US Economy: Fed Sits, QE To End In June
As expected there was no change from the US Federal Reserve after its two day meeting which ended early Thursday morning, Sydney time.
Read MoreAs expected there was no change from the US Federal Reserve after its two day meeting which ended early Thursday morning, Sydney time.
Read MoreA big week for the US, with the Federal Reserve expected to keep interest rates and its quantitative easing program on hold, and the first estimate of March quarter economic growth expected to show a sharp slowing.
Read MoreIn assessing the likely impact of the March quarter consumer price data later today, here’s a reminder from the minutes of the April 5 meeting of the Reserve Bank board which left rates unchanged.
Read MoreEquinox Minerals has found another Canadian company as its white knight to fight off the hostile bid from one of China’s largest mining and metals groups.
Read MoreLater today and tomorrow we will get a very good idea of the damage done to the Japanese economy by the March 11 quake and tsunami and then the Fukushima nuclear crisis which remains unresolved.
Read MoreIt’s a three-day week in Australia this week, with a fair bit packed into that time.
Read MoreJapan is facing several months of falling exports after reporting a 2% fall in shipments in March yesterday.
Read MoreThe AMP’s chief strategist, Dr Shane Oliver looks at the role played by investor psychology in investment markets and what it means for investors.
Read MoreBHP Billiton is facing production and sales problems at its highly profitable Bowen Basin coking coal mines for much longer than previously thought.
Read MoreHave no doubt; Coles Group continues to run rings around rival Woolies, no matter what anyone says.
Read MoreJapan’s Fukushima crisis continues to impact the nuclear power industry around the world.
Read MoreIt’s been a busy time for Transfield Services with two new service contracts announced after media speculation emerged that the company and UGL Ltd might be a good fit (according to media reports which reckoned UGL bosses could be interested in a deal).
Read MoreIt’s not only production of iron ore, coal and uranium that have been impacted by the wet weather and cyclones across northern Australia since the start of the year.
Read MoreQantas shares hardly moved yesterday after the airline boosted its fuel surcharge for a 5th time this financial year to where the extra cost is more than some domestic and international routes to NZ.
Read MoreNo sign of a rate rise looming from the latest Reserve Bank of Australia board meeting minutes, so the slightly restrictive 4.75% cash rate remains on hold for another month or three, although the big test will come with next Wednesday’s CPI for the March quarter and then the April jobs data on May 12.
Read MoreNewcrest Mining has downgraded its full-year gold production guidance following a 16% fall in production in the first quarter of calendar 2011 (the third quarter of its financial year).
Read MoreLeighton Holdings may have answered a ticklish question from the ASX yesterday about why it didn’t update the market about its profit drop and writedowns faster than it did, but its problems in the troubled Middle Eastern state of Dubai seem to be deeper than thought last week.
Read MoreShares in supermarket giant, Woolworths Ltd bounced around yesterday as investors struggled with the third quarter sales update.
Read MoreShare prices fell and gold and silver charged to new highs overnight in the wake of more fears about Europe and Standard & Poor’s made the historic move and lowered its outlook for America’s long-term debt.
Read MoreWe had a China link up story yesterday with a small Australian company with lots of talk about big sales potential and profitability, but no immediate market reaction.
Read MoreThe recent spate of natural disasters here and in New Zealand will see home and car insurance premiums rise "materially" in 2011, according to ratings agency Standard & Poor’s.
Read MoreThe sharp increase in China’s inflation rate in the year to March has had an immediate impact with the Government again lifting the reserve asset ratio for banks to a new high.
Read MoreInflation continues to worry markets (as we said in Friday’s weekly Air) with a spate of reports on Friday night adding to concerns, as well as a misreading of the latest US consumer price inflation.
Read MoreAustralian bank stocks got a boost on Friday ahead of the March interim reporting period early next month for Westpac, the ANZ and the NAB.
Read MoreGold jumped Friday and silver on a heady mixture of inflation worries in the US (which were groundless), higher oil prices and more worries in Europe about Greece and Ireland after the latter’s sovereign debt rating was cut by Moody’s.
Read MoreA short week in many countries because of Easter.
Read MoreCompared with gold, the action has been in silver for much of the past year.
Read MoreIn February big global investors abandoned their reserve and went for risk, only to pull back in early March, before the March 11 disasters in Japan.
Read MoreA week where inflation concerns continued to shuffle into the spotlight across Asia.
Read MoreBank of Queensland shares took a couple of tough bits of news in their stride yesterday, closing up 8c at $9.85 after the bank confirmed a sharp fall in interim earnings and the surprise impending loss of long time CEO David Liddy.
Read MoreGold prices could reach or top $US1,600 an ounce by the end of the year, which would put them up by around 10% on current prices, according to the London-based metals consultancy, GFMS.
Read MoreThe Japanese government downgraded its assessment of the economy in its monthly report yesterday as the impact of the March 11 quake, tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear crisis take a grim toll on activity and confidence.
Read MoreGambling giant Tabcorp Holdings yesterday has reported a 5.4% rise in normalised net revenue for the March quarter.
Read MoreShares in the uranium miner ERA fell to a 16 year low yesterday in the wake of an earnings warning late Tuesday night and then gloomy comments from yesterday’s AGM.
Read MoreRio Tinto’s 75% owned NSW coal arm, Coal and Allied, revealed rise in production and a rise in sales for the March quarter as the company rode out fluctuating demand and the impact of the March 11 quake and tsunami on the economy of its largest export market, Japan.
Read MoreRio Tinto is heading for sharp slowdown in first half profit growth after revealing bigger than expected falls in iron ore and coal production and exports in the three months to March.
Read MoreMore problems for Leighton Holdings and Hastie Group yesterday.
Read MoreQueensland coal miner Macarthur Coal has warned that further heavy rain in March means it is likely to keep a force majeure in place until the end of this month.
Read MoreThe Fukushima nuclear crisis is helping drain the strength from the Japanese economy.
Read MoreAs expected, business conditions rose in March, but confidence remains weak, according to the latest monthly survey from the National Australia Bank.
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