POLITICS & POLICY

The Counterfeit Guardians of the RBA

The Sunday Times of London reports that the 54-year-old governor of Australia's Reserve Bank is an outside shot to replace Sir Mervyn King as the next governor of the Bank of England. Stevens would become the most powerful colonist in the British civil service.

Lynas License to Operate Malaysian Plant Put on Hold… Again

For the nth time, Lynas Corp.'s plans to operate what could rival China's rare earths industry has been hindered as a Malaysian High Court on Wednesday failed to come up with a final decision on the Australian miner's controversial temporary operating license (TOL), effectively delaying again the miner's start of operations of its rare earths processing plant.
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Australian Dollar Outlook - 10/10/2012

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar remains under selling pressure this morning, following downgrades to global growth forecasts, as well as concerns ahead of forthcoming quarterly earnings season in the US.

NSW Sells Gov’t Buildings Worth Over $300 Million

New South Wales (NSW) Premier Barry O'Farrell announced on Tuesday that the state government will sell buildings worth over $300 million. The state will use the proceeds of the sale to begin housing infrastructure in growth areas in Sydney.

China’s Stockpiles of Iron Ore Up – Report

Despite last month's government pronouncement that it would embark on a massive infrastructure plan to spur up economic stability and growth, Chinese consumers of iron ore still have to actually bite into the good news as stockpiles of the key steelmaking ingredient jumped week on week in at least 25 major Chinese ports.

BHP Slashes Jobs at Iron Ore Unit

And the inevitable has happened. Global mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd. will leave no stone unturned to maintain business stability and viability, as it announced job cuts will be made even at the expense of its top revenue business driver, the iron ore division.

U.S. Congress Report Labels Huawei, ZTE as National Security Risks

A U.S. congressional report has reportedly determined that two major Chinese companies, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp, pose grave economic and security risks to the United States and should, therefore, be prevented from further making inroads in the country, reports said.

Australia’s Queensland Govt Divests Stakes in QR National

Australia's state government of Queensland on Monday announced it will divest its remaining stakes in coal-freight company QR National Ltd. for $1.5 billion in a bid to pool funds that could be used to pay down the state's bloating debt.

Global Markets Overview -10/08/2012

U.S. stocks ended mostly lower Friday, as enthusiasm over a surprise drop in unemployment faded and headlines sparked renewed concerns about Europe's debt problems. Still, the Dow industrials rose to a five-year high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 34.79 points, or 0.3%, to 13610.15, capping its first weekly advance in three weeks, although the benchmark pared gains of as much as 87 points earlier in the session.

Australian Dollar Outlook - 10/08/2012

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar has fallen one US cent, as markets adjust their view on the Australian economy to one of weakness, following last week's dovish outlook on the global economic outlook by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Chinese Huawei Mulling IPO – Report

Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd wants to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) to establish its credibility as it targets large contracts in major international markets.

Billabong Shares Down; Takeover Bidder TPG Raises Concerns

Billabong shares have sank, bordering at the $1 mark, which is way below TPG's indicative offer of $1.45 a share, after the troubled Australian surfwear retailer admitted that TPG is having some concerns and reservations about the takeover issue.

Global Markets Overview -10/05/2012

Financial and materials shares led stocks on a broad march higher and boosted the blue chips, which posted their biggest gains in three weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 80.75 points, or 0.6%, to 13575.36, the largest single-day gain since Sept. 13., when the Federal Reserve sparked a 1.5% rally in the Dow industrials by announcing a new bond-buying program.

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