October 2024

The ASX is set for a solid opening on Monday morning following a 46-point gain in share price index futures trading on Friday night. However, this gain may be tempered by the unknown reaction to yet another lackluster stimulus announcement from the Chinese government on Saturday. This announcement marked the third stimulus in three weeks, […]

The S&P 500 and Dow Jones surged to new highs on Friday, concluding a successful week as major banks kicked off the third-quarter earnings season on a positive note. The broad index rose by 0.61 per cent, finishing at 5,815.03, while the Dow jumped 409.74 points, or 0.97 per cent, closing at 42,863.86. Both indices

Eighteen months after the regional banking crisis—which many analysts claimed foreshadowed larger issues for the country’s banks and the economy—America’s banks appear to be in robust health, based on the first round of September quarter earnings reports from major players like JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. Capital levels are strong, lending is solid, trading income

For the second time in a week, China has left investors questioning what the term “stimulus” really means. On Saturday, China’s finance ministry unveiled a fiscal stimulus package filled with vague ideas aimed at reviving the stagnating economy, yet again failing to disclose the size, scope, and timing of the new measures. Five days earlier,

Another stunning “triumph” from Elon Musk as his highly hyped robotaxi product launch failed to impress investors—many of whom had believed he would achieve a marketing coup at Thursday night’s event. Instead, it was more of the same from Musk, according to reports from the Hollywood launch: long on hype, short on details. The Financial

America’s 2024 hurricane loss bill looks like being boosted towards more than US$150 billion by Milton’s destructive path through central Florida and potential return to the north-east of the US. But the damages bill for consumers, businesses and governments at all levels will be much higher because home and property owners in the affected areas

The country’s biggest investor, Australian Super, has ignored all the poor publicity around supermarket giant Woolworths (ASX:WOW) and its claimed price-gouging activities. It has spent close to half a billion dollars since late March boosting its already major position in the company’s share register. It’s a move that ignores all the criticism from politicians on

A week before it reports its third quarter earnings, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has cut its Bank of America stake under the 10% limit that requires disclosure of changes in the size of the holding in what US regulators call a “timely manner” (within two days, as against three days in Australia). A filing late

Rio Tinto’s (ASX:RIO) counter-cyclical move in offering nearly $10 billion for London- and US-based Arcadium Lithium has exposed the enormous potential losses now facing the entire lithium industry here and offshore — including in China. Rio’s offer is cheap — and so it should be, because the fortunes of the sector are vastly different to

Dr Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy & Chief Economist at AMP, discusses developments in investment markets over the past week, economic activity trackers, major global economic events and Australian economic events. Investment markets and key developments over the past week Global share markets rose over the last week helped by the absence so far