Good news for government as budget improves

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The underlying budget deficit for the twelve months to January stood at $37.1 billion. Over the same period the fiscal balance stood at a deficit of $41.6 billion and the... Read more continue reading

BetaShares launches first cash ETF on the ASX

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BetaShares has today announced the listing of the first high interest cash ETF on the Australian Securities Exchange. Trading under the ASX code “AAA”, and employing a very simple and... Read more continue reading

Asia’s stock surge approaches 30% – a bull market?

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The rally in Asia stocks from their lows last October has gone well beyond the level that some define as a bull-market rally – a surge greater than 20%. For... Read more continue reading

Chinese slowdown opens door to stimulus

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Chinese growth has slowed, but not stalled, and inflation has also eased. In short, Chinese authorities have successfully engineered a “soft landing” for their economy. There is now greater scope... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic & market update

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The past week saw a bit of volatility return to risk trades early in the week on worries that China’s 7.5% growth target for this year is too low, uncertainty... Read more continue reading

Where to now for global equities?

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As Australian investors expand their offshore holdings to take advantage of the buying power of the strong $A, we asked Amit Lodha, portfolio manager of the Fidelity Global Equities Fund,... Read more continue reading

Economy limping, not leaping, into 2012

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We should never forget that the economic growth data is ancient history. The Reserve Bank sets monetary policy by looking forward, not back. And in terms of published economic data,... Read more continue reading

Reserve Bank acknowledges pain in community

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The Reserve Bank Board has left official rates at 4.25 per cent. Last year the Reserve Bank cut rates at both the November and December meetings, each by 25 basis... Read more continue reading

Profits barely budge in 2011 while inflation is subdued

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Company profits slumped by 6.5 per cent in the December quarter to stand 2.2 per cent higher than a year ago. In 2011 profits rose by just 2.1 per cent... Read more continue reading

Has the government stemmed the flow of SMSFs?

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Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) statistics released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for the December 2011 quarter which show some slowing in the growth in the sector raise some... Read more continue reading