Christine Gaylican

U.S. stocks Tuesday headed to their worst decline in four months as weaker earnings and concern about Spain heightened fears about the global economy. After a 262-point drop, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lately off 207.7 points, or 1.6%, to 13,138.19, with chemical maker DuPont pacing its losses that included 28 of its 30 components.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has opened relatively unchanged after a subdued session overnight.

Third-quarter earnings season continues this week with a bevy of tech companies, as well as airlines, industrials and others. Also, housing and gross domestic product data are expected, along with three initial public offerings. Stocks closed the week with their biggest single-day decline in four months Friday, after a slew of weak corporate earnings reports.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has opened slightly weaker this morning and is poised to test further upside over the next few weeks should global economic data continue to show signs of improvement.

Stocks traded lower, threatening to snap a four-day streak of gains for the Dow Industrials, as a measure of U.S. layoffs rose more than expected and a surprise earnings report from Google weighed on the technology sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22 points, or 0.2%, to 135536 in late-afternoon trading Thursday

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar was on a rollercoaster ride last night and enjoyed quite significant swings including a break through USD 1.0400 before settling to yesterday's levels.

Residential property prices in New Zealand have continued to rise in the third quarter of 2012. The national housing median price rose by 6% to NZ$371,000 (US$304,168) during the year to September 2012, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).

U.S. stocks pushed higher for a third straight day this week, boosted by strong readings on the U.S. housing sector, though a sharp fall at International Business Machines weighed on blue chips.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: Increasing investor confidence saw the Australian Dollar continue to climb overnight trading to 1.0380's.

Stocks approached their biggest one-day gain since the Fed announced new stimulus measures last month, driven higher by better-than-forecast earnings from blue chips like Johnson & Johnson and an upbeat reading from the housing sector.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has traded higher through USD 1.0300 in a fairly orderly fashion overnight with market sentiment buoyed by better than expected data in the US and Europe.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The AUD is slightly fimer today, locally the market will pay close attension to the release of the RBA minutes today at 11.30am.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average squeezed out a modest advance to wrap up a tough week for the stock market, as worries about bank profits balanced off against a jump in consumer sentiment. The blue-chip Dow finished with a gain of 2.46 points, or 0.02%, to 13328.85 Friday, after rising by as many as 75 points in early trading.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has opened steady as concerns about growth prospects continue to plague Europe and the global economy.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar is still range trading, currently around the 1.0200's and likely to remain supported today.

U.S. stocks slumped, sending the Dow industrials toward a second straight triple-digit drop as outlooks from industrial, commodity and energy heavyweights added to concerns about a global economic slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gave up 131 points, or 1%, to 13343 in late afternoon trading, a day after posting its biggest daily decline in nearly six weeks.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has edged slightly higher despite a second consecutive poor night on global stock markets.

Stocks fell after a weaker-than-forecast economic-growth forecast from the International Monetary Fund stirred worries about corporate earnings ahead of Alcoa's quarterly report, due after Tuesday's closing bell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 82 points, or 0.6%, to 13501, a drop that coincided with the five-year anniversary of the market's all-time high.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar remains under selling pressure this morning, following downgrades to global growth forecasts, as well as concerns ahead of forthcoming quarterly earnings season in the US.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar continues to remain under pressure trading to a new 3 month low of US 1.0150 late yesterday.

U.S. stocks ended mostly lower Friday, as enthusiasm over a surprise drop in unemployment faded and headlines sparked renewed concerns about Europe's debt problems. Still, the Dow industrials rose to a five-year high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 34.79 points, or 0.3%, to 13610.15, capping its first weekly advance in three weeks, although the benchmark pared gains of as much as 87 points earlier in the session.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has fallen one US cent, as markets adjust their view on the Australian economy to one of weakness, following last week's dovish outlook on the global economic outlook by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Financial and materials shares led stocks on a broad march higher and boosted the blue chips, which posted their biggest gains in three weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 80.75 points, or 0.6%, to 13575.36, the largest single-day gain since Sept. 13., when the Federal Reserve sparked a 1.5% rally in the Dow industrials by announcing a new bond-buying program.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The AUD is likely to range trade today after posive night in equity markets, though we see further downside risks for the local currency.

Shares of telecom stocks helped nudge stocks higher after readings on private-sector hiring and service-sector activity bested expectations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 12.25 points, or 0.1%, at 13494.61, reversing losses earlier in the session.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has been under pressure the past few days following the RBA rate cut and weaker data releases. Local data released today will again provide the AUD's direction for the day session.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar remains under USD 1.0300 this morning following the Reserve Bank of Australia's surprise announcement to cut the official cash rate by 0.25% yesterday to 3.25%, a level not seen since March 2009 and only 0.25% above "emergency" levels set late 2008 during the GFC.

Stocks Monday started the fourth quarter mostly higher after a report showed an unexpected expansion in September U.S. factory activity. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 77.98 points, or 0.6%, to 13515.11, following its biggest weekly loss since the week ended June 1. The blue-chip benchmark trimmed gains heading into Monday's close, after climbing as much as 161 points earlier in the day.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has held steady following comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who noted, amongst other things, the Federal Reserve is watching developments in Europe closely. Today the focus in Asia is on the outcome of the RBA meeting.