BUSINESS

A man looks the board of the Australian Securities Exchange in central Sydney August 7, 2013. Australian shares skidded 1.3 percent on Wednesday, its biggest fall in five weeks, hit by sharp falls in miners and financials as regional markets tracked a sof

Australian Stock Market Report –Afternoon November 20, 2014

Australian shares extended their losses this afternoon with hefty losses from the miners a major drag. The ASX 200 Index slumped by 1 per cent to 5316.2 and makes it the worst week since early December 2013 for local shares. Equities have fallen for four straight days and are trading at fresh one-month lows.
A mine worker looks at stacks of coal in an open-cast steam coal mine located in the Ordos mining district, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 14, 2014. China's top producing coal province of Inner Mongolia, where Ordos is located, is in crisis. Tumb

Global Markets Overview – November 20, 2014

Equity trading is getting ugly again; the US has been absent-mindedly meandering higher over the past month yet that lead has not transferred to Asian markets (disregarding the spending machine that is Japan).
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A man is reflected as he walks past the Australian Securities Exchange building in central Sydney April 8, 2011. Singapore Exchange Ltd has terminated its $8 billion bid for Australia's ASX Ltd after the Australian government formally rejected the offer o

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday November 19, 2014

In the last two and a half weeks there have been only 3 occasion on which the ASX 200 has risen. The weaker trend was once again in force at the open of trade on Wednesday. While the early losses for the ASX 200 were contained; the index was down 18 points at the low of the session; it appeared clear that sellers were still keen to test the index in terms of support around the 5400 mark. Whether the market holds above this level will be one of the key matters to resolve over the remainder of the...
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicks a soccer ball during a meeting with Brazilian soccer players in Brasilia

Global Markets Overview – November 19, 2014

The final market altering event of 2014 is now underway. I've been keenly watching political and fiscal events that have transpired in Japan over the past month. Last night they reached a pinnacle at Prime Minster Abe's press conference.
Workers load trucks with parcels at the new distribution centre of the German postal and logistics group Deutsche Post DHL in Berlin November 12, 2013. Deutsche Post posted a better-than-expected rise in quarterly operating profit as earnings at its domes

X-Ray Reveals Chopped Body Parts Of Baby In DHL Box Labeled Toys

X-rays revealed a DHL box labelled as toys actually contained chopped body parts of an infant such as the head, foot and heart. The staff of the global courier company discovered on Saturday the grisly contents as they prepared to ship the box from Bangkok to three Nevada addresses, The Age reports.
A mine worker looks at stacks of coal in an open-cast steam coal mine located in the Ordos mining district, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 14, 2014. China's top producing coal province of Inner Mongolia, where Ordos is located, is in crisis. Tumb

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday November 17, 2014

The open of trade on Monday saw the ASX 200 go the way it has done for most sessions in recent weeks, down. The low point of the morning saw the index at a deficit of 34 points, although there was no sign buyers were keen to start a new week by taking advantage of lower prices. The weaker bias was informed by the unconvincing outcomes for US and European equity markets at the weekend. US share markets finished mixed on Friday. The Dow Jones was down by 18 points or 0.1% but the S&P 500 index was...
An office worker is reflected in the window of the Australian Securities Exchange building displaying the ASX50 curve for Wednesday in central Sydney August 7, 2013. Australian shares skidded 1.3 percent on Wednesday, its biggest fall in five weeks, hit b

Australian Stock Market Report – Midday November 14, 2014

Australian shares are managing to creep into positive territory after a weaker start for the fifth day. The ASX 200 Index (a measure of market performance) is up ~0.1 per cent. A close to 4 per cent slump in the oil price is holding back energy stocks most.
Stock market indices

Global Markets Overview – November 14, 2014

The lull in equities continued, with no major catalysts to keep the rally going. There was some downside pressure as oil prices continue to deteriorate and investors digest the prospect of an early rates lift-off. Fed member Dudley was on the wires reaffirming that policy will be tailored to market conditions, essentially confirming that policy is data-dependent.
Unemployment

Australian Stock Market Report – Morning November 14, 2014

In the US, new claims for unemployment insurance (jobless claims) rose by 12,000 to 290,000 in the latest week. The Job Opening and Labour Turnover (JOLTS) figures shows job openings fell from a 6-year high of 4.853 million in August to 4.725 million in September, below forecasts centred on 4.823m.

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