Yesterday's trade balance from China might be the first nominal piece of data that could confirm targeted easing is taking effect. May exports rose more-than-expected, by 7%, as overseas shipments ramped up on the back of improving signs from Europe and the US.
In US economic data, the employment trends index rose from 117.32 to 118.58 in May. On Friday, data showed a 217,000 lift in employment in May with the unemployment rate stable at 6.3%.
Even if commodity prices are on a downtrend, Australian miner Sundance Resources said over the weekend that it would go ahead with its $3.5-billion iron ore project in Cameroon.
The Australian sharemarket continued to improve this afternoon, taking the gains to almost 0.5 per cent. Gains from U.S. markets and the first interest rate cut in six months for the European Central Bank helped lift stocks overnight. Improvements from the major banks accounted for around half of the market's gains today.
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It seems there is really no more stopping an El Niño 2014 occurrence. Latest updates released by weather experts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the U.S.' NOAA point to an El Niño becoming established in the Pacific Ocean by August.
The Australian sharemarket is rising for the first time in four trading days, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up 0.4 per cent or 19.7pts to 5,438.8. U.S. stocks finished at record highs ahead of the May jobs report this evening. This is arguably the most highly anticipated piece of data to be released this week.
Equities rallied with the S&P and the DAX printing fresh record highs on the back of the ECB decision. The most anticipated event of the week has been and gone and markets are now left to digest the results. While Mario Draghi seems to have thrown absolutely everything at it, markets have not quite had the euphoric reaction many would have expected. This could be largely in part due to the fact that the market already expected a comprehensive package that included a combination of a refinance ra...
The European Central Bank cut interest rates by 10 basis points: the refinancing rate now stands at 0.15%; the deposit rate stands at -0.10%; and the marginal lending rate or emergency borrowing rate stands at 0.40%. The ECB also introduced a package of targeted measures to further boost lending.
The Australian share market closed lower for a third consecutive session today, with gains in mining players unable to help lift stocks into positive territory. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed down 7.1 points or 0.1 per cent to 5419.7 points. Investors also elected to stay on the sidelines ahead of an interest rate decision by the European Central Bank later tonight.
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After a flat start this morning, local shares are now firmly in the red following a bigger than expected trade deficit recorded in April. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down for the third day and for the fifth time in six sessions. It has been a busy week so far with the Reserve Bank keeping rates on hold on Tuesday, the Australian economy growing at a faster than expected pace according to a report yesterday and a big jobs report expected in the U.S. tomorrow night.
It was another mixed session for European equities, while US markets stormed to another record high. The S&P 500 printed an intraday record high of 1928.63 and closed just a touch below this level. Driving the gains was yet another encouraging round of economic data as many had predicted for this week. A much better-than-expected ISM non-manufacturing PMI print actually set the tone overnight, along with more encouraging comments from the Fed's Beige Book. The employment component of the ISM ...
In US economic data, the ISM services index lifted from 55.2 to a nine-month high of 56.3 in May, ahead of the 55.5 consensus forecast. The ADP national employment index showed that 179,000 private sector jobs were created in May, short of the 210,000 consensus forecast. And the trade deficit rose from US$40.4 billion to US$47.24 billion in April, above the consensus estimate of US$40.8 billion.
Due to the slower domestic capacity growth of both Qantas and Virgin Australia, Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said it would translate into higher fares, fewer discounts and higher load factors.
The Australian share market was sold off again on Wednesday, despite solid economic growth figures for the March quarter.
Indonesia's Mount Sangeang Api continues to spew ash clouds, but it had dissipated to levels considered safe for planes. According to Kristianto of the Eastern Indonesian division of the geological agency, Sangean Api spewed white ash to heights of one kilometre on Monday.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of crippled Fukushima power plant, has started constructing a huge underground ice wall around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. This plan is seen to control and manage the production of toxic water at the complex devastated by a tsunami that was triggered by a magnitude 9 earthquake in March 2011.
The Australian sharemarket is falling for the second day and for the fourth time in five trading days. U.S. stocks snapped a three day win streak, giving the market a negative lead today. Despite a 0.5 per cent rise in the iron ore price, the metal's recent weakness has made the miners less attractive to investors.
US equities were flat overnight, with investors non-committal heading into the business end of the week. The S&P had to come from behind and even managed to test an intraday record high before a minor pullback into the close. With US economic data starting to ramp up, beginning with the ADP non-farm payrolls, trade balance and the GDP reading, some investors feel this warrants a bit of caution. The market certainly seems to be pricing in a strong set of data from the US this week, which puts ris...
In US economic data, factory orders rose by 0.7% in April, above the forecast 0.5% gain. Chain store sales in the latest week were up 3.5% on a year earlier, up from 3.2% in the previous week. And the ISM New York index rose from 627.4 to 630.1 in May.
Australian air carrier Regional Express (Rex) was named on Monday the best performing airline in the country during the Aviation Week and Space Technology's yearly Top Performing Airlines awards.
The losses steadily accelerated today, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) finishing close to the lows of the day; down 0.7 per cent to 5460.5. Worse than expected Chinese date and softer than forecast retail spending numbers kept investors uninspired.
A study by the Met Office and Newcastle University published in the Nature and Climate Change journal has revealed how global warming and climate change will most definitely impact the occurrence of summer downpours and flash flooding in Britain.
The Australian share market is slightly weaker at lunchtime in the East, despite positive offshore gains. Yesterday the Australian share market gained 0.5 per cent.
US equities printed a record high yet again, but this time with not quite as much conviction as we've seen in recent sessions. Meanwhile, a shocking German CPI print kept the stimulus camp happy in Europe, especially after the ECB flagged inflation as one of its key concerns. Data out of the US was quite encouraging with the final manufacturing PMI print mildly ahead of consensus, while the ISM manufacturing PMI was relatively in-line with consensus. There was a bit of drama with the ISM prin...
In US economic data, the ISM manufacturing reading was initially released showing an unexpected dip from 54.9 to 53.2 in May. However according to multiple reports, ISM corrected itself by saying manufacturing activity actually improved to 55.4 in May. That helped ease concerns about the economy, and the Dow Jones industrial average quickly climbed back into positive territory on the altered result. US construction spending rose by 0.2% in April.
Local stocks managed to rise for the first time in three sessions. Promising Chinese data on Sunday and a better end to the week across U.S. markets acted as catalysts. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rose by just shy of 0.5 per cent, closing near the highest level of the day.
Despite a weaker start the Australian sharemarket is creeping higher at lunch. Better than expected Chinese data out yesterday together with a firmer end to the week in the U.S. are helping local stocks. The market is being held back most by the miners, with continued weakness in the iron ore price pushing the sector lower.
US equities extended their gains on Friday, with the S&P printing yet another record high of 1924. Once again the S&P closed at the highs of the session and this is a positive sign heading into the new week. There are plenty of key events on the economic calendar this week that could really set up equities for solid gains. Firstly, we've already seen positive signs from China's manufacturing PMI reading. We also have the ECB policy decision, which is widely tipped to deliver stimulus. Whil...
