Financial Markets, Stocks & Commodities

Australian reports

• Aust markets: Aust shares finish in the red on China
• Aust dollar report: $A steady as positive data largely ignored
• Aust credit close: Bonds virtually flat after better data

World reports

• World commodities: Commodities markets summary
• World markets: International markets roundup

Stocks to watch

AIO, BHP, BHP, FMG, RIO, NAB, NEC, OSH, STO, WPL,

Wall St haemorrhages as oil tumbles

Wall Street has haemorrhaged as oil prices tumbled and China fears deepened, with the Dow losing 2.39%, the S&P; 2.16% and the Nasdaq 2.74%.

VW lags rise in European car sales

European car sales rose nine per cent over 2015 as a whole, a welcome bump as the region recovers from years of economic and financial crisis.

US retail sales end 2015 with a whimper

For all of 2015 retail sales rose 2.1 per cent in the United States, the weakest reading since 2009, after rising 3.9 per cent in 2014.

US industrial production declined in Dec

US industrial production sank in December for the third month in a row, hurt by warm weather and a strong dollar.

Fed doubted QE2 impact

US Federal Reserve policy makers were concerned that its 2010 $US600 billion stimulus program could be blamed for starting a "currency war".

FTSE closes at lowest level in 3 years

The FTSE 100 has closed down at its lowest level in three years, as the price of oil plunged below $US30.