Jobs: the winners & losers

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The Hunter region of NSW had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation over 2011 averaging 2.3 per cent while the Far North of Queensland had the highest jobless rate,... Read more continue reading

Equities good value but markets will probably underestimate the risks again

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Equities remain at attractive valuations, though not outstandingly so, but markets are almost certainly underestimating the risks to markets this year as they did in 2011, van Eyk Head of... Read more continue reading

Weekly market & economic update

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The past week saw share markets and other risk related trades supported by a combination of favourable economic data in the US and Europe, good profit results in the US... Read more continue reading

Lowest inflation reading in 3 years

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The Consumer Price Index – the main measure of inflation in Australia – was unchanged in the December quarter. It was the lowest quarterly inflation reading for three years. In... Read more continue reading

Global and emerging market outlooks for 2012

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What is the outlook for global versus emerging markets? Amit Lodha, Portfolio Manager of the Fidelity Global Equities Fund – “I expect global economic growth to remain muted in 2012,... Read more continue reading

Investing for the long haul

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Investors in commonly-held shares are still in front…despite a raft of tumultuous events over the past 13 years, Mum and Dad shareholders are still in front. Returns on the CommSec... Read more continue reading

Outlook for Australian money market rates

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2011 saw a dramatic change in how the Australian market reacted to a crisis overseas. This is nowhere more evident than in the reaction of the Australian dollar (AUD) says... Read more continue reading

2012 outlook for China in the ‘year of the dragon’

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The China investment team at Fidelity Worldwide Investment is optimistic about Chinese equities in the new Chinese year. While the Chinese economy is expected to slow to around 8% in... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic & market update

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Despite ratings downgrades across the Euro-zone, a sharp downgrade to the World Bank’s 2012 global growth forecast (from 3.6% to 2.5%) and news that the IMF is seeking to increase... Read more continue reading

State of the States – January 2012

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How are Australia’s states and territories performing? Each quarter CommSec attempts to find out by analysing eight key indicators: economic growth retail spending equipment investment unemployment, construction work done population... Read more continue reading