MARKETS

FNArena Editor Rudi Filapek-Vandyck will be giving a two-hour presentation at the University of New South Wales, on the 15th September (next week Thursday).

- CLSA report suggests strong growth in Asian HNWIs- China a major driver, Indonesia tipped for highest rate of growth- Industries creating positive economic value to benefitBy Chris ShawWith the Asian region growing strongly so too is the number of high net worth individuals according to a report b...

The US trade deficit narrowed from $53.1 billion to $44.8 billion in July. The 13.1pct decline was the biggest monthly drop since early 2009. US exports rose 3.6pct while imports eased by 0.2pct in July.

The Australian Dollar fell against all of its 16 major counter-parties after a government report released yesterday showed the Official Unemployment Rate unexpectedly rose to 5.3 percent

U.S. stocks declined Thursday, eroding some of the prior session's advance, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks failed to calm investor jitters over the state of the economy.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 119 points or 1.0% while the S&P lost 1.1% to 1185 and the Nasdaq dropped 0.8%.

The local share market closed marginally higher today, although off earlier gains due to a disappointing jobs report. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) gained 6.9pts or 0.2pct to close at 4269.8 after reaching a high of 4297.9 in early trade.

The World Economic Forum listed China as the world's 26th most competitive nation on its Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 released on Wednesday.

Google has confirmed that China has renewed its ICP license to operate for another year in spite the tension between the two for more than a year.

How did the Australian FY11 corporate result season stack up?Do analysts feel better or worse now for the year ahead?How might one best approach FY12 investment?All this and more will be discussed in FNArena's Market Insight program at 4.

Even giant corporations are affected by the continuing global economic slack. In Hong Kong, one of Asia’s iconic banks, HSBC will furlough 3,000 employees over the next three years, reports have confirmed

- Engineering and Contractor sector results met expectations- Weak macro outlook a threat to earnings- Higher costs and margin pressures also an issue- Brokers highlight their sector preferencesBy Chris ShawFor Australian engineering and contracting companies the recent FY11 reporting season was lar...

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 275 points or 2.5% while the S&P gained 2.9% to 1198 and the Nasdaq added 3.0%.

- Brokers review sector preferences and conviction ideas- Nickel price forecasts lowered, sector earnings impacted- Project costs and risk mitigation key factors in energy sector- Weakening IP numbers a threat to commodity pricesBy Chris ShawWith Australian profit reporting season over more and more...

Stocks snapped a three-day slide as investors latched onto glimmers of hope in headlines from Germany, Italy and the U.S. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 275.56 points, or 2.47%, to 11414.86, closing at the day's highs.

Macquarie Group's profit warning yesterday has been a while coming: in fact quite a few analysts and investors have been expecting something like this since the mixed update ahead of the annual meeting in late July.

So Qantas shareholders had no dividend in the 2011 financial year, they have watched the share price fall 16% so far this calendar year, and now they will be told, if they can understand it, that CEO Alan Joyce received a 71% pay rise to $5 million.

There's been quite a change in the Reserve Bank's view of the economy and the world since the August 6 board meeting.

In the midst of fears about the nation’s economy, World Bank Chief Robert Zoellick stated that the United States will not slip into another recession.

The Australian dollar nudged higher after latest official figures showed the nation’s economy is stronger than expected. According to the latest ABS figures, GDP grew 1.2 per cent in the June quarter 2011and 1.4 per cent from a year earlier.

- SNB caps the Swiss franc- CSL exposed to USD/CHF- AUD might find further supportBy Greg PeelBack in 1978 the German economy was in a sorry state and funds were flowing steadily out of the German mark and into the safety of the Swiss franc.

- Stockmarket falls impact on economic growth- Impact is felt by both corporates and consumers- Danske Bank suggests US economy may be less resilient going into 2012By Chris ShawOver the past month, fear of recession and ongoing uncertainty with respect to European and US debt issues has seen equity...

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 100 points or 0.9% while the S&P fell 0.7% to 1165 and the Nasdaq lost 0.

The US ISM non-manufacturing survey rose from 52.7 to 53.3 in July - ahead of expectations. The pickup in service sector activity was supported by a rise in new orders and exports. Encouraginly the prices index also rose.

U.S. stocks dropped for a third straight session as investors continued to flee risky assets and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index notched its worst ever three day start to September

The Australian dollar was dragged down by a fresh wave of uncertainty from comments made by Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens.

A recent survey of rural confidence by agricultural lender Rabobank revealed that farmers are feeling less confident for the year ahead.

By Greg Peel"Beyond the near term, growth is still likely to be at trend or higher, unless the world economic outlook continues to deteriorate.

Macarthur Coal board has told shareholders to accept the takeover bid by ArcelorMittal and Peabody Energy (PEAMCoal), but has again hinted that a better alternative bid might happen.