October 23, 2023

US bond market traders don’t seem to have the courage of their collective paranoia about yields. After filling reams of paper, the airwaves of TV business shows, and online commentaries with dire predictions about what would happen when US 10-year bond yields breached the ‘psychologically important’ 5% level, they turned around and bought heavily, driving […]

Despite oil prices reaching multi-year highs, Chevron Corp announced on Monday its intention to acquire its smaller US rival, Hess Corp, in a $53-billion all-stock deal. The announcement comes just two weeks after Exxon Mobil revealed its plans to pay $60 billion ($93 billion) for the US shale oil and gas producer, Pioneer Natural Resources.

The US Department of Justice is reportedly expanding its inquiry into Tesla’s business practices, adding to the pressure on Elon Musk and the company’s board. Initially focused on reports of issues with Tesla vehicles and awards to senior managers, the investigation has now broadened to include scrutiny of the range of Tesla vehicles on a

The Nasdaq Composite ticked higher on Monday as Treasury yields retreated from their highs and traders looked ahead to the release of corporate earnings from tech industry giants. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note yield briefly climbed back above the key 5 per cent level before ticking down. It was last trading at about 4.85 per

Chile’s global lithium giant, SQM, continues to enhance its Australian holdings, having recently acquired a 30% stake in the Calidus Resources Pilbara lithium project. This move marks the latest in a series of deals in 2023 that have seen SQM aligning with promising lithium projects and their promoters. SQM’s involvement in Australia includes a 50-50

Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) surprised investors on Friday with news of its plan to shut down all operations in Malaysia, except for a mixed rare earth carbonate processing plant, over the December quarter. Minimal volumes of raw materials will be processed during this shutdown. This announcement came as a blow, with the world’s largest rare

South32 (ASX:S32) may have reaffirmed its 2023-24 production guidance, despite an 18% drop in coking coal production in the first quarter. However, this confidence has not deterred the miner from initiating cost-cutting measures. In its September quarter production and sales report, the company disclosed that it had initiated a comprehensive cost review across the organization

Treasury Wine Estates (ASX:TWE) has announced its readiness to re-establish its presence in the Chinese market, particularly for the premium Penfolds wines, following the most promising sign yet of a potential reduction in the punitive 200% plus tariffs imposed by the Chinese government. The company welcomed the Australian government’s announcement of a five-month review of

Australian shares closed at their lowest level in a year on Monday, following a trend set by a weaker Wall Street. This decline was driven by concerns about an escalation of the Middle East conflict, which negatively impacted investor sentiment. At the closing bell, the S&P/ASX 200 was 0.82 per cent lower at 6,844.1. Futures