MARKETS

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.

American retailers including Wal-Mart and Gap launched a five-year plan to make safety improvements to Bangladesh clothing factories.

Both the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) and the ASX200 (XJO) are trading above 5000.0pts, for one of the first times in a few months. The XAO is up 0.5 per cent with almost all sectors trading higher. The energy sector along with the utilities are losing ground.

Still reeling from the devastating floods in June, China has been struck again with another catastrophe. On Monday, China's western Gansu province was hit by two earthquakes, killing 89 and injuring more than 500 people. Authorities feared the death toll could go up as about 1,200 buildings had collapsed and tens of thousands more badly damaged.

By Andrew NelsonThe crack appeared the week before last. Sellers started to buckle under the strain and gave in to lower prices.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up one point, while the S&P gained 0.2% to 1695 and the Nasdaq added 0.3%.The Aussie has been ping-ponging between the mid 91s and the mid 92s these past few sessions as Fed tapering confusion abates and focus turns more specifically towards China.

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 Ashley Jessen23 July 2013 ASX Market Summary ? Invast Financial ServicesSubdued market action overnight in the US combined with new recent one month highs across many commodities gave mixed signals to local traders keeping an eye on the S&P/ASX 200, which climbed steadily over the start of the tr...

By Ashley Jessen23 July 2013 ASX Market Summary ? Invast Financial ServicesSubdued market action overnight in the US combined with new recent one month highs across many commodities gave mixed signals to local traders keeping an eye on the S&P/ASX 200, which climbed steadily over the start of the tr...

The supportive tone seen in the early part of the local session remained in place over the course of the afternoon although the prospect of key company and economic reports in coming days, both locally and elsewhere kept buyers from extending gains. The end result paints a picture of the ASX200 index still consolidating around the 5000 mark.

Buyers have returned from the weekend with renewed vigour. Every sector measured by the ASX is higher at lunch time and a generally constructive note is in place throughout the region. This is somewhat at odds with the way regional markets finished last week.

The world of construction and architecture is abuzz now that China had begun building what could topple Dubai's Burj Khalifa and become the world's tallest structure.

Share prices of Middle Island Resources (ASX: MDI) zoomed 42 per cent on Thursday amid reports that it purchased a gold mine in Niger. Besides its new acquisition, Middle Island has exploration prospects in two other African nations, in Liberia and Burkina Faso.

One of the four original copies of the iconic Schindler's lists has reportedly hit the market, and bidding will start on eBay at a minimum of $3 million, CNET reported on Friday.

The market continues to flat line within the defined 4925 ? 4957 range. iQuant predicts a major pivot in the markets next week.