What to do if you fall out of love with cash
After a decade of building up cash savings, yield-hungry investors are finally falling out of love with the asset class. Term deposits at the nation’s banks fell 0.6 per cent last year to $538 billion, the first annual decline since March 2003. The problem, though, is the timing.
Wall Street advances despite weak US jobs data
Updated | US stocks rose, as the impact of a weak reading on the labour market was dulled by harsh weather conditions and traders focused on expectations of further economic strength.
Stock funds worldwide post record $US28.3bn outflow
Fund investors worldwide pulled a record $US28.3 billion out of stock funds in the week ended Wednesday, data from a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report showed on Friday.
Greenback steady after downbeat US jobs data
The US dollar see-sawed after a weaker-than-expected jobs report that muddies the waters but is unlikely to dissuade the Fed from diverting from its path of steadily removing monetary stimulus.
Pin income hopes on equities at your risk
There’s never going to be a guarantee that the previous year’s sharemarket performance will be repeated, but is it time to plunge in and take a punt on some stocks that offer value as well as a dividend?
Shares lower despite ending week on a high
Shares finished the week lower despite rebounding strongly on Thursday and Friday after some better than expected local economic data and interim company results that cheered investors.
Copper lifted by China demand hopes, tight supply
Copper has posted its largest weekly rise for the year, boosted by hopes of a pickup in demand after the Chinese New Year and by limited short-term availability of the metal in the physical market.
European shares extend rebound on mining stocks
European shares extended their rebound on Friday from last month's losses, as long-term investors bet equities would continue to benefit from the region's gradual economic recovery.
Integrity of financial advice threatened
Sales bonuses in financial services are back on the table and all investors need to understand why and how the proposed changes to FoFA regulations could affect the advice they depend on.
Strong week for the dollar as RBA changes tack
The Australian dollar is set to post its best weekly performance since mid-October, after the Reserve Bank moved away from its call for a weaker exchange rate and as uncertainty continued over emerging markets and US economic growth.
Digital wills – leave the keys to your life in the cloud
With our financial lives increasingly being organised online, it’s important to leave your loved ones a digital will clearly detailing your online assets and accounts.
The RBA is less uncertain — except when it comes to inflation
A survey of the RBA’s recent statements show its usage of the word ‘uncertainty’ has reduced since May 2013.
Currencies
| AUD | USD | EUR | JPY | GBP | |
| AUD |  |
0.8957 | 0.6568 | 91.66 | 0.5457 |
| USD | 1.1158 |  |
0.7333 | 102.25 | 0.6092 |
| EUR | 1.5212 | 1.3639 |  |
139.51 | 0.8306 |
| JPY | 0.0109 | 0.0098 | 0.0072 |  |
0.0060 |
| GBP | 1.831 | 1.6409 | 1.2033 | 167.91 |  |
World Indices
| S&P;/ASX 200 | 5,166.5 | + 35.1 | + 0.68% |
| ALL ORDINARIES | 5,184.5 | + 37.1 | + 0.72% |
| S&P;/ASX 100 | 4,289.0 | + 26.6 | + 0.62% |
| SMALL ORDS | 2,142.0 | + 35.6 | + 1.69% |
| Dow Jones | 15,794.08 | + 165.55 | + 1.06% |
| S&P 500 INDEX | 1,797.02 | + 23.59 | + 1.33% |
| NASDAQ COMPOSITE | 4,125.86 | + 68.74 | + 1.69% |
| Wilshire 5000 | 19,203.91 | + 246.83 | + 1.30% |
| FTSE 100 | 6,571.68 | + 13.40 | + 0.20% |
| CAC 40 INDEX | 4,228.18 | + 40.08 | + 0.96% |
| SMI PR | 8,318.60 | + 100.16 | + 1.22% |
| XETRA DAX PF | 9,301.92 | + 45.34 | + 0.49% |
| HANG SENG INDEX | 21,636.85 | + 213.72 | + 1.00% |
| - | % |
| NIKKEI 225 INDEX | 14,462.41 | + 307.29 | + 2.17% |
| SSE COMPOSITE/d | 2,044.50 | + 11.41 | + 0.56% |
Earnings, RBA this week
Earnings results, central banks and economic data will shape markets this week, particularly with US job data on Friday.
US January payrolls miss could drill markets
A big miss in the employment report due out Friday in the US could be the trigger for a violent sell-off.
Investment banks cut costs – except for CEO pay
Champagne corks may have been popping in equity trading rooms around the world at the end of last year, but the mood among the world’s investment banking fraternity was decidedly sober.
Rio scales new heights in Guinea
Rio Tinto has confirmed plans to outsource the $US6 billion engineering nightmare of a railway and port needed for its Guinea iron ore mine.
Price is the sticking point for Westfield Trust investors
The directors of Westfield Group and the Westfield Retail Trust have a way to go before leading institutional investors in the trust will accept the deal that underpins the group’s exit from Australia.
Are we in bondage to bonds?
As the Western world’s ageing population prepares to exit the workforce, they’ve turned to bonds for safety. But the long-term interest rates have reduced the income earned to nothing.
How to profit from the emerging markets fear
Buy fear in emerging markets? Sure. Here’s the fear: big current account deficits are about to get a whole lot bigger as Federal Reserve tapering entices foreign money away.
Taking stock
National Storage REIT gains in fragmented market
The $277 million National Storage REIT has been going from strength to strength since it listed on the stock exchange just before Christmas last year.
BlueScope buoyed by dollar, housing
The fall in the Australian dollar and resurgent residential housing construction are fuelling expectations of an earnings rebound for steelmaker BlueScope Steel.
Equity Markets
EM currencies shed gains amid US jobs data rethink
Emerging market currencies pared gains on Friday as traders reconsidered the impact of January's US payroll numbers on the Federal Reserve's plans to reduce its monetary stimulus program.
Stock funds worldwide post record $US28.3bn outflow
Fund investors worldwide pulled a record $US28.3 billion out of stock funds in the week ended Wednesday, data from a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report showed on Friday.
Debt Markets
Stock funds worldwide post record $US28.3bn outflow
Fund investors worldwide pulled a record $US28.3 billion out of stock funds in the week ended Wednesday, data from a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report showed on Friday.
S&P downgrades Turkey rating outlook to negative
Ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Turkey's credit rating outlook to negative from stable on Friday, while keeping its local rating at BBB and foreign rating at BB+, the agency said on its website.
Currency Markets
EM currencies shed gains amid US jobs data rethink
Emerging market currencies pared gains on Friday as traders reconsidered the impact of January's US payroll numbers on the Federal Reserve's plans to reduce its monetary stimulus program.
German court's ECB move leaves sovereignty unresolved
Germany's constitutional court has sidestepped a crucial dispute over who has ultimate authority in the EU by referring a complaint against the European Central Bank to the European Court of Justice.
