Australian Finance and Investing

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

ANZ - in play for a Chinese takeover?
2007-12-16 03:19:00
The expansion of Australian banks and other financial institutions into China has been widely reported over the last 2 years. However, looks like the focus may be reversing where Chinese financial institutions, spurred by rapid growth and high share prices, are now targeting well developed Australian banks. From an article in the WSJ, ANZ bank looks like it could be the most likely target. While current regulations prevent a full takeover, a large share of 20% could be taken which would provide an immediate boost to the shares. There are a few key points in that article which I have listed below that justify this view.- UBS saw the most logical target as Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, which has ambitions to expand in Asia. A Chinese bank could take a 10%-to-15% stake in ANZ, valued at as much as 9 billion Australian dollars (US$7.9 billion), without running into significant regulatory roadblocks. St. George Bank and Westpac Banking are less likely targets for a Chinese b...
More About: Takeover , Play

Net Worth Calculator and Kite Runner Movie Trailer
2007-12-14 23:40:00
Found a cool little calculator on Cnn.money which shows in 1 click how your net worth compares to the general population based on Age and Salary. This is based on US data, but with exchange rates and so all, I think it is very close to an Australian sample. Also remember, it is NET worth (assets minus liabilities) so is lower than you may think. Here are the resulting graphs when you run the calculator. Shop the world's largest online marketplace at Ebay AustraliaOn a non-finance note, here is a trailer for the new Kite Runner movie. Based on the international bestseller with the same name written by Khaled Hosseini's, it has been getting great reviews as a very good adaptation of the book. I am hoping to see it in the next week or so and will share my views on it in this post after seeing it. I think it comes out in Australia early next year.Comment on this article at www.financeviewpoint.com
More About: Movie , Trailer , Calculator , Net worth

The Roots of the Mortgage Crisis
2007-12-13 17:45:00
Here is an edited article that I read in the Wall Street Journal today, written by Alan Greenspan. He was one of the most prominent central bankers in the 90's and some pundits blame the fallout of today's mortgage/credit crisis on the exuberance he enabled with policies and/or lack of sufficient controls in place during his tenure. Here is his perspective and an interesting look at the cause of the US mortgage market problems which are affecting the rest of the world. I agree with this argument that global forces, and not central banks, have the biggest impact on the fate of currencies, equities and economies. ---------------------------------------On Aug. 9, 2007, and the days immediately following, financial markets in much of the world seized up. Virtually overnight the seemingly insatiable desire for financial risk came to an abrupt halt as the price of risk unexpectedly surged. Interest rates on a wide range of asset classes, especially interbank lending, asset-backed commer...
More About: Mortgage , Roots , The Roots , Crisis , Cris

The new CEO at Citi
2007-12-12 18:15:00
Citigroup - one of the largest and most diverse global financial institutions announced its new CEO yesterday, Vikram S. Pandit. He takes over the institution at a time of turmoil in financial markets and in one of the worst years for the group (shares are down 40% this year). Here's some interesting facts about his background and challenges ahead: - Mr. Pandit's ascension at CitiGroup caps a remarkable Wall Street run for Mr. Pandit, who moved to New York from India at the age 16 to attend Columbia University. He eventually collected a doctorate in finance at Columbia and then took a job teaching at Indiana University in Bloomington. Mr. Pandit, like many Wall Street stars, opened a hedge fund. Then in April, Citigroup bought Mr. Pandit's firm, Old Lane Partners, for an estimated $800 million, and put him in charge of its alternative investments unit. So not only is he a smart guy, he is plenty rich as well. While his salary has not been disclosed, the previous C...
More About: Citi

The un-affordability of housing in Australia
2007-12-11 02:01:00
From an article in the Australia n, regarding the lack of affordable housing in Australia, the three main points were:More than a third of a family's income goes to mortgage (In NSW it was 38%)Affordability has dropped in every state except TasmaniaNSW is the most expensive state, ACT has the least affordabilityWhen I read this it made me think how can people afford a decent house in a good area anymore? Having been in the states for about 1 year now, I had thought that like the US housing market, the Australian market was also cooling off and getting more affordable. However it looks like that clearly is not the case. In places like Sydney, with almost 40% of the household income going towards housing it is little wonder that there is any money left for anything else after mandatory expenses are met (food, utilities, schooling etc). I also read that Credit Card debt is on the increase, due in part to increased housing costs I'm sure. Not a good combination of factors for long term...
More About: Housing

