259 George St, Sydney, NSW 2000

p: (02) 9322 8981

Website - None

(RWE Australian Business News) -

******************************
Some share price moves to keep an eye on in the market:
Fortescue Metals Group (FMGDA) up 71c to $7.91: Touched a record $8.10. Was queried yesterday over a rise of 54c but the company said it could not explain the rise. On December 19 announced its Solomon iron ore resources had been increased to more than 1.7 billion tonnes.
Haoma Mining (HAO) up 2.8c to 7.8c: Has reported encouraging results from rock chip sampling within the North Pole region of the Pilbara at its North Pole Project, 150km southeast of Port Hedland, with samples returning maximum values of 46.1pc manganese, 54.8pc iron and 1150 ppm vanadium.
IMX Resources (IXR) up 15c to 75c: Went as high as 79.5c: Today announced a detailed heads of agreement with Jilin Tonghua Iron & Steel for the offtake of Cairn Hill ROM magnetite/copper ore in South Australia, as well as a placement at 85c a share to raise $13.93m.
RAMS Home Loans Group (ASXRHG) up 1c to 31: Rose to 32.5c in initial reaction to news that two of its warehouse facilities which were scheduled to mature on 31 December had been extended to 31 January and 2 May.
Carnegie Corp (CNM) down 1c to 40.5c: Touched 43c. Had an unexplained and unqueried rise of 11c yesterday. Has already been queried twice this month over share price moves. The company said then it was involved in a number of opportunities regarding its wave technogy.
WestSide Corporation (WCL) up 10.5c to 56.5c: No news from the company since December 17 announcement that it had completed the workover of the pilot appraisal wells at its coal seam gas (CSG) pilot site at Tilbrook (ATP 688P) in central Queensland's Bowen Basin, in preparation for planned production testing.

RAMS HOME LOANS facility extended

 (RWE Australian Business News) - RAMS Home Loans Group  previously announced that two of its warehouse facilities were scheduled to mature on 31 December.
RHG advises the $500 million warehouse facility (fully drawn) which was scheduled to mature on the 31 December has been extended to the 2 May 2008 and has been consolidated into an existing facility, with the same financial institution, which is also due to mature on 2 May 2008.

Home Loans Australia – Home Loan Lender - Rams Home Loans

Compare our home loans and find a RAMS home loan that’s right for you. RAMS is Australia’s specialist home loan lender.
www.rams.com.au/

RHG advises the $250 millionwarehouse facility (fully drawn)) which was scheduled to mature on the 31 December has been extended to the 31 January 2008 and has been consolidated into an existing facility, with the same financial institution, which is also due to mature on the 31 January.
RHG previously announced that it had received $4.25 billion of preliminary credit approvals for facilities to refinance its extendible commercial paper facilities.RHG advises that, on 27 December, the documentation for two of these facilities was executed. These facilities were:
* the $1.5 billion dollar warehouse facility with Westpac Banking Corporation; and

* a $2 billion dollar facility with another financial institution.
Both facilities have been documented on terms which are broadly consistent with RHG's existing warehouse facilities, including that both facilities are 364 day facilities subject to any extension. Differences in pricing and other terms from RHG’s existing warehouse facilities reflect movements in the market since those facilities were documented.
RHG notes that both facilities are subject to various conditions precedent which must be satisfied prior to drawdown. RHG hopes to satisfy these conditions precedent as soon as possible to facilitate progressive refinancing of the relevant extendible commercial paper in January and February.
RHG will update the market if and when these conditions precedent are satisfied.
RHG is in advanced stages of documentation for a $750 million dollar funding facility and continues to work to find funding solutions for the remaining extendible commercial paper. RHG will update the market if and when these facilities are progressed

 

Clough wins $US23m coal terminal contract in Indonesia

 (RWE Australian Business News) - Clough Ltd's  Indonesian subsidiary, PT Petrosea Tbk, and its partner, Laing O'Rourke, have signed a further contract with PT Indominco Mandiri valued at $US46m with Petrosea's share being $US23m.

Clough Limited - Home

The Clough Group is one of Australia's largest multidisciplinary engineering, construction and asset management group's active in the international oil ...
www.clough.com.au/

The contract with PT Indominco Mandiri (PT IMM) - a wholly-owned subsidiary of PT Indo Tambangraya Megah, a member of the Banpu Group of Companies, Thailand - is for engineering, procurement, construction and installation works for PT IMM's Bontang Coal Export terminal expansion project (Phase II).
This contract follows on from the phase 1 work of the same project with PT IMM, which was commenced in early 2006.

