How to ensure you pay less for aged care
With a raft of changes to the aged-care system due soon, the choices facing families are easier than ever before.
More experts pick Select
Analysts at Moelis match Bell Potter’s forecast price target for Select and raised it another dollar.
ASX edges higher
Gold stocks soar as price of the precious metal spikes overnight.
Peer-to-peer lending worries banks
New trend which allows investors to provide personal loans and earn double-digit rates of return seemingly has banks panicked.
First half rate cuts now unlikely: Evans
Leading economists pushes back expectations of rate cuts to second half of 2014.
Carsales still under pressure
UBS downgrades estimates on company amid soft revenue growth in MediaMotive arm.
The big blue chip trading at a discount
Shares in this struggling giant are worth taking a look at, despite predictions of hefty losses and the possibility of job layoffs.
Australian Equity Indices
| Points | Change | % Change | Value | Volume |
| S&P;/ASX 200 | 5,240.9 | - 22.1 | - 0.42% | $ 3,477,006,426.0 | 616,265,513.0 |
| ALL ORDINARIES | 5,254.3 | - 21.2 | - 0.40% | $ 3,579,590,674.0 | 847,171,344.0 |
| S&P;/ASX 100 | 4,353.4 | - 17.7 | - 0.40% | $ 3,103,981,972.0 | 415,691,333.0 |
| SMALL ORDS | 2,158.6 | - 8.6 | - 0.40% | $ 429,246,390.0 | 297,131,510.0 |
Why picking stocks is about to get tougher
Investors will have to be more selective about stocks over the next 12 months as market valuations trend higher.
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Market Summary
Currencies
| AUD | USD | EUR | JPY | GBP | |
| AUD |  |
0.8681 | 0.6346 | 88.79 | 0.5264 |
| USD | 1.1513 |  |
0.731 | 102.24 | 0.6064 |
| EUR | 1.5744 | 1.3674 |  |
139.87 | 0.8293 |
| JPY | 0.0113 | 0.0098 | 0.0071 |  |
0.0059 |
| GBP | 1.8979 | 1.6485 | 1.205 | 168.61 |  |
Stock price lookup
Shares
China concern sparks share sell-off
The Australian share market has fallen for the third consecutive week, following a surprise jump in local inflation and an indicator showing China’s manufacturing sector contracted for the first time in six month.
Fun thin on ground for Xanadu
Some big shareholders in a mining group that has burnt a lot cash are disgruntled.
G8 growth not finished yet
Childcare group G8 Education earns a positive recommendation from broker Moelis.
Property
ANZ warns on SMSFs in property
Bank points out potential dangers of geared real estate investment by DIY super funds.
House prices to keep rising
Australian house prices have grown faster than in any other major economy and are forecast to match that growth in 2014.
Fixed rates at 20yr lows
Move goes against the prevailing trend for fixed-rate mortgages among big banks.
Topics
Fixed Income
First half rate cuts now unlikely: Evans
Leading economists pushes back expectations of rate cuts to second half of 2014.
Stock prices, fundamentals starting to converge
Data shows correlation between bonds and shares is getting back to normal levels.
Eleven top stocks for bond investors
If investors want to shift away from bond markets, these are the sort of shares they should buy.
Specialist Investments
Peer-to-peer lending worries banks
New trend which allows investors to provide personal loans and earn double-digit rates of return seemingly has banks panicked.
Emerging markets start 2014 softly
Currencies in developing nations have started the year on a weak note.
Japanese stocks worth another bite
If you missed the 50 per cent-plus increase in Japanese equities in 2013, you might have another shot.
Topics
Market Intelligence
How to ensure you pay less for aged care
With a raft of changes to the aged-care system due soon, the choices facing families are easier than ever before.
How to bubble-proof your tech portfolio
Stocks with seemingly outlandish valuations can still represent good value.
How six top earners could do even better
Many of Australia’s most highly paid executives and professionals have made a mess of their own personal finances.
Superannuation
How to pay less tax on an SMSF inheritance
A common worry for DIY fund trustees is their children having to pay tax on super left to them in wills.
Industry funds fight super changes
Industry Super Australia takes on federal government’s plan to force funds to appoint independent trustees.
How to write an SMSF strategy
Failure to follow your strategy is potentially a breach of the rules around your DIY fund.
Topics
New Investor
Are we nearing a correction?
After such strong gains since late 2011, the obvious question is whether shares have got ahead of themselves.
There’s better value stocks than Newcrest
Gold miner certainly doesn’t look buy material, trading on P/E multiples in the vicinity of 20.
Clearing & Settlement
This week, the tax dodgers dodge more tax, there’s collateral damage in the NSW coal sector and Telstra gets angry.