Latest on worldwide spread of coronavirus
WASHINGTON, D. C., RAW – EUROPE * Germany is considering shortening COVID-19 self-isolation periods over fears that critical services could grind to a halt as the highly infectious Omicron variant takes hold. * France registered a record of more than 332,000 new cases in the last 24 hours, while the number of deaths also rose…
CommSec Daily Download Thursday 6 January 2022
S&P/ASX 200 SPI futures are pointing down, following a sharp sell-off in US markets. Today’s Announcements: Insurance Australia Group (IAG) finalises reinsurance program | Nickel Mines (NIC) is granted tax relief from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance | SPI futures indicate a negative start after the Nasdaq sees its biggest one day loss since February….
Wall Street mixed ahead of Fed minutes
NEW YORK CITY, RAW – Wall Street’s main indexes are mixed ahead of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting as investors swapped technology stocks for cyclicals that stand to benefit from a high interest rate environment. Seven of the 11 major S&P sectors advanced in early trading with value-oriented energy, financials and materials shares…
Mass recall of Mercedes-Benz cars
STUTTGART, DPA – Mercedes-Benz says it is recalling hundreds of thousands of cars due to a technical fault. Certain vehicles in the GLE/GLS, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, E-Class, GLC, CLS and G-Class series with diesel engines could develop a leak, the Stuttgart-based luxury carmaker said on Wednesday. As a result of the problem, a rise in…
Merck pill safety concerns: India official
NEW DELHI, RAW – India has not added Merck’s COVID-19 pill to its treatment protocol for the disease due to known safety concerns that have restricted its use elsewhere, a senior health official has told a media briefing. “We have to remember that this drug has major safety concerns,” Balram Bhargava, head of the state-run…
ASX new year enthusiasm wanes, shares slip
SYDNEY, AAP – Investors tempered their new year enthusiasm and lowered the ASX on the second day of 2022 trade as the latest wave of coronavirus infections dominated the economic agenda in many countries. Market pundits mostly sold shares in technology, healthcare and consumer goods after similar moves overseas and a lower US Nasdaq. Technology…
Looking beyond the grid to power Australia
CANBERRA, AAP – Off-grid power company Pacific Energy is planning an industrial-scale expansion into Queensland and Victoria as it rolls out a hybrid future in some of the most rugged parts of Australia. The need for a stable and secure electricity grid means renewable energy cannot take over, according to some critics. The solution for…
Widespread ASX selling on US rate warning
SYDNEY, AAP – Broad-based selling has the Australian share market down by more than one per cent after investors fretted that the US Federal Reserve will raise rates sooner than expected. Technology shares were most affected on Thursday and fell more than four per cent on the local market. Afterpay shares plunged by almost 10…
CommSec Daily Download Wednesday 5 January 2022
S&P/ASX 200 SPI futures are pointing down despite the US Dow Jones index setting record highs. Today’s Announcements: No major price sensitive announcements. SPI futures indicate a negative start to the day despite the Dow Jones index setting new highs. The SPI futures index is down 21 points or 0.3 per cent, despite the Dow…
BlackBerry ends service for smartphone
OTTAWA, RAW – BlackBerry Ltd is pulling the plug on service for its once ubiquitous business smartphones which were toted by executives, politicians and legions of fans in the early 2000s. The move marks the end of an era as the phones, which sported a tiny QWERTY physical keyboard, pioneered push email and the BBM…