 

 

In the daily epic struggle between buyers and sellers, technical analysis shows who is winning. If buyers are in control then prices go up, if sellers are in control then prices go down.

Everyday a battle is played out between buyers and sellers. Buyers drive up the prices and sellers drive down the price. A perfect example of this is at the seafood markets. Normally prawns sell for around $25 per kilo. At Christmas time, prawns sell for about double, at around $50 per kilo. Why the big difference?

In any market, buyers drive up the price and sellers drive down the price. At Christmas time because there is a large number of buyers, they drive up the price. It's the same as in the sharemarket- buyers drive up share prices and sellers drive them down. Candlesticks is a way of looking at the battle between buyers and sellers to see whether share prices are being driven up or down.

Candlesticks are a short term trading tool which is usually used to try and figure out whether buyers or sellers have the power in the short term (5-7 days)

A candlestick needs four pieces of information: the opening price and closing price and then the highest and the lowest price reached for the period.

The rectangle part of the candlestick is called the body and represents the difference between the opening and closing price. If the opening price is lower than the closing price than the body is white or green. If the opening prices is higher than the closing price than the body is black or red.

The long lines above and below the body represents the trading range. The top of the line is the highest price traded for the period. The bottom of the line is the lowest price traded.

If buyers are in control then the share prices usually goes up. If sellers are in control then the share price usually goes down.

They say a rising tide lifts all ships and so can a bull market. Technical Analysis or charting can help determine if we are in a rising market or a falling one. After all, around 3 out of 4 stocks follow the general market direction.

In this first bar, you can see that the price opened near the low and then ended near the high so the buyers were in control. Its body is white or green. It's quite a bullish signal going into the next day of trading with trading likely to start with the buyers in control and prices moving up.

Conversely, if the day's trading starts near the top and ends near the bottom, it means that the sellers are in control, driving the share price downwards. The body of the candlestick is black or red. It's a bearish signal indicating that sellers are in control and the next day of trading is likely to start with sellers in control and prices moving down.

The middle ground is balance, where no one wins the battle. Usually this signals consolidation and then potentially a change in direction.

It's all about the body

The body can let us about the strength of the move. The longer the body then the stronger and more intense the move was. A long white or green body signals strong buying power which will most likely see the price continue to move upwards. A long black or red body signals strong selling power with price most likely moving downwards.

Short bodies on the other hand, signal balance in the buyers and sellers. This signals low volatility which means that the price may be looking to break out.

Buy signals

 

Long Lower Shadow - the lower line must be the same or bigger than the body. The longer the lower line then the more reliable the signal.

Marubozu White - usually a signal that shows a continuation of an uptrend

Sell signals

Long upper shadow - the upper line must be the same or bigger than the body size. In fact the longer the upper line then the more reliable the signal.

Marubozu Black - usually a signal that shows a continuation of a downtrend.

There are many, many patterns of candlesticks which can give us insight into where price may be headed. I hope that this introduction has sparked enough interest to continue on and learn about candlestick patterns

Information from Julia lee thanks to  >>  the Hubb website.

Financial seminars  / hapenings 2008 Perth WA

Topic:  2008: The Year Ahead, Chris McGrath - Australian Stockbroking & Advisory Services Ltd
When: Tuesday 5 February
Where: State Library Theatre, Alexander Library Building. Entry is via either of the two main entrances - Perth Cultural Centre entrance in the James Street Pedestrian Mall or Francis Street.
Time:  12 noon - 1pm
Cost: $5 (incl. GST). Tickets can be purchased at the door 30 minutes prior to the presentation.

Chris will review 2007 and outline the likely sectors and stocks to watch in 2008.  He will also cover the broader Australian and overseas economic outlook and how this will impact the sharemarket over the next 12 months.

Chris has had 9 years experience as an Investment Manager and is currently State Manager for Australian Stock Broking and Advisory Services (ASANDAS).  His previous experience was in the fields of management consulting and management training. He has been conducting Stocks to Watch talks and lectures for the last 6 years.

We recommend arriving early to avoid disappointment.  No bookings taken.