Macquarie Group (Bank) worth a look
2007-12-09 05:56:00
I already own, Babcock and brown (BNB), however it's big brother in the Australian investment banking category - Macquarie Group (MQG) is starting to look good from a valuation and analyst perspective. The WSJ had an article talking about the outlook of Macquarie and there is definetly some positive views on the stock and a consesus valution of $110. The stock is currently at $80, so there is a 37.5% potential growth opportunity if the consensus estimate is met. While it is not predicted to rise much in the near term, it is worth keeping on your watch list. Here are some other points to note:- While many Wall Street peers took multibillion-dollar write-downs because of the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, Macquarie last month defied doomsayers by reporting a 45% surge in profit from a year earlier to 1.06 billion Australian dollars (US$922 million). The bank said it had no material problem credit exposures and no unusual write-downs or provisions. This is remarkable given the worldwi...
More About: Worth , Bank , Wort

"Get out of the dollar, teach your children Chinese, and buy commodities"
2007-12-07 17:29:00
"`Get out of the dollar, teach your children Chinese , and buy commodities.'' These are the 3 pearls of wisdom from Jim Rogers, 65, who co-founded the Quantum Hedge Fund with George Soros, pocketing enough money to retire at 37 and fund a series of around-the-world road trips. In ``A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market,'' Rogers details how to put your money where his mouth is. Bloomberg columnist Mark Gilbert has more detail on the book and his background. Throughout the book, Rogers lists companies that investors should consider buying shares in. Juice makers, meat processors, tractor manufacturers, wine producers, brewers and medical companies are all analyzed. You could construct an interesting portfolio just by following his recommendations. ``Just as the 19th century belonged to England and the 20th century to America, so the 21st century will be China's turn to set the agenda and rule the roost,'' he writes. ``Whatever the risks, this muc...
More About: Children , Commodities , Dollar

Staying Connected with Friends and Family
2007-12-05 15:40:00
I have now been in the states for over one year now and often think about my family and friends in Australia and around the world. This time of the year with all the holiday festivities upon us it is especially important to maintain those long distance links. Strong family ties and friendships are a key ingredient of happiness throughout your life. But with busy schedules, personal and work commitments, job mobility, and far-flung families, staying connected and close with people who live far away can be challenging. Fewer and fewer of us live near extended family or in the town where we grew up. Distance changes relationships and not all relationships will survive the test of distance or time. When you live far from family or friends, it takes extra effort to know what's going on in each other's lives and to remain close with people. But if you commit to maintaining close ties, and you work at it, you will remain close despite the miles that separate you and the people you love...
More About: Family , Friends , Connected

Setting Goals Collaboratively
2007-12-01 23:33:00
I am sure you have read, seen and heard from various media sources about the value of goal setting and how it can help make you more successful. Well, I do believe this – though I don't think it will be the silver bullet that solves all problems. One of my biggest gripes with goal setting is that is very focused on the individual. For people who are married or in a meaningful relationship where finances and life decisions are shared, I believe that goal setting needs to be a joint activity to be successful. Don't get me wrong, I think you should have individual goals, but to be really leverage the power of goal setting you need to have and consider joint goals as well.Here's what I have started doing with my wife when it comes to goal setting – we are both going to make a list for each of our individual goals and then have another list which lists our joint goals. They should relate to each other and we should both focus on supporting and achieving each set of goals.Here are ...
More About: Goals

Buying a HD-TV? Here's what to look for
2007-11-29 15:30:00
Electronics are normally the hottest category during the holiday gift giving season. As with last year, High-Definition TV's will be a big ticket item that a number of people will buy. Here are 6 things to consider before buying that big screen TV during the holiday season: 1. Plasma or LCD? HD sets come in a confusing variety of technologies -- plasma, LCD, DLP, LCOS and SXRD (Sony's version of LCOS). What the letters mean is unimportant. These technologies all show a high-quality picture. They just deliver it in different ways.  Yet there are important differences. Plasma is generally seen as best for movies, LCDs for daytime viewing and sports. DLP and LCOS sets might provide the best value and overall picture. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. However for home usage, LCD or Plasma shouldn't make a difference if buying a reputable brand that provides a good warranty. 2. Think big. "High-def" looks best on a large TV. Buy the biggest set you can afford...
More About: Buying

