MARKETS

In US economic news, initial jobless claims fell by 6,500 to 346,000 in the final week of May. Net financial wealth grew by $3 trillion to $70.3 trillion - the biggest quarterly increase in 14-years. Rising stock prices and home pushed net household wealth to a fresh record high. US ICSC chain store sales rose by 3.2pct in May compared with a year ago.

After being hit hard by the price war between Australian supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, some relief is in sight for the country's dairy farmers when milk processor Murray Goulburn offered them the highest ever opening milk price of $5.60 per kilomgramme solid.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 80 points, or 0.5%, while the S&P gained 0.9% to 1622 and the Nasdaq added 0.

The Australian dollar ended the day's trade in the red for the third session this week. Local stocks are now holding at levels not seen since January.

The Australian share market remains under selling pressure on Thursday following weakness from offshore markets. The Aussie dollar has also been under pressure in early trade, briefly dipping below US95c for the first time since October 2011.

By Andrew NelsonFreedom Foods Group ((FNP)) is a diversified food company producing a number of branded and unbranded products across its three main divisions: Freedom Foods, Specialty Seafood and Pactum.

By Jonathan BarrattThe physical demand for Gold over the last few weeks has been unprecedented. Not only has the physical demand for Gold and Silver been absorbent but Central Banks (CB) seem to be lifting their interest in the metal, which is helping to offset the paper selling that has been a feat...

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 216 points, or 1.4% to under 15,000 for the first time since May 7. The S&P fell 1.

The Australian share market was sharply sold off during Wednesday's trade as economic growth figures missed expectations and as Japanese stocks shed almost four per cent on Prime Minister Abe's growth strategy.

The world has a new favorite OS and it is now slowing down. Recent reports suggest the increasing shares of Android in the mobile phone and computing industry. While there aren’t clear announcements from Google, the rumour mill has it that Android 4.3 update is coming soon. Android market shares not only jumped in the smartphone department but also in the tablet industry. More and more tablets are coming out with the Android OS and it is not difficult to understand why.

The Australian market is slumping for the second time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 1.00 per cent. Local shares are currently at their lowest levels since mid-January, pushed lower by a disappointing growth reading just before lunch. Comments by another Federal Reserve official overnight supporting a slowing in stimulus kept US investors on edge. Many market participants are remaining pensive ahead of the monthly non-farm payrolls out this Friday (US jobs report).

Sydney is counting on a 20-year airport masterplan to handle the expected doubling of passengers to 74 million by 2023, making it unnecessary to build a second airport.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 76 points, or 0.5%, while the S&P lost 0.6% to 1631 and the Nasdaq fell 0.

Having fallen by more than 6% in recent weeks, the selling that has defined the period dried up on Tuesday and the ASX200 finished with a gain. The durability of the improvement remains the main question as we move towards the blue ribband event of the week, the US Non-Farm Payroll Report due on Friday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spent the last decade sitting unchallenged as Turkey’s Prime Minister. He established himself as the vengeful but righteous father of the country. It seems like for every ruler in history, a measure of their success and power comes down to a rebellion.

After a negative start to the session's trade, the Australian share market is slightly firmer at lunchtime in the East.

Android has taken much of the market share today. Recent reports suggest it has taken over Apple’s shares making it the leading mobile system today. However, the range of Android phones on the market can make it challenging to choose the right handset. The number of competition did not stop several smartphone models to top of the list.

By Andrew NelsonUranium sellers were not inclined to sell in May and unfortunately for them, the buyers weren't really buying either.

It has been an annual practice for 24/7 Wall St. to identify brands in the United States in danger of disappearing. For this year, car and tech companies are not exempted. Wall Street’s latest list of brands on the brink of extinction shows the stiff and cruel competition amongst industries – falling behind financing, innovation and efficiency can cost even some of the most well loved brands.

- Businesses plan to lift prices- Earnings expectations on the rise- Further cuts to costs, staff and investments coming- Employment casting a pall over proceedingsBy Andrew NelsonAustralian business spending expectations have started to lift from the 24-year low posted last quarter.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 138 points, or 0.9%, while the S&P gained 0.6% to 1640 and the Nasdaq added 0.

By Greg PeelPerhaps the most surprising element of this month's RBA monetary policy statement is its brevity.

Sellers continued to make their presence felt in local trade on Monday ahead of a big week of economic news. The US will hold investor focus globally this week with several tier one data releases anticipated. The week will culminate with the main gauge of US employment, the Non-Farm Payroll report. Locally the menu is lighter by comparison although the RBA decision on Tuesday and the National Accounts data (GDP) on Wednesday will each have a significant bearing on investor sentiment.

The Australian sharemarket has kicked off the session in the red, following a tough end to the week in global markets. The ASX 200 Index (XJO) is down 0.1 per cent; however things could have been worse following a 1.3 per cent slump across the US on Friday.

Here it comes after long talks, Thomas Cook Group Plc has announced that it reached a deal with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and its one step closer to have a new shining fleet. Its fleet renewal programme is part of the tour operator's turnaround strategy aimed at improving its dented performance.

A ray of hope emerged as the British Chambers of Commerce upgraded its UK growth forecast for the ongoing year, 2014 and 2015. But also the good news is that consumer confidence substantially climbed in May, according to a separate survey.

- Falling AUD healthy for Aus Healthcare stocks- Brokers see steady rates as low as 0.96 near-term- CSL and ResMed to benefit most- Hedging limits upside for someBy Andrew NelsonOne Australian industry sector that is already enjoying the recent weakness in the AUD, at least in terms of positive fore...

The recent stock performance of Apple Inc. has left investors disappointed. The last six months saw the tech giant's share fell 22%. The company also suffered a double-digit loss this year. This happened even if S&P 500 rose to 15% during the same period. The loss reflects Apple's underperformance compared to last year's figures.

Economist Nouriel Roubini, in a fearless forecast on Project Syndicate, projected that the price of gold would likely plummet to about $1,000 before the end of 2015.