Delivering Shareholder Wealth by Mining & Exploration Success, Chris Bonwick of Independence Group NL
View presentation slides (PDF 2MB), Tuesday 13 November, 2007

Beyond Greed & Fear - The real psychology of Investors, Gary Norden of Marketwise Traders
View presentation slides (PDF 252KB), Tuesday 2 October, 2007

Stocks to Watch, Chris McGrath of ASANDAS
View presentation slides (PDF 166KB), Tuesday 5 June, 2007

A Super Future before us, Aaron Ross-Connolly of ABN AMRO Morgans
View presentation slides (PDF 177KB), Tuesday 15 May, 2007

After Tax Returns, George Vassos of Vanguard Investments
View presentation slides (PDF 234KB), Tuesday 6 March, 2007

Economic Overview 2007, Kate Hillyar of Credit Suisse Asset Management
View presentation slides (PDF 487KB), Tuesday 6th February, 2007

 

What's new

Non-Voting Ordinary Shares
ASX has released a public consultation paper (PDF 166 KB) requesting feedback on a proposal for ASX to amend its listing rules to allow quotation of non-voting ordinary shares, subject to certain safeguards. ASX invites submissions by Friday 7 March 2008.

2008 ASX Omnibus Listing Rule Amendments
ASX has released details of proposed omnibus listing rule amendments (PDF 260KB). ASX invites comments on any of the proposed listing rule amendments by Friday 15 February 2008.

ASX Submission to ASIC Consultation Paper 86: Competition for Market Services
On Friday 17 August 2007, ASX forwarded a submission to ASIC (PDF 291KB) in response to its Consultation Paper 86: Competition for Market Services - trading in listed securities and related data. ASX provided another paper of supporting analysis on 27 September 2007.

You can now trade FX on ASX, as well as Indices, Gold and ASX's top 50 companies

Reflecting the successful launch, ASX has increased the range of ASX CFDs (PDF 82KB). Want exposure to the US Dollar, the Yen or even the Dow Jones Industrial Average index? With ASX CFDs it's now as easy as buying shares on ASX. Explore the wealth of information on our website.

Upcoming events (More upcoming events)

February

2008: the year ahead
Perth

Stocks to watch
Melbourne

Taking control of your super
Brisbane

A preview of 2008
Sydney

The art of selecting superior stocks
Adelaide

Upcoming floats (More upcoming floats)

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New listings (More recent listings)

[Your browser or user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. View all recent listings.]

How will a Labor government affect the sharemarket?

Is the Labor Government good or bad news for the Australian sharemarket, questions the managing editor of CompareShares.com.au Toni Case.

How will a Labor government affect the sharemarket?

Why are candlesticks important?

Julia Lee explains how to use candlesticks to predict short term gains.

Why are candlesticks important?

 

Technorati tags: Gift shares / Buy shares for Gift / stock gifts share shop, charting technologies, bar graphs

 

Top  australian stock broking websites and information links  on the internet

Australian Shareholders' Association
Established as a not-for-profit organisation in 1960 the Australian Shareholders' Association protects and advances the interests of investors.
» www.asa.asn.au

Berkshire Hathaway
This site contains Warren Buffett letters to shareholders for every issue since 1977. Essential reading for all value investors.
» www.berkshirehathaway.com

Directors' Transactions
Directors' Transactions tells you who's buying, who's selling and who owns what amongst Australia's company directors.
» www.directorstransactions.com.au

Educated Investor Bookshop
A specialist bookshop located in Melbourne offering same day postage Australia wide and a 10% discount for subscribers to The Intelligent Investor.
» www.educatedinvestor.com.au

Grant's Interest Rate Observer
This fortnightly newsletter is US-centric, highbrow and bears little relevance to the Australian market, but we like his style.
» www.grantspub.com

Income Investor
This site offers information on both upcoming and historical ex-dividend dates, including dividend amounts and franking.
» www.incomeinvestor.com.au

New2Shares.com.au
Confused by investing but want to learn more? New2Shares offers five education modules covering everything from telling you why you should invest to reading annual reports and choosing a broker.
» www.new2shares.com.au

Outstanding Investor Digest
It's expensive and it's infrequent but the interviews in this US publication are more eagerly anticipated than anything coming through The Intelligent Investor's mailbox
» www.oid.com

Platinum Asset Management
Australian based fund manager Platinum provide some refreshing words of wisdom in their quarterly reports.
» www.platinum.com.au

The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)
The ASX website includes market and company news, share prices, ASX education centre, ASX/Dymocks Book Shop, information on derivatives and a directory of stock brokers. For those who would love to attend the lunchtime lectures, a timetable is now available online.
» www.asx.com.au

The Motley Fool
If you know what you're after then this 'all things finance related' website probably has it. The regular email bulletins are informative, but with a UK slant.
» www.fool.co.uk

The superinvestors of Graham and Doddsville
This is a highly recommended extract from a lecture given at Columbia University in 1984 by Warren Buffett.
» www.tilsonfunds.com/superinvestors.php3

