POLITICS & POLICY

Australian Dollar Outlook - 08/20/2012

Australia: The AUD has been the beneficiary of global central bank and institutional buying in recent weeks. This has been due partly to Australia's relatively higher interest rates and yields on Commonwealth and state government bonds as compared to other developed economies.

Coalition Says No Surplus Will be Delivered on 2013

The latest Treasury’s admission that Australian surplus cannot be supported by current levels of federal revenues only proved that the May budget presented by Treasurer Wayne Swan was grossly unrealistic, the Coalition said.

3rd Quarter Profit of Australia's ANZ Up 10%

Cost cuts and a business expansion in Asia have proven to be an effective business strategy for the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group as third-quarter profit jumped 10 per cent from a year ago.
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Tony Abbott Demands More Govt Resolve in Enforcing Immigration Policy

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has assailed federal authorities for lack of strong resolve in handling serious border protection affairs in light of reports that the crew of a cargo ship that rescued asylum seekers off the Indonesian waters were intimidated by some of the refugees.

BHP Hints of More Job Cuts

Saddled by the continued deterioration of the global market, coupled with a slowing appetite from its major market importer, BHP Billiton has warned it would need to undertake more job cuts at its Australian operations.

China Posts Biggest FDI Decline This Year In July

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China for the month of July has narrowed down by 8.7 per cent compared to a year ago, latest data released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday showed, affirming what could really be a slow economic rebound for the Asian country.

India's Low Rainfall to Affect Rice Production, Exports

A looming rice supply shortage could occur in the next few months as the poor monsoon and low rainfall in India, the world's second-biggest grower, hampers the nation's rice output, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) said.

Australian Dollar Outlook - 08/16/2012

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar is slightly higher this morning, currently trading just below USD1.0500 despite some mixed data released during the offshore session overnight.

Global Markets Overview - 08/16/2012

U.S. stocks finished the day roughly flat as investors juggled an unexpected contraction in domestic manufacturing activity and a mixed batch of corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 7.36 points, or 0.1%, to 13164.78. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index gained 1.60 points, or 0.1%, to 1405.53 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 13.95 points, or 0.5%, to 3030.93.

Wayne Swan Brags on Australian Economy’s Olympic-Level Feats

Australia barely made it to the Top 10 of the recently concluded London 2012 Olympics but Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan still rejoices with the fact that amidst the lingering financial difficulties, the domestic economy “is 10 per cent bigger,” when pitted against the other developed economies.

Global Markets Overview - 08/15/2012

U.S. STOCK MARKETSConsumer stocks lifted the Dow industrials after Home Depot and a handful of high-end retailers posted upbeat quarterly earnings and July's retail-sales report topped estimates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.71 points, or less than 0.1%, to 13172.14.

Jobs at India Threatened by Coal Importation

India's massive coal importation, spurred by the sector's belief that local coal has poor content and low quality, has led to the unfortunate downsizing of employment in the coal sector.

ILVA, Italy’s Largest Steelmaker to Close Shop, Thousands of Jobs at Risk

A manufacturing plant in Taranto, Italy by ILVA, Italy's largest steel maker, may be forced to close shop after a court ruling released over the weekend ordered the particular plant cannot fabricate steel while in the process of carrying out court-ordered improvements to its production line in light of the environmental and public health hazards it has created to its community.

New Zealand Bonds in China’s Radar

With the economy of New Zealand showing signs of stability and moderate growth, more and more nations are interested to invest in its bond market, particularly China.

Global Markets Overview - 08/14/2012

Stocks ended mostly lower Monday, with the Standard & Poor's 500-share index snapping a six-session streak of gains, its longest rally since December 2010. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 38.52 points, or 0.3%, to 13169.43. The S&P 500 slipped 1.76 points, or 0.1%, to 1404.11, ending its longest run-up since a six-day stretch ended Dec. 14, 2010.

Australian Dollar Outlook - 08/14/2012

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar maintained its levels above USD 1.0500 overnight in what was a listless and quiet session with little news or data flow.

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