Australia markets to open slightly down
Australian markets are expected to open slightly lower after the US-led attacks on Syria and much of the focus in the coming week will be on overseas events and data. Share futures were down six points after the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index on Friday closed 13.6 points, or 0.23 per cent higher, at 5,829.1 points, while…
Petrol up 10% over December quarter
Petrol lifts 10 per cent over the past quarterWeekly petrol pricesPetrol: According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the national average Australian price of unleaded petrol rose by 0.9 cents last week to 137.6 cents a litre. Inflation boost: Petrol rose by 10 per cent in the December quarter and this will add around 0.35 percentage…
Australian mortgage brokers to fight back against new regulations
Much of the fallout from the Royal Commission inquiry into financial misconduct has so far focused on the so-called Australian Big Four banks as well as wealth investment funds. However, some of the affected businesses that feel threatened by the looming set of new regulations are now set to try and stand their ground. Mortgage…
Trump-AMLO: clash of populists, or chance for a fresh start?
Like Donald Trump before him, Mexico’s new leftist leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador swept to victory with a promise to shake up corrupt elites and put his country’s interests first. So are the neighbors headed for a clash of the populists, or a new start in relations? The politician known as ‘AMLO’ won more than…
US lead, investor interest lifts market
The Australian share market has closed higher after a strong lead from US stocks and with more investors looking to the share market as a potentially better alternative to property. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index ended Monday’s session 0.42 per cent higher at 6,075.4 points. On Wall Street in the US on Friday, stocks lifted as…
CommSec Daily Report Tuesday
Latest News A positive lead from Wall Street and strength in the materials sector has been unable to lift the local sharemarket substantially on Tuesday as we head towards lunch. The ASX 200 is currently 2 points higher at 6192. Weighing the most on local shares are losses for healthcare, IT and consumer staples. Materials are again…
SpaceX to launch test for resumption of manned US flights
SpaceX will try to send a dummy to the International Space Station this weekend in a key test for resuming manned US space flights, perhaps this year if all goes well.Since the shuttle Atlantis returned to earth on July 21, 2011, no American astronaut has blasted off from US soil for a tour in space.NASA…
Small business tax breaks reach parliament
The federal government’s plan to extend and lift the instant asset write-off for small businesses has been introduced to parliament. The draft laws will see the instant asset write-off for small businesses extended to June 30, 2020, and lifted to cover purchases of up to $25,000. ‘This bill will benefit small business by improving their…
US airlines still see higher profits but warn of shutdown delays
US airlines warned Thursday of significant travel delays if the US government shutdown goes on much longer, but signaled they still expect solid profits in 2019.Executives at American Airlines and smaller rivals Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways expressed frustration as the shutdown extended into its 34th day, a dynamic that has forced key airport officials…
Ex-Huawei exec arrested for espionage in Poland claims innocence
A Chinese former Huawei executive arrested in Poland for espionage has claimed he is innocent, according to a statement published by the Onet.pl news portal on Tuesday. The arrest was the latest setback for Huawei, which has also seen the arrest of the daughter of the firm’s founder in Canada and US efforts to blacklist the…