Third Avenue Funds
Martin J. Whitman (Marty Whitman) is a legendary investor and author of a book titled Value Investing: A Balanced Approach. He’s also a regular to the pages of Outstanding Investor Digest (www.oid.com). Whitman founded Third Avenue Management in 1974 and its website contains many gems. Most are to be found in the ‘Shareholder Letters’ section.
» www.thirdavenuefunds.com

Tilson Funds
It could almost be described as the value investor's homepage (second only to The Intelligent Investor of course), this website has it all and is a fantastic starting point.
» www.tilsonfunds.com

Tocqueville Asset Management
Tocqueville Asset Management specialises in the management of large family fortunes and employs a team of ‘contrarian investors who adhere to a traditional value investment philosophy’. There is a lot of excellent reading on the site, especially in the ‘Brainstorms’ section.
» www.tocqueville.com

Tweedy, Browne Company
Frequent contributors to the pages of Outstanding Investor Digest, these American fund managers also have some wonderful content on their own website.
» www.tweedy.com

Warren Buffett
The Intelligent Investor's dedicated site to the one of the world's most successful investors, Warren Buffett.
» www.warrenbuffett.com.au

Stockbroker Links

» ABN AMRO Morgans (www.abnamromorgans.com.au)
» Andrew West (www.andrewwest.com.au)
» Austock (www.austock.com.au)
» Baker Young (www.bakeryoung.com.au)
» BBY (www.bby.com.au)
» Bell Potter Securities (www.bellbroking.com.au)
» Burrell Stockbroking (www.burrell.com.au)
» Commonwealth Securities Ltd (www.commsec.com.au)
» D.J. Carmichaels (djcarmichael.com.au)
» Delta Securities (www.deltasecurities.com.au)
» Direct Shares (www.directshares.com.au)
» E*Trade (www.etrade.com.au)
» Gillion Securities (www.gillon.com.au)
» HSBC Stockbroking (www.broking.hsbc.com.au)
» Intersuisse (www.intersuisse.com.au)
» Joseph Palmer & Sons (www.jpalmer.com.au)
» Kinetic Securities (www.kineticsecurities.com.au/)
» Leyland Private Asset Management (www.leyland.com.au)
» Maquarie DirecTrade (www.macquarie.com.au)
» Morrison Securities (www.morrisonsecurities.com)
» Netwealth (www.netwealth.com.au)
» Reynolds Stockbrokers (www.stox.com.au)
» Sanford Securities (www.sanford.com.au)
» Shadforths (www.shadforths.com.au)
» Smith Barney Citigroup (www.smithbarney.com.au)
» Taylor Collison (www.taylorcollison.com.au)
» Tolhurst Noall (www.tolhurst.com.au)
» Webstock (www.webstock.com.au)
» Wilson HTM Investment Group (www.wilsonhtm.com.au)

Thanks to >> http://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/Link-library/

THis above article taken from
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...014099,00.html  brings you some of the hot stocks  from the top analysts in the market

My picks for  2008 in RED

The hot stocks of 2008

IT is the question economists and investors alike have been peddling for some years now.When will this unprecedented bull market come crashing to a prolonged halt?
The increasingly buoyant Australian stockmarket is just about to complete its 17th year uninterrupted of growth and upward momentum.
To state the bleeding obvious, we are getting closer and closer to a major downturn that could make the August 07 mini-collapse look like a storm in a teacup.
Despite this, analysts remain convinced market growth will continue fervently throughout 2008, as the local bourse finally digests the sub-prime hiccup and matures relatively unabated.
So if now is a good time to invest, what should one be looking at?
Well, today The Daily Telegraph makes it easy for you.
Australia's leading analysts have given the inside word on the hottest stocks for 2008.

Craig James, Commsec
Rio Tinto (RIO) - Subject to takeover speculation from rival BHP-Billiton and rumours of takeover bids coming from China. Will also continue to benefit from Chinese industrialisation. Current: $137.24; Year High: $149.99 (Nov 07); Year Low: $69.35 (Jan 07).
Graincorp (GNC) - Hit hard by the drought in the last six months, but expectation of better seasonal conditions in 2008 should lift the stock beyond its highs. Current: $9.65; Year High: $14.12 (Jun 07); Year Low: $8.71 (Dec 06).
Leighton (LEI) - Significant work in progress, particularly in the cash-rich Middle East, and order books more likely to keep growing. Also benefits from Chinese industrialisation. Current: $63.40; Year High: $65.62 (Dec 07); Year Low: $19.24 (Jan 07).
Harvey Norman (HVN) - Will continue to benefit from digital good deflation and high Australian dollar. Current: $6.94; Year High: $7.25 (Nov 07); Year Low: $3.75 (Dec 06).
CSL (CSL) - Dominates global market for blood plasma products. Current: $35.87; Year High: $38.05 (Oct 07); Year Low: $18.99 (Dec 06).