Stock Focus - AMP and MAP - Good Buys for the longer Term.
2007-11-28 17:51:00
AMP has not been in the news much lately, despite a change of CEO's. This means a very effective hand-over of leadership. The Australian had an article on the transition and some noteworthy points from the interview with the new CEO, Craig Dunn, were: - He aims to give AMP a "stronger growth flavour" but says that any change will be "evolutionary, rather than revolutionary". Though he also stated, " "We do see opportunities to grow the company and to drive the AMP business harder." - In the wake of the Labor Party's election victory he said there were "some things at the margin where (we) could have some more change". Withholding tax, which prime minister-elect Kevin Rudd had plans to reduce, was one area he believed could be in for change. Mr Dunn said withholding tax and some of the ways the industry was taxed created barriers for developing the financial services industry overseas. - On the US sub-prime crunch, Mr Dunn believed t...
More About: Stock , Focus , Good , Term

Best Places to live other than Iceland and Norway!
2007-11-27 22:46:00
According to the annual United Nations report Australia is the third most desirable country to live in. This is based on a various factors such as wealth, life expectancy and educational levels. Australia came in behind top-ranking Iceland and Norway in second spot.  Seriously is that our competition - Iceland or Norway? I can't imagine people saying, wouldn't it be great to live in Iceland? These surveys produce some strange results and seem to be skewed towards the smaller European countries. To me, I think as an overall package and given the current world economy Australia is the best place to be. You can choose to have a hectic lifestyle or as easily a more laid back one! Jobs are plentiful and why live a long life if you can't enjoy it. 360 days of sunshine a year in Australia as compared to 100 or so in Iceland! Enough said. If I was to pick 2 alternatives based on lifestyle, economy and future prospects - I would say New Zealand or Spain would be my next 2 choices...
More About: Places , Live , Live O

Rudd - Where to now?
2007-11-25 19:37:00
As I am sure everyone is aware by now, Kevin Rudd is the new Prime Minister of Australia. The Labor party also swept to majority power. Interestingly, Kevin Rudd is only the second prime minister elected from Queensland and it is only the third time Labor has won government from opposition since World War II.It was also kind of sad to see John Howard and Peter Costello go out in the manner they did. John Howard lost his electoral seat after 34 years holding it and Peter Costello (the loyal deputy for 11 years) decided not to contest the Liberal party leadership as recriminations began within the Liberals over the defeat. The turmoil within the party has a long way to go.So what are the implications on the market with the change in leadership? Well, not much I think. The markets were already factoring in a Labor win and realistically both parties have similar policies, with a few exceptions, on the economic management of the country. Also, one of the big pain points during campaignin...

A great little online dictionary ? Definr.com
2007-11-24 23:03:00
What do you normally do when you are reading something and find a word that you want a definition for? In the good ol' days you would go to a dictionary, but with the advent of the Internet the answer is only a few clicks away. Normally I go to Google or dictionary.com and type in the word to get the definition. However this has not always provided me with a clear and straighforward result. Either I get a poor definition or with Google I end up getting a screen fill of Ads and Sponsored links related to that word. Very frustrating and I have had to turn to my trusty hardcover oxford dictionary on many an occasion.Well, I found a great online dictionary which solves the above problems. It is completely free and very easy to use. Further it gives you the definition of the word in a simple and straightforward format without all the screen junk. If you misspell the word, it suggests potential alternatives. It is called Definr. A Screen shot of it is shown here and it can be accessed at...
More About: Great , Online , Dictionary

Be Careful when it comes to Past Performance Figures
2007-11-23 19:30:00
At least once a week I get emails, and sometimes phone calls, that recommend a "Hot" stock (normally a small obscure one) and that it will go up 50% in one week. Or the email says to subscribe to a newsletter which will give me the guaranteed stocks tips that are backed up plenty of positive performance statistics. Even the veritable managed fund industry partakes in these little "deceptions". Here's an interesting theory I read about called "survivorship bias", that would be illegal in most cases - but allowed in the financial sector. Here's how it works and how consumers are targeted. Advisers/Brokers call 800 people. Tell half the stock market will rise tomorrow. Tell the other half it will fall. Come tomorrow, you'll have given a great forecast to 400 people. Repeat the process for three more days. You'll have been right four times in a row with 50 people. Call these impressed folks and offer tomorrow's forecast ? for a fee. ...
More About: Performance , Past , Figures , Careful , Perform

