Earnings: Buffett’s Option Hit
Warren Buffett turns 80 on the 30th of this month, and as an unwelcome advance present, his Berkshire Hathaway company has again underlined what a treacherous investment financial derivatives can be.
Read MoreWarren Buffett turns 80 on the 30th of this month, and as an unwelcome advance present, his Berkshire Hathaway company has again underlined what a treacherous investment financial derivatives can be.
Read MoreAmerican shares recovered after earlier losses on Friday in the wake of the release of poor July jobs figures.
Read MoreWheat was the focus last week for commodity markets and for equities where commodity groups’ shares rose sharply, but some big food groups saw their share prices come under pressure.
Read MoreRio Tinto has well and truly recovered from its self-inflicted near death experience in 2008-09 that saw it almost fall into Chinese hands.
Read MoreThe National Australia Bank bid for AXA Asia Pacific just won’t go way for a rest, it keeps coming back to remind us of its complexity.
Read MoreSo much for the idea that gambling is a recession-proof industry; it hasn’t been in the US where many casinos have collapsed and yesterday industry giant Tabcorp revealed results that confirm it wasn’t in the year to June 30, with sluggish spenders and more intense competition cutting into the profit line.
Read MoreOn the face of it, news of a possible halt to Indian iron ore exports is good news for the likes of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale of Brazil and Fortescue Metals and a cast of hopefuls.
Read MoreThere are a growing number of gold bears emerging from hibernation.
Read MoreAnother private equity retailing ‘success’ story bites the dust within a few months of being sold into the market.
Read MoreAfter the news on the trade boom yesterday, other reports on the economy were not so upbeat.
Read MoreExport income surging, the service sector cooling, house prices still growing but more slowly, and car sales still positive but also showing signs of slowing.
Read MoreWealth manager AXA Asia Pacific Holdings yesterday met its updated July guidance for its profit and investment returns for the June 30 half year, but the company’s outlook remains as clouded as ever by the ongoing attempt by the National Australia Bank to craft a deal that will pass muster with the competition regulator, the ACCC.
Read MoreKerry Stokes’ Seven Group Holdings will be happy; the partly-owned associate West Australian Newspapers is more than doubling final dividend after a 10% rise in profit for the 2010 financial year.
Read MoreOn the one hand, retail sales for June were weak, rising from May by just 0.2%, seasonally adjusted.
Read MoreNo rate rise from the Reserve Bank yesterday, and no signals for what might happen in future months, as we got from September 2009 to May of this year.
Read MoreWheat prices at a two year high, copper hits a three month high, oil above $US81 a barrel, and other commodities such as sugar, coffee and cocoa rising, or at multi-decade highs.
Read MoreIs there life after a slump for Adelaide-based manufacturer Hills Industries?
Read MoreThe building approvals figures for June were also mixed: a weak month to end what was started out as a strong year last July because of the first home buyers’ stimulus and record low interest rates.
Read MoreMore confirmation yesterday that Chinese manufacturing slowed last month.
Read MoreBuilding products supplier, Crane Group has confirmed guidance and reported a sharp fall in net profit for 2010 financial year, but says it expects a better result in the current year.
Read MoreDiversified investment company Argo Investments Ltd has posted a fall in annual net profit for the June 30 year, but one that was better than that recorded at the December half way.
Read MoreThe Solomon Lew-controlled Premier Investments yesterday attempted to argue that it sees a significant improvement for its retail businesses, Just Group in the coming year, despite warning of no improvement in earnings for the 2010 year and a larger than expected loss for one brand.
Read MoreRetirement village group Aevum Limited has rejected an unsolicited takeover offer proposal from real estate group Stockland.
Read MoreForget shares and doubt about the US, European and Chinese economies, commodity prices have completed a huge surge in July.
Read MoreSharemarkets had a very good month in July, but compared to the recoveries seen in commodities, equities were more modest and have only halved, in some cases, the falls of May and June.
Read MoreTelstra shares will come under pressure today after the Telco pushed out a surprise profit downgrade on Friday.
Read MoreAll interest this week will be offshore, now that the good inflation figures have ruled out a rate rise from the Reserve Bank here tomorrow.
Read MoreWe received more evidence Friday for the tentative belief that key major economies are slowing.
Read MoreSuddenly Australia is a one off in the booming Asian region, instead of being ahead of the pack.
Read MoreThe US Federal Reserve meets early next month and already we know what we can expect from the meeting.
Read MorePeabody Energy, the world’s biggest listed coal group, has shown us just how profitable the Australian coal industry is and how attractive an outlook there is in China for the industry.
Read MoreHome prices and superannuation, are contenders for top of the chat charts around dining tables, water coolers and bbq’s.
Read MoreA rebound seems to be underway in the Chinese sharemarket after the big fall this year.
Read MoreMacarthur Coal has confirmed that it achieved a sales record for the June 2010 financial year, despite a lagging performance in the last quarter.
Read MoreLihir Gold says June quarterly production is in line with guidance and up 6% on the march quarter, but off 17% from the same quarter of 2009 because of flooding in Africa.
Read MoreAs expected, Sydney-based industrial products group, Alesco Corporation has reported another annual net loss and says it remains cautious about the next 12 months.
Read MoreAs well as local inflation and the health of Europe, the Reserve Bank has also been concerned that China’s attempts to slow its strongly growing economy, might come unstuck.
Read MoreThe pressure is off interest rates and the Reserve Bank can take a bow for getting its inflation forecast right.
Read MoreThe chances of QBE buying rival Australian general insurer, Insurance Australia Group continue to fade.
Read MoreIt was a mixed first half result from Rio Tinto’s NSW coal mining subsidiary, Coal & Allied, with sales and earnings down, but the promise of better to come.
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