Rick Klusman, Aequs Securities
Brambles (BXB) - Massive buyback and continued corporate interest to support stock. Has yet to reach full potential. Current: $11.70; Year High: $14.93 (Oct 07); Year Low: $10.60 (July 07).
Sinovus Mining (SNV) - Australian company investing in China. Has large silver prospects and is closing in on production. Newly listed. Current: 19c; Year High: 21c (Dec 07); Year Low: 19c (Dec 07).
Regional Express (REX) - The forgotten airline in a climate of unprecedented growth. Is Australia's dominant regional airline with limited competitors and is a mining boom beneficiary. Current: $2.02; Year High: $2.88 (May 07); Year Low: $1.44 (Dec 06).
Credit Corp (CCP) - Major debt collection agency that has been hammered this year, dropping its value by more than half. Big hopes for a strong 08/09. Current: $5; Year High: $12.99 (Jul 07); Year Low: $5 (Nov 07).
Strathfield (SRA) - Sydney-based car audio retailer. New management and franchising showing improved returns. Current: 4.3c; Year High: 7.2c (Jan 07); Year Low: 3.5c (Sept 07).

Merrill Lynch
News Corp (NWS) - Has new concrete earnings drivers, largely from MySpace and Sky Italia, and plenty of upside in the filmed entertainment division and cable networks. Current: $24.28; Year High: $32.60 (Feb 07); Year Low: $23.48 (Nov 07).
Bluescope Steel (BSL) - Expecting upside to steel prices, and if that comes, BSL doesn't need a big improvement in downstream profitability to reap the rewards. Current: $9.48; Year High: $12.65 (May 07); Year Low: $7.98 (Dec 06).
Alumina (AWC) - Offers the best exposure to its commodity with world class, low cost, long life bauxite and alumina assets. Analysts very bullish on the aluminium price outlook. Is also a potential takeover target. Current: $6.21; Year High: $8.88 (Jul 07); Year Low: $5.90 (Aug 07).
Macquarie Group (MQG) - Leverage to Asia looks enhanced and set to drive further strong growth, further opportunities to exploit pension fund demand for unlisted funds, and capital and asset turnover improvements all point to a strong year. Current: $80.08; Year High: $98.64 (May 07); Year Low: $61.90 (Aug 07).
Babcock & Brown Power (BBP) - Many reasons . . . spike in electricity prices likely over summer; its valuation looks attractive, as its focused on gas-fired generation, is well placed heading into a carbon-constrained Australia, and has excellent medium term growth options. Current: $2.75; Year High: $3.80 (May 07); Year Low: $2.49 (Aug 07).

Peter Switzer, Switzer Financial Services
Westpac (WBC) - A company that has been a positive performer and the arrival of Gail Kelly as the new CEO should give the bank a spring clean effect. Her track record at St George was outstanding. Current: $29; Year High: $31.32 (Nov 07); Year Low: $23.35 (Aug 07).
BHP-Billiton (BHP) - The company continues to play a strong hand with a global economy driven by demand for commodities. Current: $42.05; Year High: $47.70 (Oct 07); Year Low: $23.86 (Jan 07).
Babcock & Brown (BNB) - A company whose many offshoot listed companies have been given strong thumbs up from expert analysts who understand the complexities of the niche industries they operate in. Current: $27.42; Year High: $34.78 (Jun 07); Year Low: $17.60 (Aug 07).
Oxiana (OXR) - A gold and copper producer and most of my broker colleagues believe 2008 will be another year for commodities. Often mentioned in dispatches. Current: $3.80; Year High: $4.32 (Nov 07); Year Low: $2.60 (Mar 07).
Destra Corporation (DES) - My only small cap, speculative stock offering. I have interviewed its CEO, Dominic Carosa, and he is a very tech-savvy guy who understands the new media. And the likes of Lachlan Murdoch and Prime Television have bought into the company. Current: 27c; Year High: 43c (Jul 07); Year Low: 20c (Mar 07).

