MARKETS

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 54 points or 0.4% while the S&P lost 0.1% to 1404 as the Nasdaq rose 0.

The Australian sharemarket lost ground for the first time this week and for the fifth time in seven sessions today. Global markets were subdued last night due to the closure of U.S markets for Labor Day. In fact, it was one of the least eventful sessions in Europe since December last year. The U.K's FTSE index rose 0.82 pct, Germany's DAX edged higher by 0.6 pct and France's CAC40 gained by 1.19 pct. Locally, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) slid by 0.6 pct or 26 pts to 4325.6.

The local share market is slightly lower mid-session, with no clear direction for investors after US markets were closed overnight for the Labor Day holiday. Base metals prices however rallied in London trade as weak Chinese and European manufacturing data prompted hopes that central banks across the globe will take action to boost economic growth. At lunchtime in the East, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 16.1pts or 0.4pct to 4355.5.

Even if BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) has not totally abandoned its plans to expand the Olympic Dam uranium, copper and gold project in the long term, the giant miner has no guarantees and timeline yet for the project, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said on Monday.

By Raman Ahmed, Heleen MeesChina's monumental savings rate is a popular topic of for policy discussion.

By Andrew NelsonOne thing is for certain, there was a lot more activity in the uranium spot market in August than there was in July.

By Greg PeelUS markets were closed last night for the Labor Day holiday. The long weekend signals the end of the summer break and brokers are hopeful of a pick-up in volumes from here as traders return just in time for supposed central bank action.

Nestle, one of the largest food companies in the world, has extended its Product Technology Centre situated in Konolfingen, Switzerland in order to increase its research and development. The extension is likely to help Nestle enhance the company's innovative equipment for the purpose of new goods development and employ these for the international operations of the company.

Wednesday's Daily Reckoning promised you a guide to Australia's coming deflation. But the mainstream media stole our thunder.

The Powers that Be are hunkered down in Jackson Hole for their annual international central banking symposium, a jaw-gabbing event where the world's "brightest" economists get together to come up with the world's dumbest "solutions"...solutions to problems largely caused by their last round of "solutions."

Rising pork prices, coupled with a declining domestic supply, could trigger high inflationary rates across China over the next year.

French businesses that hire a person aged between 16 and 25 for at least a year may only have to pay as little as 25 percent of the individual's salary starting from 2013.

The modest gains on the Australian sharemarket were short lived this morning, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) now completely flat to 4339.2. Most sectors are improving; however the mining sector is once again one of the biggest drags on trade.

The biggest of the Big Pharmas, Pfizer, has agreed to pay $60 million in fines to the federal government to settle charges the company paid millions of dollars in bribes to foreign officials.

Everyone SEO recently feels as if they have there heads on a Google Guillotine after updates to search engine rankings this year.

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArenaI 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.

By Greg PeelTourism was once Australia's second biggest industry, but that was in the days when a more inviting Australian dollar made visiting Australia for a holiday relatively inexpensive, despite the tyranny of distance.

By Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportD-Day for Europe and the world's financial markets looms, not on Friday with the Jackson Hole Symposium in Wyoming, but next Thursday when the European Central Bank (ECB) outlines its game plan for liquidity and bond-buying in Europe.

Prices of iron ore dipped further on Wednesday to $90.30 per tonne, indicating worse days ahead for Australia's resource sector. The $4.50 decline, reckoned since May, is equivalent to a 38 per cent fall.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 106 points or 0.8% while the S&P dropped 0.8% to 1399 and the Nasdaq fell 1.0%.

The Australian sharemarket had its worst day in a month, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) losing 0.9 pct or 41.3 pts to 4340.2. The defensive healthcare and telco sectors recorded some modest improvements; however all other industries ended in the red. Disappointing economic news added to the weakness earlier in the session.

While some Australian miners are considering foraying into Africa, KPMG is warning them to proceed at their own risk.

Overnight the US market were slightly higher after investors weighed up the good news that the US economy grew more than expected in the 2nd quarter of 2012, but then the Federal Reserve regional report on the economy, the Beige book, showed more signs that the US economy is still only recovering slowly.

By Jonathan BarrattIt looks like we can anticipate more rains to come as a result of the Hurricane Issac in the Gulf.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 4 points while the S&P gained 1 point to 1410 and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%.The passing of Neil Armstrong brought back memories of a certain seven year old who was fascinated by the space program but bored into submission as he sat on a classroom floor and waited interminabl...

Local stocks eased slightly today, with investors still opting to shy away from risk ahead of this weekend's Jackson Hole symposium, where central bankers from around the globe will meet to discuss the ongoing European debt crisis. The All Ordinaries Index, which gained 0.3pct yesterday, eased by 5.5pts today to 4381.5.

Yesterday the Australian stock market closed 14 points higher. Overnight the US market were in a holding pattern ahead of the Federal Reserve yearly conference that kicks off at the end of this week and ahead of the return to work and school next week after spring break next Tuesday.

Mark McLean Hildebrant, a former portfolio manager of investment firm Vanguard, is facing 63 counts of insider trading. The 39-year-old former manager did not enter a plea when he appeared Tuesday at the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

Grains marketing and processing firm GrainCorp is creating one of the largest edible oil enterprises in Australia with its $472 million buy-in of Gardner Smith and Goodman Fielder.