BUSINESS

Australian Stock Market Report 05/10/2011

Standard & Poor's downgraded Greece's long term-credit rating from B to BB-minus, citing that it saw an increased risk that Greece will need to restructure its debt. S&P said its projections suggested that a 50pct reduction in principal debt could be needed to restore Greece's debt burden to a sustainable level.

Australian Stock Market Report 05/09/2011

US non-farm payrolls rose by a much larger than expected 244,000 in April - marking the biggest increase in 11 months. The private sector created 268,000 jobs, with jobs growth in the retail sector (+57,000) marking the largest monthly increase in over a decade. However the jobless rate did rise from 8.8pct to 9.0pct in April.
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Economists Expecting Next RBA Hike Sooner, Not Later

RBA quarterly statement more hawkish on monetary policy - Inflation expectations increased - The RBA's statement implies current rate expectations are too benign - June rate hike now seen as more likelyBy Chris ShawOn Friday the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released its quarterly statement on m...

US Consumer Spending Getting Worse, Not Better

Consumer Metrics Institute Members News: May 5, 2011 - Resumed Downturns, Retail Sales and Consumer ConfidenceLakewood, ColoradoAfter a week-long pause our Daily Growth Index resumed its movement into record territory, setting a new all-time low representing a 6.

HFR composite hedge fund index up 1.86% in April (+3.59% YTD) with positive contributions across all strategies

After posting modest losses during the first half of April, US equity markets ended the month with positive performance. Commodities posted gains concentrated in precious metals while the US Dollar declined sharply. US treasury yields fell on analysts' negative outlook for US credit rating, while the environment for credit & corporate acquisition remained robust. Hedge funds posted gains for the month of April, with the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index gaining +1.86% with positive contribut...

Systematic Alpha signs with Quanthouse to reduce quote, execution times

New York based CTA Systematic Alpha Management (SAM) has extended its contract with QuantHouse, a leading supplier of next-generation trading systems, to include QuantLINK, an advanced trading infrastructure interconnecting the heart of exchanges with proximity hosting at the source.

Hedge funds advance 1.3% in April as the equity market rally continues

Hennessee Group LLC, an adviser to direct hedge fund investors, announced today that the Hennessee Hedge Fund Index advanced +1.3% in April (+3.80% YTD), while the S&P 500 advanced +2.9% (+8.4% YTD), the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased +3.98% (+10.65% YTD), and the NASDAQ Composite Index gained +3.32% (+8.32% YTD).

Significant Upside Potential For Undervalued OceanaGold

- RBS Australia re-initiates coverage on OceanaGold- Stock rated a Buy given strong cash flows and growth prospects- Dipidio project the major growth driverBy Chris ShawFollowing an absence of a few years, RBS Australia has re-initated coverage on OceanaGold ((OGC)) with a Buy rating.

Global Markets Overview 05/09/2011

U.S. stocks rose Friday as investors were encouraged by a bigger than expected increase in monthly nonfarm payrolls, but worries over Greece limited the gains.The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 54.57 points, or 0.43%, to 12638.74. Kraft Foods was the measure's best performer with a jump of 69 cents, or 2.1%, to $34.08, after the packaged-foods company's first-quarter sales and profit topped analysts' estimates.

Smartline named top franchise

The broker has been ranked number one in the Topfranchise survey rating Australia's best franchisors. The Topfranchise survey, launched three years ago by research company 10 Thousand Feet, has seen Smartline take top ranking each year. Smartline CEO Chris Acret said the ranking was particularly important as it reflected the sentiments of Smartline's franchisees.

GM, after bankruptcy, has 5 straight quarters of profit

Now General Motors Company (GM), second only to Toyota in global auto sales, has reported its fifth consecutive profitable quarter, posting net income of $3.2 billion, or $1.77 per fully-diluted share. Revenue in the first quarter ended March 31 increased $4.7 billion to $36.2 billion, compared with the first quarter of 2010.

Global Markets Overview 05/06/2011

The energy sector led U.S. stocks lower Thursday as crude-oil prices plunged and jobs data disappointed, hurting expectations for the government's upcoming employment report.

Millionaires boom in the next decade

The number of millionaires worldwide will grow more than 70% by 2020 with the U.S. expected to have double the total number of families with a net worth of over $1 million, according to a report by the Deloitte Center for Financial Services.

Sony's Playstation returning "in the coming days"

After a two-week long outage of its PlayStation Network, Sony Corp. (6758) said that it is in the final stages of internal testing of the new system and will restore the popular gaming service "in the coming days".

San Miguel completes $970m bond, share sale

Diversified Philippine industrial conglomerate San Miguel Corp. has completed its record-setting shares and bond global sale deal worth $970 million with the resumption of trading on the company’s stock on the Philippine Stock Exchange

Tox Free Expands Growth Potential

- Tox Free expands via Waste Solutions acquisition- Purchase offers entry into Northern Territory Market- Deal earnings accretive, forecasts lifted- DJ Carmichael rates Tox Free as BuyBy Chris ShawIndustrial and hazardous waste management company Tox Free Solutions ((TOX)) recently announced the acq...

Australia likely to raise rates

The National Bank of Australia Chief Executive Cameron Clyne on Friday said that Australia may be moving towards a "rising rate environment" and it is only a matter of time before the Reserve Bank of Australia announced a fresh round of interest rates hike,

Your Editor On Twitter

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArenaI recently joined Twitter. Not because I am curious what this celebrity has to say about her kids, or to read that another one is waiting for a connecting flight, impatiently.

Australian Stock Market Report - Morning 05/06/2011

US jobless claims rose by 43,000 to 474,000 last week - marking the highest reading since August. Layoffs in the auto sector due to supply disruptions following the Japanese earthquake were expected to keep the labour market subdued in the near term.

Algorithmics survey finds hedge funds will need to bow to demands of asset owners

Hedge funds will need to bow to the demands of their asset owners according the findings of a recent survey of hedge fund risk managers by Algorithmics, the leading provider of enterprise risk solutions. Asked to name the key market challenges currently facing hedge funds, survey respondents listed regulation and the pressure from investors for greater transparency as their biggest challenges.

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