Good news and bad for insurance stocks
Fewer natural catastrophes means slowing growth for investors in Australia’s insurance sector.
Curb your earnings optimism
Over the past 25 years, estimates for company earnings were too high 75 per cent of the time.
VIDEO: The biggest economic story in the world
Jonathan Pain says the rise of Asia’s middle class will define economics in this and future generations.
The stock set to benefit from the Murdoch deal
There’s one listed media group likely to benefit from any deal between 21st Century Fox and Time Warner.
Overnight: Wall St slides
The crash of a Malaysia Airlines flight in Eastern Ukraine helped to spark a sell-down in global sharemarkets with investors increasing their exposure to riskless government bonds.
The good-value bank
The pragmatic head of one of Australia’s biggest and most consistent managed funds, Paul Taylor, is underweight banks - except for this one pick.
Best and worst funds of FY14
The top three fund managers of the year each reaped more than 30 per cent returns for investors.
Australian Equity Indices
| Points | Change | % Change | Value | Volume |
| S&P;/ASX 200 | 5,531.7 | + 9.3 | + 0.17% | $ 3,459,248,800.0 | 554,278,498.0 |
| ALL ORDINARIES | 5,519.2 | + 9.3 | + 0.17% | $ 3,585,479,150.0 | 731,476,195.0 |
| S&P;/ASX 100 | 4,600.3 | + 7.7 | + 0.17% | $ 3,144,732,641.0 | 377,053,177.0 |
| SMALL ORDS | 2,201.9 | + 7.6 | + 0.35% | $ 385,749,930.0 | 267,503,133.0 |
Murdoch’s $80 billion gamble
Media mogul’s 21st Century Fox makes bid for rival media conglomerate Time Warner.
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Market Summary
Currencies
| AUD | USD | EUR | JPY | GBP | |
| AUD |  |
0.9381 | 0.6935 | 95.17 | 0.5485 |
| USD | 1.0656 |  |
0.7392 | 101.42 | 0.5846 |
| EUR | 1.4412 | 1.3526 |  |
137.18 | 0.7909 |
| JPY | 0.0105 | 0.0099 | 0.0073 |  |
0.0058 |
| GBP | 1.8217 | 1.7097 | 1.2638 | 173.41 |  |
Stock price lookup
Shares
Miners lift shares on strong production, China growth
Resources stocks led the Australian sharemarket higher over the past week as a raft of players delivered pleasing production reports, while the latest economic growth data out of China allayed fears of a sharp fall in demand.
ASX recovers from early fall
Renewed wave of risk aversion from Ukraine air disaster sends investors scuttling for safe assets.
The stock set to benefit from the Murdoch deal
There’s one listed media group likely to benefit from any deal between 21st Century Fox and Time Warner.
Property
Property tax breaks under threat
Murray inquiry calls housing market as a “significant source of risk” for the economy.
Property spruikers face crackdown
State consumer watchdogs launch biggest crackdown on spruikers since 2003.
High-end home shortage
A dearth of expensive property on the Melbourne market is forcing some high-end interests to rent.
Topics
Fixed Income
Get used to low rates
The majority of economists expect no changes to rates until the first half of 2015.
Taper ends in October
The US Federal Reserve is confident US economy is gaining strength even as it gradually withdraws its support.
Where the next crash will come from
Fears of another subprime time bomb are inevitable and a number of areas have been marked out for special attention.
Specialist Investments
Commods face 5-year decline
Analysts expect substantial declines in some metals, energy and bulk commodities.
The big-time issues with low-risk options
The capital-guaranteed industry has struggled to gain much traction despite offering a fundamentally compelling proposition.
ASX ETFs swell to $16b
Australian investors beginning to drop domestic bias in favour of foreign equities and other assets.
Topics
Market Intelligence
VIDEO: The biggest economic story in the world
Jonathan Pain says the rise of Asia’s middle class will define economics in this and future generations.
Young guns: LHC’s Marcus Hughes
The co-founder of LHC Capital picks a small amount of stocks and backs them big time.
Billionaire doubles down on China
Kerr Neilson shifts more of his portfolio away from Europe and towards growing Asian markets.
Superannuation
ATO sting nabs 2000 SMSFs
Tax Office writes to 2000 DIY funds suspected of engaging in the practice.
Agents breaking law on SMSFs
Real estate spruikers that urge DIY super funds to borrow and invest in property under scrutiny.
Collapse raises SMSF alarm
Cut-price administration services are not the road to success you’ve been led to believe.
Topics
New Investor
Brierty set for more gains
Investors should expect a sustained run in the share price of the engineering and construction group.
Xanadu makes a comeback
Mongolia-focused miner has mended its ways and turned its ship around.
Capitol rise unjustified
Spike in group may be step too far given it was already priced for perfection.