed as losses in the energy and materials sectors were offset by gains in financial and information technology stocks.

A few Melbourne Victory football supporters made it to the MCG last night. The rest of the 95,000 were all raving Scousers for a night. They even tried to sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' in a Liverpudlian accent.

Gold is not the only money. But it's the only kind the works in our extended economy.

The Australian market started off slightly higher today, after the US stocks closed slightly higher on Friday ahead of a busy week for news and economic numbers. This week for the Aussie market it will all be about reading the data out of the US and watching out for Chinese Manufacturing numbers mid-week.

The Australian markets edged higher for the fourth time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up 0.1 per cent. This is the fifth consecutive week of gains for local shares; the longest winning streak since January. Stocks in July so far have improved by an impressive 5.2 per cent; the best month in 1.5 years.

The Australian share market is flat at lunchtime in the East, but remains on track for a weekly win of 1.3 per cent.

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArenaI joined Twitter. Not because I am curious what this celebrity has to say about her kids, or to read that another one is waiting for a connecting flight, impatiently.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 13 points, or 0.1%, while the S&P gained 0.3% to 1690 and the Nasdaq jumped 0.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportThere's a guy who comes on a TV show ? not mine! ? a few times a year and he always tells the viewers that all this debt that's driving stocks will end in tears.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 25 points, or 0.2%, while the S&P lost 0.4% to 1685 and the Nasdaq was flat.

The Australian share market made it three wins in a row today, although it did shed earlier gains on the back of Chinese manufacturing data. At one point the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) was up by as much as 0.7 per cent after a quarterly earnings report from Apple in the US beat estimates. This week the All Ords is up 1.3 per cent.

The Australian sharemarket was up 0.7 per cent at one point, only to have most of the gains wiped out following worse than expected Chinese data at 11.45am (AEST). This is the third consecutive session of improvement, while both the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) and the ASX200 (XJO) still remaining above the 5000.0 point mark. The XAO is up 0.2 per cent.

Construction of new government buildings in China will be taking a backseat in the next five years as part of latest measures to curb unnecessary spending and corruption in the whole country.

Queensland cattle raisers are eyeing the development of China as its new market for beef. The search for new markets to replace the income lost from its export trade with Indonesia was discussed at the Northern Stakeholder Forum on Tuesday held at Mount Isa in the state.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 22 points, or 0.1%, while the S&P lost 0.2% to 1692 and the Nasdaq dropped 0.

MID WEEK UPDATEMarket has started the week grinding higher and the uptrend is holding above 4961. The weekly upside range at 5000 has been hit today.

The Australian share market had a positive session on Thursday, thanks to a record high on the US S&P 500 Index overnight, strong gains in China and a rally in the gold price.

Up, up and away! Markets are off to a flier this Monday morning. The Japanese public has endorsed the idea of money printing. And the Chinese money printers have endorsed the idea of cheaper money. Naturally, Australian stocks are reveling in the idea that wallets may loosen in Asia and that bank lending for more make-work projects could increase.