Great Online Travel Booking Sites
2007-11-22 19:41:00
One thing I like to do is Travel . Apart from finding time to take holidays, getting a good deal is important. The more you save when booking your holiday, the more you will have to spend when are at your holiday destination! Nowadays with the advent of online travel sites getting a really good and cheap deal is easier than ever. From my experience and in discussion with others I know, the Top 3 (and most reputable) online travel booking sites for travelling to/from and within Australia are:1. Zuji.com.au Zuji normally has the best priced flights in the Asia-Pacific region because of its partnerships. I would say this is the best place to start from when looking for international travel deals.2. Expedia.com.au Expedia is relatively new to the online Australian travel scene here and I have seen some great deals. They are a US based company so have leveraged their online platform developed in the very competitive US markets. They some great user features (flexible dates etc) and you sh...
More About: Great , Sites , Online , Booking

Why Freddie Mac going down by 30% is a bad sign for the Australian Market
2007-11-21 03:31:00
Freddie Mac buys, guarantees and securitizes American mortgages, and spiking default rates have taken a toll on it this year. Freddie Mac said Tuesday that the fair value of its net assets fell $8.1 billion during the third quarter. Shares of Freddie Mac plummeted 28.7% Tuesday after the federally backed mortgage company announced steep losses and a dramatic drop in the value of its holdings.So why should you care about this American based company that deals primarily in American mortgage securities? Well apart from the strange name, it and its duopoly competitor - Fannie Mae - provide funding and support about 50% of the US mortgage market. When they are not doing well, it means the US housing market is not doing well. This will eventually affect discretionary consumer spending (consumers will spend less due to the real and perceived falling value of their homes) and hence the US economy will slow as over 60% of the US economy is driven by consumer spending. The lower growth outloo...
More About: Market , Freddie , Freddie Mac , Australian , Sign

Aussie Banks ? Which ones to Buy?
2007-11-19 03:42:00
ABN Amro came up with their latest recommendation of Australian Banking Stocks. The table below summarizes their views. I already hold Babcock and Brown (BNB) and per my post on this stock, I bought the stock last month and still think it is a buy. There will continue to be volatility in the markets for the next few weeks so look to buy on weakness. In terms of the retail banks, the Big 4 are still performing well despite all the Sub-Prime mess from the US. They are still showing above average EPS growth and paying very healthy dividends. Of the 4 retail banks, NAB is my top pick due its leading position and exposure in the business lending and wealth management (through MLC) areas. Also it has a proven management team, whereas some of the other banks have recently had a change in management. Westpac is also highly rated due to its strong revenue growth relative to other 3 banks. Simply put, all balanced portfolios should have some banking sector stocks in their portfolios and on an...
More About: Banks , Aussie

The Symmetry of Math
2007-11-17 22:13:00
Here is the Symmetry of Math …I checked, the numbers add up. 1 x 8 + 1 = 9 12 x 8 + 2 = 98 123 x 8 + 3 = 987 1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654 1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321 1 x 9 + 2 = 11 12 x 9 + 3 = 111 123 x 9 + 4 = 1111 1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111 12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111 123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111 1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111 12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111 123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111 9 x 9 + 7 = 88 98 x 9 + 6 = 888 987 x 9 + 5 = 8888 9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888 98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888 987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888 9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888 98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888 Brilliant, isn't it? And look at this symmetry: 1 x 1 = 1 11 x 11 = 121 111 x 111 = 12321 1111 x 1111 = 1234321 11111 x 11111 = 123454321 111111 x 111111 = 12345654321 1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321 11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321 111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321 Now, take a look at this... 101% >From a strictly mathema...

Howard vs Rudd and Global implications for Australia
2007-11-16 22:18:00
Saw an excellent article in the WSJ looking at the upcoming federal elections and how the background/views of the 2 main parties leaders - John Howard and Kevin Rudd - will shape Australia 's future. I have commented on some excerpts from the article here, with a link to the full column below. This is a good read to broadly understand some of the macro-economic issues which could influence Australia's economic future and hence subsequent investment decisions going forward. Polls suggest that Mr. Howard -- Australia's second-longest-serving premier -- and his conservative Liberal Party-led government are likely to lose power in a parliamentary election Nov. 24. If that happens, it would topple one of Mr. Bush's key supporters on global issues such as the U.S.-led fight against terrorism and on climate change.  The election could also signal a broader policy shift in Australia, as the resource-rich nation forges closer ties with China. Australia supplies the coal, iron ore ...
More About: Global , Implications

