Shares

The proposed Shell/PetroChina $3.5 billion bid for Arrow Energy has been cleared by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Toll road operator, Transurban Group, says all of its Australian assets increased traffic and revenue for the March quarter, but the news from the US wasn’t so good where toll revenue and traffic fell on the Pocahontas Parkway near Washington.

Elders Takes Another Write-Down On FEA

Elders is to cut the value of its holding in Forest Enterprises to zero after the appointment of an administration to FEA yesterday.

Singapore Growth Up, Tightens Monetary Policy

Singapore unexpectedly revalued its currency yesterday, thereby joining China, Australia, India and Vietnam in starting to tighten monetary policy.

FEA Collapses With $216 Million Of Debt

Another managed investment company, Forest Enterprises Australia, has gone bust and moved into voluntary administration.

Macarthur Shares Ease

Another day in the battle for Macarthur Coal, the world’s biggest exporter of pulverized coal.

Developing Asian Economies To Have A Good Year

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says Asia’s developing economies this year will grow by 7.5%, with the region on track for a "robust recovery".

NAB Survey Shows Economy Gathering Pace

The Australian economic recovery seems to be gathering pace, according to the March business survey from the National Australia Bank.

ERA Sold Off On ‘Soft” Market Comments

Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) shares went right off the boil yesterday when it described market conditions as soft in its first quarter operations review.

PaperlinX To Quit Tasmanian Mill

Shares of paper maker PaperlinX were all but unchanged yesterday after the company confirmed that it will close its mill at Burnie in northern Tasmania.

Day 13 Of The Macarthur Battle: Lots Of Words, Again

Yet another day of share price action, statements and more in the battle for control of Macarthur Coal.

Home Loans Down Again, Will Home Prices Now Follow?

So when will the current boom in house prices, especially in Melbourne and Sydney end, after home lending fell for a 5th month in a row in February?

Corporates 2: GPT, Perseus

Property trust, GPT Group, has confirmed that it is after new capital to help finance the purchase of 50% of a new building in the Sydney CBD to be built by Grocon.

Corporates 1: Nystar Back At CBH Again

Belgium metal processor Nyrstar HV has returned for another tilt at CBH Resources, despite the controlling position and opposition of its biggest supporter, Toho Zinc of Japan.

Greece Gets A New Deal, For Now

The US dollar fell, the euro bounced, the Aussie dollar rose, then fell and sharemarkets had a solid day in Australia and Asia at the latest sign the Greek finance/loan crisis has been defused.

Diary

Data from China and America will dominate the markets this week.

Macarthur Stalemate?

Macarthur Coal has deferred the contentious shareholder meeting due for today by a week and rejected a $3.71 billion takeover bid by New Hope Corporation Ltd.

Aussie Shares Up For Weeks In A Row

Australian shares will kick higher today after another solid night on Wall Street on Friday and a deal overnight to provide financial support for Greece.

China’s Cars, Exports, Imports Soar

The early flow of data from China is pointing to a very strong March quarter for the economy.

China 2: Imports Up

We don’t have steel or other production figures from China for March yet; they will be out later in the week.

Corporates: AVL-Cons Brands Wine Merger Off

Wine company Australian Vintage Ltd (AVL) and global wine giant Constellation Brands of the US (CBI) have ended talks over the merging of their Australian and UK operations.

China Drags The Rest Of Asia Higher

Solid Jobs Growth, Rates To Rise

There was nothing in yesterday’s March jobs figures that would cause the Reserve Bank to change its mind on the future direction of interest rates.

New Bid In Macarthur Battle

A new bid for Macarthur Coal after another day of release and counter release in the battle for control of the miner yesterday.

How Hot Is China? Next Week We Find Out

We will learn next week just how the Chinese economy travelled in the first quarter (and the month of March), with property prices (houses especially), inflation, exports, growth, output and retail sales the figures to watch.

Mirvac Eyes Westpac Office Trust

Property company Mirvac Group is raising $500 million at the same time as it revealed it had entered into due diligence on Westpac Office Trust.

Sigma Defends Information Release

Sigma Pharmaceuticals has defended the timing of its release of its 2009-10 financial report and its $389 million of losses which triggered a 48% slide in the share price on March 31.

Market Close To 5,000

Australian shares paused yesterday on the edge of the 5,000 point mark for the second time this year.

Macarthur Says No Again

Macarthur Coal has rejected the second bid from US group, Peabody Energy, saying the higher $14 a share price still undervalues the company.

Record Cars Sales In March

Car industry figures show that the Australian motor industry is back on track, recording its biggest ever sales for March.

Rates Up, Again, More To Come

The Reserve Bank lifted interest rates by 0.25% to 4.25% and signalled that there’s more in store.

More Action In Macarthur, Gloucester

Macarthur Coal and its deal partner, Noble Group of Hong Kong, seem to be going their separate ways as Peabody Energy lifted its proposed offer for Macarthur by 8% to $A14 a share yesterday.

Jobs Still Growing, But More Slowly

The ANZ job ads survey for March showed a noticeable slowing on the huge 19.1% surge in February, while a second job ads survey revealed a solid rise.

Forge Shareholders Reject Late Approach

Shareholders in Forge Group Ltd, a Perth-based construction and engineering group, have approved the placement of shares to fellow Perth engineer and contractor, Clough Ltd, despite a last minute attempt by a third party to stymie the deal.

RBA’s Commodity Price Index Strengthening

Metals Taking Another Run Up

Copper hit its highest level in 20 months, nickel is around a two year high, oil traded at the highest it has been for 17 months and the prices of other commodities were a bit stronger after a solid pre-Easter run up.

Peabody’s Cheap Bid For Macarthur

Macarthur Coal and its would-be suitor, Peabody Energy of the US, have until next weekend to either do a deal or go their separate ways, with the latter looking less likely unless the Noble Group can cough up more money.

Good News On World Economies

Last week was probably the best there has been since the slump started back in late 2007.

China-US Currency Stand-Off