Fat Prophets
Cockatoo Coal (COK) - When all the takeover activity settles, emerging players like COK will come into play in the sector. The market will start to appreciate the value of its currently stranded coal reserves in Queensland. In addition, Cockatoo's board and share register reads like a resources who's who. Current: 63.5c; Year High: 68c (Dec 07); Year Low: 15c (May 07).
Mundo Minerals (MUN) - This emerging gold producer is set to produce its first gold from its brand new Engenho gold project in Brazil early next year. We would anticipate a significant re-rating once production commences. Current: 79c; Year High: 93c (Oct 07); Year Low: 25c (Feb 07).
Image Resources (IMA) - We believe 2008 will have more interest in mineral sands, a commodity that tends to move later in the commodity cycle. This is our best bet in the sector as it is a one-stop shop for a mineral sands player wanting to significantly boost its reserve base. Current: $1.88; Year High: $2.62 (Feb 07); Year Low: $1.45 (Aug 07).
Coeur Dalene (CXC) - We remain bullish on precious metals, including silver, and believe Coeur provides investors with solid exposure with its lucrative operations in North and South America and Australia. Current: $4.91; Year High: $5.20 (Dec 07); Year Low: $4.91 (Dec 07).

Credit Suisse
Tower (TWR) - The multi-pronged insurer has back-tracked all year and should be tracking towards a $3.54 target. Current: $2.03; Year High: $2.39 (Feb 07); Year Low: $1.61 (Nov 07).
Iluka Resources (ILU) - Has eight mining operations and six processing operations centred around mineral sands. Current: $4.43; Year High: $6.89 (Dec 06); Year Low: $3.91 (Nov 07).
Record Realty (RRT) - An investment vehicle managed by Allco targeting properties with stable long-term cash flows from tenants. Current: 68.5c; Year High: 95c (Sept 07); Year Low: 68.5c (Dec 07).
Zinifex (ZFX) - Recently moved from the sell pile due to its backtracking. Current: $14.05; Year High: $21.60 (Jul 07); Year Low: $13.74 (Nov 07).
Perilya (PEM) - The owner and operator of the Broken Hill zinc, lead and silver mine. Strong year predicted. Current: $3.26; Year High: $5.80 (Jan 07); Year Low: $2.76 (Nov 07).

Todays Update

The Australian sharemarket closed lower today after sellers gained the upper hand following an early early.
The ASX200 index ended 39.5 points weaker at 6176.9 while the All Ordinaries index lost 36 points to 6244.8.
In futures the March SPI200 index fell 33 points to 6191.
Trading was extremely busy due to the expiration of futures contracts with turnover of $11.7 billion, comprising 523 rises, 715 falls and 345 steadies.
BHP Billiton was the day's busiest stock by value with turnover of $1.1 billion, and dropped 55c to $39.50.
Rio Tinto retreated $2.34 to $128 and Zinifex slumped 37c to $11.98 but Alumina edged up 6c to $6.26.
Banks remained under pressure with Commonwealth sliding 75c to $57.78, Westpac gave back 49c to $27.30 and National fell 27c to $36.48 while ANZ was unchanged at $26.85.
Suncorp-Metway slid 41c to $16.70 after saying the Sydney storms of December 7 and 9 are like to cost the group $150-$180 million.
Fellow insurer IAG - which yesterday announced the impact of the storms would be $105 million net of reinsurance - was 5c lower at $4.08.
Centro Properties continued its recovery, advancing 11.5c to $1.32.
Macquarie Group fell $1.13 to $73.17, AMP added 1c to $9.79, Stockland jumped 24c to $9, Mirvac climbed 19c to $6.09, Bluescope Steel was 26c higher at $9.26, Sims Group jumped 49c to $27.28, Paperlinx soared 13c to $2.61, Telstra lost 3c to $4.66, Fairfax Media gave back 4c to $4.47, Crown declined 16c to $13.60, Flight Centre slid 50c to $29.99, Wesfarmers lost 66c to $40, Leighton gave back 64c to $57.50, Toll Holdings dropped 34c to $11.66, Woolworths gained 18c to $33.35, Lion Nathan was 18c higher at $9.22 and Cochlear retreated $1.23 to $72.73.
Woodside Petroleum was down 40c at $46 in oil and gas and Caltex lost 21c to $19.15 but AGL Energy advanced 15c to $13.15.
Among the goldminers Newcrest plunged $1.56 to $29 but Lihir rose 5c to $3.21 and Newmont eked out a 1c gain to $5.56.
In Tokyo the Nikkei 225 was 20 points firmer at 15,050 with about 30 minutes of trading left and Hong Kong's Hang Seng had slipped 10 points to 27,020 by the mid-session interval.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index rose 7l8 points to 3947.6.
Gold is worth $US800.50 an ounce and the Australian dollar is changing hands at US85.83c.
Ten-year bond yields were half a point lower at 6.24 per cent.

