MARKETS

In a bid to boost the state economy, New South Wales Resources Minister Chris Hartcher said on Saturday that NSW is open to uranium exploration. Besides announcing the state policy, Mr Hartcher moved one step ahead by seeking expressions of interest in licences.

How QE Favours the Rich

If you need any further evidence that the bulk commodity bubble has burst all over the place, look no further than the actions of the Queensland government. These bozos announced their budget on Tuesday, ratcheting up the royalties on coal production.

We're back in the City of Lights, Fellow Reckoner, La Ville-Lumière. The hot and dusty Medina of Marrakech is behind us. So too the coastline of Portugal and the cities of Seville and Madrid. But what is ahead...for Europe...for the world?

The Australian sharemarket improved strongly today following the U.S central bank's decision to stimulate the American economy. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rose by 1.2 pct or 50.4 pts to 4410.2. Thanks to today's improvements, the XAO is around 1.4 pct stronger today than this time last week and has had its best single day of trade since 27 July.

Spanish house prices continue to slide, as the economy slumps deeper into recession mainly due to weak demand and stringent austerity measures.

Overnight there was only one focus for the US markets, the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting to decide on a new monetary policy. The market is hoping for additional stimulus and that is exactly what it got. The FOMC announced an open ended Quantitative Easing (QE) program focused on purchases up to US$40Billion worth of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBSs) a month. The program will commence tomorrow and can be increased with additional asset purchases if required to try an...

Three unions at BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) rejected on Thursday the latest workplace agreement offered by the giant miner. The unions want changes to the offer before they submit the deal for a vote to their 3,000 members assigned at BHP's coking coal mines in northeastern Australia.

Iranian oil tankers have been unloading millions of barrels of oil near a small port island just off the East Malaysian coast.

U.S. fast food giant McDonald's Corp will begin posting calorie information for its entire menu at U.S. stores starting from next week.

By Rudi Filapek-VandyckThe Dow Jones industrial average jumped 207 points, or 1.6%, to 13,539.86, while the Nasdaq rose 1.

The Australian sharemarket lost a little ground for the second time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) easing by 0.5 pct or 23.3 pts to 4359.8. Despite the pullback, investors seemed uninterested with equities as there was only $3.3 billion worth of shares that exchanged hands. This is around 30 pct less than last Thursday's trade volume. Yesterday, the XAO improved by 0.8 pct.

Today the market has reversed yesterday's strong run, positive news out of Europe was not enough to keep the momentum from continuing ahead of the outcome from the US Federal Reserve tonight. Overnight the German Constitutional Court formally approved The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), paving the way for the Eurozone's permanent rescue fund to come into operation. While a positive decision had been expected the euro markets and currencies rose. The UK market was a little weaker even w...

Every so now and then FNArena receives a question that is worthwhile sharing with a broader audience. This week's question from subscriber John from Altona Meadows, Victoria about JB Hi-Fi ((JBH)) qualifies in our view.

The Hyundai Motor's labor union has voted to approve a revised wage and working-conditions deal, ending strike that had hurt sales at South Korea's biggest car maker. The strike at Hyundai Motor is said to be the costliest one in the company's history.

This story was originally published on 6 September 2012. It has now been re-published to make it available to an audience beyond paying subscribers at FNArena.

Ford Motor Co.'s board of directors is due to meet on Thursday. The Ford Motor Co.'s board will probably discuss the most pressing issue facing the American car maker - the retirement of Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally.

Is today Big Wednesday? Well, if you had to pick a day when the market could blow out - in either direction - you could do worse than today.

This is the last day of the Mont Pelerin Society meeting in Prague, and I am writing from inside Prague Castle, where we have been the guests of the Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus.

By Rudi Filapek-VandyckThe Dow Jones industrial average DJIA closed up 9.99 points, or 0.07%, to 13,333.

The Australian sharemarket improved for the second time this week today and ended close to the daily highs. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rose 0.8 pct or 34.8 pts to 4383.1, with almost all sectors closing in the black.

Chinese property prices are now bouncing back, amidst central bank's decision to slash its key interest rates to boost the slowing economy.

Bacon. That's been the secret to everything all along. If only we'd known! We would have told you sooner. More on the power of bacon shortly.

What a switch on the markets this morning. Yesterday it was all about trading defensively and being safe ahead of some big ticket items that are due for release and resolution from overseas markets this week. But today it is all different.

By Jaume Ventura, Vasco M Carvalho and Alberto MartinOver the last two decades, US aggregate wealth has fluctuated substantially.

The Australian dollar steamed ahead of its US Counterpart overnight with investors speculating that the US Federal Reserve will announce further stimulus measures when they begin a two day meeting this evening.

By Rudi Filapek-VandyckUS equities resumed their steady rise in overnight trade. The DJIA gained 69.07 points to close at 13,323.

Investors seemed uninterested with markets across the region today, ahead of two busy and vital sessions offshore this week. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) eased by 0.2 pct or 9.7 pts to 4348.3, losing ground for the first time this week and for the first time in four trading sessions.

Royal Dutch Shell started oil drilling in the Chukchi Sea, just 70 miles off the coast of northwest Alaska. The company, however, has begun just preparatory oil drilling for the well in the Arctic after waiting 4 long years since it paid roughly $2.8 billion to the federal government for petroleum leases in the Chukchi Sea.