Cost Comparison ? Top Australian MBA Programs versus US MBA Programs
2007-11-15 00:25:00
I was reading the AFR Boss magazine a few weeks ago and came across a list of the top Australian Schools that offer MBA programs. As I have mentioned in the past I am currently working in the states and am also looking into the possibility of undertaking an MBA here in the states. However there is a significant difference in costs. Here are how the top 5 MBA Universities in the US and Australia compare:Top 5 Australian SchoolsTotal 2 yr Tuition Cost Top 5 US SchoolApprox Tuition Cost in $A (exchange rate of $0.92)Australian Graduate School of Management$52,800Harvard$110,000Macquarie Graduate School of Management$48,000Stanford$105,000Melbourn e Business School$50,000Wharton$99,000Monash University Graduate School of Business$42,560Sloan$84,000Curtin University of Technology Business School$25,200Berkley$95,000 Source: For Australian Schools (AFR Boss Magazine); US Schools from Fortune and US News.So why are US schools more expensive? Well the two main reasons are reputation/history a...
More About: Programs , Versus , Comparison

The Magic of Compound Interest
2007-11-14 15:35:00
Compounding interest is one of the fundamental concepts of investing and building wealth over the long term. Apart from the tax savings, it is also the key driver behind Superannuation and why all the experts tell you it is the best investment vehicle for most of us. When you're young, you have an asset money can't buy: TIME. Start saving now and turn pocket change into riches. Compound interest has been called the eighth wonder of the world. And with good reason. It magically turns a little bit of money, invested wisely, into a whole lot of cash. Even Albert Einstein  is said to have called it one of the greatest mathematical concepts of our time. But you don't need to be a genius to harness the power of compound interest. Even the most average of Joes can use it to make money. Trust me. This is so much easier than the theory of relativity. Here's the gist: When you save or invest, your money earns interest, or appreciates. The next year, you earn interest on your origi...
More About: Magic , Interest , Eres

Sell IAG and get into QBE ? Signs of Poor Management
2007-11-14 04:46:00
Firstly, I must disclose that I own IAG shares and am not a happy shareholder. Secondly, I don't think I will own them this time next week. Why you may ask? Well, apart from their underperformance over the last couple of years, management was woeful at their latest Annual General Meeting. They have downgraded future revenue forecasts, failed in execution of acquisition plans, blamed market/weather conditions and on top of that are giving senior management hefty raises. All bad signs and time to get of the company. By contrast, QBE has grown in value without management excuses. I would rather put my money there. I think that Management performance/track record is an important factor when evaluating companies. Poor management is a strong sign that things are not going well and until there are changes, it is unlikely things will get better anytime soon.Here are some excerpts from various media sources confirming my negative view on the stock.From The Australian INSURANCE Australia G...
More About: Signs , Sell

BHP Billiton proposes takeover of Rio Tinto - this could be the start of mi
2007-11-08 21:48:00
Rio Tinto rebuffed a $US110 billion approach last night from top global miner BHP Billiton, spurning the initial overtures on a deal that would be the second-largest takeover of a listed company in history. A deal between the two Australian based firms would create the world's largest mining company by a wide margin, with a market capitalization that some analysts are estimating could exceed $US350 billion. The combined giant would command the market with vast amounts of iron ore, aluminum, copper and other metals. However, the takeover is highly unlikely according to a number of analysts due to regulatory and anti-trust issues this could create in various markets. However what this does signal is that even though metal prices are at record highs, BHP feels the best investment is taking over RIO (which itself is close to record highs). This got me to thinking that there are probably many more attractively priced companies locally that must now be eyed as serious takeover targets. ...
More About: Takeover , Start , Prop , The Star

China's PetroChina now the biggest company in the world worth 1 TRILLION do
2007-11-05 16:59:00
Following on from my story about the richest man in the world being from India, it has now come to pass that the world most valuable company by market capitalization is a Chinese company - PetroChina. PetroChina Co. shares more than doubled in their Shanghai debut Monday, giving the oil giant a $US1 trillion market capitalization and easily surpassing Exxon Mobil as the world's largest company. The run-up gave the oil giant a market capitalization more than twice that of US based Exxon Mobil. To put this in context - the market cap of PetroChina is 10% larger than Australia's GDP (Gross Domestic Product - Value of Goods and Services produced in 1 year) However using production metrics, Exxon Mobil is still significantly bigger than PetroChina. PetroChina produced 1.06 billion barrels of oil equivalent last year, compared to Exxon Mobil's 1.56 billion. Exxon Mobil reported revenue in 2006 of $365.5 billion and earned a net profit of $39.5 billion. PetroChina's 2006 revenue was o...
More About: World , Company , The World , Petrochina , Worth