The Australian sharemarket closed moderately lower today but was well off early lows as Centro Properties remained under the hammer.

Australian stocks declined, pushing the S&P/ASX 200 Index to its biggest two-day loss since the Sept. 11 terror attacks six years ago. .Westfield Group and St. George Bank Ltd. led declines as concern mounted the U.S. housing slump and credit crisis will stall growth in the world's largest economy.

 

Centro Properties Group

A retail investment organisation specialising in the ownership, management and development of retail shopping centres. Includes news, reports and investment ...
www.centro.com.au

Centro Properties Group, which owns 700 shopping malls in the U.S., plunged for a second day after saying it's struggling to refinance debt because of the collapse in the subprime mortgage market. BHP Billiton Ltd. and Woodside Petroleum Ltd. fell after metal and oil prices dropped on speculation a slowdown in the U.S. will curb demand for commodities.

``We're looking at a rocky and volatile period and the market has come back savagely,'' said Paul Xiradis, who helps manage about $11 billion at Ausbil Dexia in Sydney. ``There are serious question marks about the strength of the U.S. economy and the debt market is not fully functioning at this point.''

 

CENTRO PROPERTIES GROUP. (CNP) - ASX Listed Company Information ...

CENTRO PROPERTIES GROUP. details. Please note: ASX relies on third parties to provide the information contained in the company details table, and therefore ...
www.asx.com.au/asx/research/CompanyInfoSearchResults.jsp?searchBy=asxCode&allinfo=on&asxCode=CNP

 

The ASX200 index - which plunged 228 points yesterday - closed 26.6 points lower at 6236.9 after being down 158 points at one stage, while the All Ordinaries index lost 39.2 points to 6292.6.

In futures the December SPI200 index fell 83 points to 6207.
Trading was busy with turnover of $7.6 billion, comprising 361 rises, 1,038 falls and 331 steadies.
BHP Billiton was the day's busiest stock by value with turnover of $681 million, and shed 27c to $40.10.
Rio Tinto lost $2.44 to $129.41, Zinifex slumped 69c to $12.40 and Alumina was unchanged at $6.05.
Centro Properties, which plunged $4.34 yesterday, slumped a further 55.5c to 80.5c and plumbed 42c in continued reaction to its warning on refinancing problems and the cancellation of the first-half distribution.
Banks were mostly firmer after early losses, although National missed out with a fall of 59c to $36.91.
ANZ gained 29c to $27.24 and Westpac ended 50c higher at $28.80 while Commonwealth was steady at $60.

When trading opened this morning, Centro went into a spectacular free-fall as expected, bruising other property companies in its wake.

CommSec chief economist Craig James, like most market watchers, witnessed the almost deadly dive.

"Certainly, if you've got any money invested in the property trust sector, you'd be feeling a little bit sick at the moment," Mr James said.

'Property trusts [are] down the order of 4 per cent, [with] significant falls right across the board. There's only a few areas of joy in the sector."

Within a few minutes, the company was down 38 per cent on yesterday's close, before the losses extended to more than 67 per cent.

Even after settling down at a 50 per cent loss, Centro's devastation has left many wide-eyed.

Macquarie Group dropped $2.82 to $73.28, AMP lost 10c to $9.90, IAG rose 7c to $4.20, Westfield Group climbed 72c to $20.29, Stockland jumped 25c to $8.75, Lend Lease declined 58c to $17.32, Mirvac was down 16c at $5.75, Bluescope Steel fell 36c to $8.90, Sims Group improved 35c to $27.35, Computershare dropped 45c to $9.50, Cons Media slid 23c to $4.37, Fairfax Media fell 5c to $4.56, Telstra was 5c firmer at $4.67, Flight Centre gave back 42c to $30.28, Wesfarmers gained 56c to $40.74, Leighton was $1.96 weaker at $59.04, Woolworths fell 45c to $33.90, Foster's advanced 16c to $6.37 and Cochlear declined 37c to $72.55.
Woodside Petroleum climbed out of the red to end 35c higher at $47.30 and Santos put on 4c to $13.59 while Caltex fell 50c to $19.20.
Newcrest slumped $1.29 to $30.38 among the goldminers, Lihir slipped 4c to $3.18 and Newmont shed 6c to $5.40.
In Tokyo the Nikkei 225 was down 70 points at 15,180 with about 30 minutes of trading left and Hong Kong's Hang Seng had risen 114 points to 26,710 by the mid-session interval.
New Zealand's NZX 50 index fell 36.5 points to 3926.1.
Gold is worth $US791.70 an ounce and the Australian dollar is changing hands at US85.94c.
Ten-year bond yields were two points lower at 6.275 per cent.

