MARKETS

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 7 points, while the S&P gained a point to 1387 and the Nasdaq was flat.

The Philippines government may attempt to revive a hugely unpopular 2009 bill that aimed to levy a tax for all mobile phone text messages, claimed a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday, with a new 'sin tax' on alcohol and tobacco also expected to be passed as early as next week.

Australia's major advertisers have declared that the self-regulatory system for food-related advertising is already working effectively, regardless of a recent report by the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC).

By Andrew NelsonOne of the things that uranium market watchers assumed would halt the metal's slide was news a few months back that China had shrugged off its post Fukushima ashes and decided to go ahead at full steam in expanding the nation's nuclear energy program.

E-commerce company eBay Inc. has been summoned on the 16th of November by the state of California and their Department of Justice as well. The case is a result of an illegal agreement of the e-commerce company eBay Inc. with Intuit Inc. that the former would not employ the workers of the latter.

HSBC Holdings Plc has confirmed that it is negotiating the sale of its 15.6 percent stake in China's Ping An Insurance Co., which is worth approximately $9 billion, as it tries to boost its profitability. On the 19th of November, shares of HSBC grew approximately 1.4 percent in Hong Kong after the biggest Europe's bank informed about its plans to sell stakes in the China's second-biggest insurer.

The last six weeks of the calendar year are usually a lot like the last two turns in a major downhill ski race. You get a couple of steep, sweeping bends and then the finish line. At this point in the race, you can only screw up. It's too late to make up for lost time.

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd will be operating Heathrow routes to two Scottish cities, Edinburgh and Aberdeen after being offer take-off and landing slots at the Heathrow airport. British Airways was made to relinquish these slots after the successful acquisition of BMI by International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 207 points, or 1.7%, while the S&P gained 2.0% to 1386 and the Nasdaq jumped 2.

In Australia, we seem to have a cultural view that our 'material abundance will last forever'. What people don't seem to realise is that our material abundance, and our ability to take advantage of this material abundance, doesn't come close to covering the bills we're racking up in the pursuit of a high standard of living.

The Australian sharemarket slipped for the fourth time in five sessions today, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) easing by 0.2 per cent or 10.5 pts to 4360.1. The local market fell by 2.7 per cent this week, making it the biggest weekly slide in value since May. Interestingly, barely a month ago the Aussie market hit a 14-month high but has dropped in value by 5 per cent since.

Local stocks have hit fresh seven week lows in the early session, following more weakness on European and US markets overnight. Data showed the European economy is officially in recession, and whilst this was no surprise, it did give investors reason to sell. US markets were also sold-off after the world's largest retailer Wal-Mart disappointed with profit results.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportAnother month and another challenge for investors and I suspect it will get worse before it gets better.

Australia's woes with its farm animals raised for their meat appears to be unending. After 21,000 Australian sheep were culled in October in Pakistan over suspicions of bacterial contamination, another 50,000 chickens in New South Wales were quarantined this week by state authorities.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 28 points, or 0.2%, while the S&P lost 0.2% to 1353 and the Nasdaq fell 0.

The Australian sharemarket lost ground for the third time in four days, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) falling by 0.9 per cent or 40.1 pts to 4370.6. So far, this has been the worst performance by the local market in half a year while shares are also trading at around two-month lows.

Local stocks have hit a seven week low in the early session, dragged down by more falls on US and European markets overnight. Key banking, energy and mining stocks are all in the red, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) down 45.5pts or 1pct to 4365.2.

According to the popular press, if we lose our grip we will surely fall into the red-hot bowels of Hell.

Last week I said 'Look out for a very sharp sell-off in the S+P 500 once it snaps beneath the 1390-1400 area, which is currently providing strong support. It will only take one nasty night to break through and then we will see a distinct shift in momentum.'

By Greg PeelIt is a truth universally acknowledged that official Chinese data are rubbery at best. As to just how rubbery, or worse still, manipulated, they are is anyone's guess, given the difficulty of foreign access to Chinese data and the lack of a reliable database for Beijing to use in th...

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 185 points or 1.5% while the S&P lost 1.4% to 1355 and the Nasdaq dropped 1.3%.

The selling of recent sessions subsided for regional stocks today, although investors remain vigilante. The price action on global markets in the last day has been less than encouraging. Political developments on either side of the Atlantic will continue to be the main influence of sentiment in the near term.

The city is on lockdown. Street vendors are closed. Taxi drivers have been ordered to seal their windows to prevent seditious material from being leafletted in the main square.

The Australian sharemarket started the day in mixed fashion; however is currently improving thanks in part to some solid economic numbers. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 0.1 per cent or 5.1 pts to 4409.3. The energy, mining and industrial sectors are trading in the red while other sectors are higher. This is the first time in five sessions the local market is improving.

The stock market is not exactly a model of orderly progress, is it? The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) became the latest bourse to experience a 'glitch' yesterday. Volume was light on the NYSE because trading in 216 of its 3825 stocks was suspended. The exchange's matching engine wasn't functioning properly.

The director general, George Entwistle resigned from BBC within two months of commencing his job, after the broadcaster that is funded by the state had put out a programme that was marked by the chairman as nothing but shoddy journalism in BBC.

The rise in price of oil and improved stocks in the US on Friday was more than five years, owing to the sentiment of the consumers, exceeding concerns that the US fiscal cliff and the financial woes of Europe may result in global recession.

The United States is on track to overtake oil-rich Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world’s top oil producing nation by 2017, according to the latest report by the International Energy Agency.

The South Australian (SA) government provided on Tuesday some relief to mining giant BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) by granting it a four-year extension to decide on the multibillion dollar Olympic Dam expansion project.