Vittorio Hernandez

Overnight there was only one focus for the US markets, the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting to decide on a new monetary policy. The market is hoping for additional stimulus and that is exactly what it got. The FOMC announced an open ended Quantitative Easing (QE) program focused on purchases up to US$40Billion worth of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBSs) a month. The program will commence tomorrow and can be increased with additional asset purchases if required to try an...

Three unions at BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP) rejected on Thursday the latest workplace agreement offered by the giant miner. The unions want changes to the offer before they submit the deal for a vote to their 3,000 members assigned at BHP's coking coal mines in northeastern Australia.

Tasmania's forest peace talks are at the risk of collapsing after the Thursday walkout of a second forestry group, the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA).

A second former student at Sydney University confirmed on Friday the infamous campus bullying by then losing candidate Tony Abbott on election winner Barbara Ramjan.

The Australian sharemarket lost a little ground for the second time this week, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) easing by 0.5 pct or 23.3 pts to 4359.8. Despite the pullback, investors seemed uninterested with equities as there was only $3.3 billion worth of shares that exchanged hands. This is around 30 pct less than last Thursday's trade volume. Yesterday, the XAO improved by 0.8 pct.

Key independent MP Tony Windsor dashed hopes of rushing the super trawler bill in Parliament. If pushed into voting for the measure introduced just this week, Mr Windsor told ABC on Thursday that he would vote against the bill.

Today the market has reversed yesterday's strong run, positive news out of Europe was not enough to keep the momentum from continuing ahead of the outcome from the US Federal Reserve tonight. Overnight the German Constitutional Court formally approved The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), paving the way for the Eurozone's permanent rescue fund to come into operation. While a positive decision had been expected the euro markets and currencies rose. The UK market was a little weaker even w...

Despite comments by some techies that Apple's newly launched iPhone 5 is boring, analysts forecast the latest mobile unit would be a bestseller. Piper Jaffray Cos analyst Gene Munster forecast that the iPhone 5 could sell up to 10 million units by the end of September.

Former university mates of Opposition leader Tony Abbott are not surprised of his aggressive behaviour in Parliament today, particularly against women and gays. A fellow female student at Sydney University, who won over Mr Abbott as president of the Students Representative Council, was quoted in a political essay of her unpleasant experience then with the losing candidate.

While seeking tougher laws to battle Twitter trolls which he experienced, NRL star Robbie Farah himself made a similar offending tweet in 2011 to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The ongoing legal feud among the Rinehart family members took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with the matriarch, Gina Rinehart who is Australia's richest person, issuing a public invitation for her four adult children to claim their share of the family trust.

The Australian sharemarket improved for the second time this week today and ended close to the daily highs. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rose 0.8 pct or 34.8 pts to 4383.1, with almost all sectors closing in the black.

New South Wales' Division of Local Government has classified carbon credits to be in the same league as financial products, in effect saying carbon trading is as risky for local councils to trade in.

What a switch on the markets this morning. Yesterday it was all about trading defensively and being safe ahead of some big ticket items that are due for release and resolution from overseas markets this week. But today it is all different.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy accused on Wednesday a microblogging site of not cooperating with the Australian government due to Twitter's failure to turn over evidence on its probe of cyber abuse.

With mining commodity prices on a downward trend, Australian exporters were advised to look into non-resource export to Asia as another profitable undertaking. A study by global business adviser Boston Consulting Group estimated that businesses outside the mining sector could earn up to $126 billion by 2021 if they shift their attention to this market.

The federal government is planning to ban the super trawler, Abel Tasman, from fishing in Australian waters for two years under new laws proposed the last minute by Environment Minister Tony Burke.

If there is one good thing that the controversial comparison of the health of gay people and smokers by the head of the Australian Christian Lobby group has achieved, it is to seek more information on the health of homosexuals.

Investors seemed uninterested with markets across the region today, ahead of two busy and vital sessions offshore this week. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) eased by 0.2 pct or 9.7 pts to 4348.3, losing ground for the first time this week and for the first time in four trading sessions.

Only 14 per cent of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Australia are using cloud computing, a study commissioned by MYOB, a business software provider, found.

Local stocks are giving back yesterday's gains in the early session, with investors choosing to stay out of the market ahead of several key international events this week. Profit takers moved in on US and European markets overnight, as uncertainty surrounds the outcome of the Dutch election being held tomorrow and the German constitutional ruling on the Eurozone bailout plan. At lunchtime in the East, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 11.5pts or 0.3pct to 4346.5.

Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett said on Tuesday that the city of Perth is shedding its blue collar reputation and is even attracting fresh professional talents. Among those who moved to the WA capital city are scientists, engineers and academics.

To convince regulators to approve its newly signed agreement with Emirates, Qantas in a submission filed on Monday with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said it would quits its European trips if the regulators reject the deal.

The furor over the remarks by Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) leader Jim Wallace that the gay lifestyle is more dangerous than smoking refuses to die.

The Anglican Church in Newcastle has imposed punishment on four priests for engaging in sexual trysts with a teenage male in the 1970s and 1980s. The New South Wales (NSW) police initially investigated the charges but filed no charges; however, the church held its own probe which led to the defrocking of the clergy.

Local stocks closed slightly higher today, rebounding from a mid-session slump in response to disappointing Chinese import figures. US and European markets posted modest gains on Friday in response to the bond buying program announced by the European Central Bank late last week and hopes the US Federal Reserve would provide more economic stimulus in the wake of a disappointing jobs report released on Friday. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed up 9.2pts or 0.2pct to 4358 after hitting an intra...

The Australian market closed stronger on Friday helped by the news out just before the close that China has approved 60 new infrastructure projects valued at $157 billion. In response to this new project news iron ore price jumped 2.2% back to US$89/a dry tonne, gold surged over US$34 an ounce and metal prices rallied on the London metals exchange (LME). European market moved higher still excited by the new European Central Bank (ECB) bond buying program, designed to restrain borrowing costs for...

The gold production of Australia improved by 4 per cent in the second quarter of 2012 to 65 metric tonnes from 62.5 tonnes in the first quarter. However, total first half production went down 4 per cent to 261 tonnes partly due to wet weather.

It is not only Australia that has been negatively affected by the slowdown in the Chinese economy which resulted in a drop in iron ore prices in the world market.