The Australian to get a Wall Street Journal page in its business section.
2007-11-01 19:23:00
One of the papers I like to read here in the states is the Wall Street Journal . It has well written and relevant business stories from around the world. I occasionally share these articles on my blog when I find one with an Australian context. Well, the good news now is that the Australian newspaper will be having a Wall Street Journal page in its business section from today. News Corp recently bought Dow Jones, which owns the Wall Street Journal. As News Corp also owns the Australian, it is able to leverage the content amongst these 2 publications. I think the Australian has a better on-line and print business section than the other leading broadsheet in Australia - The Sydney Morning Herald. I am from Sydney, NSW so it pains to suggest that a Victorian publication is better, but I can't deny the facts. Both the statistics and my personal experience show that the Australian has better content/circulation.  I am not endorsing either one, just giving my opinion and to point o...
More About: Business , Page

Removal of Google Ads from my Sites and the Twists!
2007-11-01 19:22:00
You will have noticed a number of the "Google Ads" have been removed from my site. Apparently they "Google Adsense" found fraudulent ad click activity on my site which meant that they have shut down my Adsense account (this is their context based advertising program). I don't know exactly who/what caused this to happen as I have only been generating about $8 of Adsense revenue a month from the site and not some inordinate, large fraudulent amount. Anyway, I have put in an appeal, though from what I have read - Google rarely reinstates accounts once disabled. I will still be moving forward with my blog as monetizing it wasn't my primary reason for starting it. However I do have costs with running this blog and to cover my basic costs I will try and find other sources of revenue, which means you may very occasionally see some sponsored posts. I will keep this to a minimum and on site related topics. The Google Adsense program is the largest out there, but I have ...
More About: Sites

I just bought 5 shares of Google for $700 each!
2007-10-31 17:17:00
Today, I just bought 5 shares of Google (GOOG). I bought them at $US 699.83 - the highest share price at which I have bought any stock. Yet, I think the stock is still cheap.So why did I buy it?After being in the states for almost 1 year now, I have watched Google's share price continue to appreciate. It is continually in the media (good and bad publicity) and is now a common name worldwide - heck, its even an official word in the English dictionary. So apart from not wanting to miss the ride on one of the hottest global technology companies, here's why I decided to take the plunge :- Even at $700, most analysts are saying the stock has got a long way to run. The consensus target is around $US 750 for this year, and $US 1000 by the end of next year.- It's PEG ration is 1, this means that's its earnings are growing fast enough to justify its high valuation. It also has a lot of cash for future acquisitions and should be able to whether a slowing US economy better than most other ...
More About: Shares , Ares

Australian Dollar to reach US dollar parity in 2008 - The good and the bad
2007-10-30 17:11:00
Yesterday the Australian Dollar rose above 92 U.S. cents to a 23-Year high - at this rate it should hit parity by mid next year.  This appreciation is due to continued US housing market driven economic weakness and on speculation that the Reserve bank will raise interest rates next week, thereby widening interest rate differentials between the two countires and drawing investors to the higher yielding Aussie dollar. The local dollar gained the most amongst  17 of the most-actively traded currencies as the chances of a quarter-percentage point increase by the Reserve Bank of Australia on Nov. 7 climbed to 86 percent, according to a Credit Suisse Group index based on interest-rate swap trading. Rising global stock and commodity prices also encouraged investors to buy higher-yielding currencies. According to the median estimate of 39 strategists surveyed by Bloomberg News , the prediction is that the Australian dollar will end the year at 88 cents compared with forecasts o...
More About: Reach , Good , The Good

An Indian becomes the richest man in the world! and No 2 is a Mexican....
2007-10-29 20:47:00
To demonstrate the surge in the market capitalization of developing and emerging markets like India, China and Mexico, the 2 richest men in the world as of October 22nd 2007 are not American - the first time this has happened in the last 40 years. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Monday became the richest person in the world, surpassing American software mogul Bill Gates, Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim Helu and famous investment guru Warren Buffett, courtesy the bull run in the stock market.   Following a strong share price rally today in his three group companies -- India's most valued firm Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd -- the net worth of Mukesh Ambani rose to 63.2 billion dollars (Rs 2,49,108 crore). In comparison, the net worth of both Gates and Slim is estimated to be slightly lower at around 62.29 billion dollars each, with Slim leading among the two by a narrow margin. Warren Buffett, earlier the third richest in ...
More About: World , Indian , The World