POLITICS & POLICY

It is high time for the Australian government to reconfigure its strategy in neutralising the illegal drugs trade, a new report said, which also highlighted the seeming successes that organised crime groups have achieved against legal efforts to stem their operations.

Ampella Mining, a gold explorer focused in West Africa, has put up the sale sign albeit concerns it might not be able to hit the sale funds it expects.

Indian jeweler and watch maker Titan Industries has gotten an approval from the federal government to directly import gold for domestic sales, as the country's bullion traders and jewelers protests' entered their 17th day on Monday.

MORNING REPORT (7am AEST)The ISM manufacturing index rose by from 52.4 to 53.4. Across the sub-indices production jumped to from 55.3 to 58.3 , the new orders balance dipped from 54.9 to 54.5 and the employment reading rose from 53.2 to 56.1, a 9-month high.US construction spending fell 1.1pct to an annual rate of $808.86 billion, a 7-month low. The result was well below forecasts which centred on a rise of 0.6pct. Spending in January was revised to show a much bigger 0.8pct fall instea...

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The AUD is slightly higher this morning after some positive data out of the US and the UK boosted investor optimism.

Stocks rose to multiyear highs in the first session of the new quarter after a solid reading on domestic manufacturing activity in March. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 52.45 points, or 0.40%, to 13264.49, its highest close since December 2007.

On Sunday, China released its official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) which, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) and National Bureau of Statistics, showed that manufacturing activity in the world's second-largest economy improved to 53.1 in March, up from 51.0 in February. It was also Beijing's highest in 12 months.

The Australian sharemarket started the day off almost 1 pct higher and then gave away its gains as the day progressed. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) eased by 0.1 pct or 3.6 pts to 4416.4. The mining and energy sectors rose strongly while almost all other sectors lost ground today.

Australia has turned to the United States for skilled workers led by electricians and plumbers that are now highly in demand by local industries.

The already much-delayed $12 billion steel mill project of South Korean steel group POSCO in India hit yet again another snag, as a newly established government body placed the project on hold pending environmental review processes.

China is set to launch on April 8 a rare earths industry association in a bid to curb the rampant domestic illegal mining of the precious metal commodity as well as regulate its rare earths players.

Adelaide topped the list of Australian cities in terms of urban planning, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council said.

MORNING REPORT (7am AEDT)US consumer sentiment rose from 74.3 to a 13-month high of 76.2 in March - well above forecasts of a result near 74.7. US personal income rose 0.2pct in February with spending up 0.8pct - largest gain in seven months. The Chicago purchasing managers' index eased from 64.0 to 62.2 in March.

Earth-hour was celebrated on the 31st of March. Millions of people turned off their lights across the globe.

Polls indicate a Coalition victory if elections were held now. The Nielsen poll said the Opposition got 57 per cent of votes compared to Labor's 43 per cent in a two-party vote.

The Australian sharemarket ended slightly weaker today, however ended the month and the quarter in positive territory. Shares rose by around 0.8 pct in March however jumped by 7.7 pct this quarter (January to March 2012). In fact, we have had the best start to a new year since 2006.

Appetite for gold, already sidetracked by a rising and improving dollar, will all the more get relegated to the background as investors turn to palladium and other industrial metals in a bid to diversify portfolio holdings.

Going ahead with the carbon tax July this year could leave the Australian economy in ruins, according to outgoing Future Fund chair David Murray.

Over the last few day global markets have been hit by more concern over the global slowdown and European debt problems. Overnight the US markets finished mixed with the DOW Jones climbing higher in the last few minutes of trade but the NASDAQ still finishing in the red. Today is the last day of the quarter and the ASX 200 index looks set to close the quarter up over 7pct. By lunch the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) had risen by 16points or 0.38pct to 4,438 points.

Swiss bank UBS AG on Thursday slashed by 18 per cent its earlier gold price forecast for 2012 to $1,680 an ounce from $2,050 an ounce spurred by positive observations of a slowly improving fiscal health in most major economies.

Australia will meet its promised budget surplus by reducing spending and cancelling tax measures, according to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Australia's decision to exclude China's Huawei Technologies from its $36-billion national broadband roll out will stay, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard amidst the appeals made by the Chinese.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar continues to be pressured this morning and is trading at new session lows against the US Dollar and major currencies.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average erased losses in late Thursday trade, with the benchmark index trading up 12.95 points, or 0.1%, at 13,139. Trading tends to be volatile at the end of the quarter, as fund managers adjust their trading books.

Yesterday Australian stocks closed at their highest levels in almost five months but today investors are selling. Overall the Australian market is still performing a lot better than expected. Overnight end of quarter and end of month trading along with weak economic data out from the UK and US sent stocks lower. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is currently only down by 2pts to 4,433 points.

China assailed Australia's decision this week of banning a major Chinese firm from participating into the $36-billion roll out of the national broadband network (NBN), labelling the move as discriminatory and unfair trade practices.

Since 2008, the global financial crisis has wiped out more than $70,000 from the value of assets by the average Australian household. In 2011 alone, about $40,000 were lost from the average household assets value, a report by the Reserve Bank of Australia released on Thursday said.

In US trade, markets retreated on the back of disappointing durable goods orders and a plunge in oil prices. Risk appetite was generally subdued with commodities and risk currencies losing ground. Stocks were choppy through most of the European session, until the durable-goods orders data triggered the sharp move lower.

Treasurer Wayne Swan warned on Thursday of spending cuts and programme cancellations for the Australian government to achieve in May the budget surplus it promised. Money would also be redirected where it is needed most, he told the Australian Business Economists breakfast in Sydney.