 

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index plunged the most in four months on concerns higher U.S. inflation will curb spending in the world's biggest economy. Centro Properties Group tumbled, wiping out three-quarters of its value, after slashing its profit forecast due to the U.S. housing slump.

Westfield Group, owner of 59 malls in the U.S., declined after consumer prices there climbed the most since September 2005 last month, giving the Federal Reserve less leeway to cut interest rates to boost growth. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's biggest mining company, dropped on concern a global economic slowdown will curb demand for metals and other raw materials.

 

Blog posts about centro properties

Honey, I Shrunk The Company" Centro Properties Doen 76 Per Cent - immobilienblasen - 17 Dec 2007 by jmf
Australia's Centro Properties Group downgrades fiscal 2008 earnings - ABC Money News - What or Who is Making Headlines in the World of Money and Finance - 16 Dec 2007

About three stocks declined for every two that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.65, or 0.1 percent, to 2,668.49. The Dow increased 44.06, or 0.3 percent, to 13,517.96, led by a 5 percent advance in Honeywell International Inc. The S&P 500 added 1.82, or 0.1 percent, to 1,488.41. Benchmarks in Asia and Europe slumped.

``Doing other things to inject liquidity really doesn't address the issue of broader economic weakness,'' said David Joy, who helps oversee $161 billion as chief market strategist for Riversource Investments LLC in Minneapolis. With financials, ``it's too early to step up and take a stand that these stocks are undervalued. If you dip your toe in the water, you could still get burned.''

Small Caps, Retailers Slump

Smaller companies led the market lower, with the Russell 2000 Index, a benchmark for shares with a median market value of $598 million, falling 0.3 percent. The NYSE Composite Index of all common shares on the New York Stock Exchange lost 0.6 percent.

A gauge of chain stores declined 1.1 percent, led by Home Depot Inc. and Target Corp., after a report showing the biggest surge in wholesale inflation in 34 years overshadowed a stronger-than-expected report on retail sales.

Goldman, the largest securities firm, lost $4.10 to $208.48. Merrill, the third-largest, slumped 98 cents to $57.83. Bear Stearns, the second-biggest U.S. mortgage-bond underwriter, dropped $2.45 to $98.39.

Lehman Brothers lost 45 cents to $61.37. The largest U.S. underwriter of mortgage bonds said fourth-quarter investment banking revenue fell 3 percent to $831 million and fixed-income capital markets revenue declined. Net income fell 12 percent to $886 million.

`A Lot of Uncertainty'

``There will be a lot of people looking at their report to try to gain some insight into what might happen down the road with other brokerages and banks,'' said Ed Laux, head of U.S. trading at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. in New York. ``There's still a lot of uncertainty and worry about valuations in the financial sector.''

Financial shares also fell after the cost of borrowing euros stayed at the highest since December 2000, signaling the plan by the Federal Reserve and four other central banks to inject funds into the financial system isn't lowering borrowing costs and boosting lending.

Washington Mutual fell 47 cents to $15.59. The biggest U.S. savings and loan was cut to ``sell'' from ``neutral'' at Bank of America Corp. on concern credit quality may deteriorate further and it may have to raise funds. The brokerage also reduced its price estimate on the stock by 46 percent to $13.

Countrywide Financial Corp., the biggest U.S. mortgage company, lost 45 cents to $10.08. American International Group Inc., the largest insurer, slumped $1.16 to $57.05.

Financial companies in the S&P 500 are expected to report a 36 percent average profit drop in the fourth quarter, the worst performance among 10 industries, according to a Dec. 7 Bloomberg survey.

Fannie, Freddie

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the largest sources of money for U.S. home loans, climbed the most among companies in the S&P 500. Freddie Mac should have more than enough capital to weather ``challenging'' conditions in 2008 as tighter underwriting and guarantee-fee increases boost profit, analysts at Bear Stearns said after meeting with Freddie Mac Chief Financial Officer Anthony Piszel. Fannie Mae gained $2.64 to $34.76 and Freddie Mac climbed $2.29 to $32.46.

Target, the second-largest U.S. discount chain, fell 68 cents to $52.50 and Home Depot, the largest home-improvement retailer, dropped 85 cents to $27.64.

Prices paid to U.S. producers climbed twice as much as economists had forecast in November, pushed up by surging costs for fuel. Excluding food and energy, prices rose the most since February.

Retail Sales

Retail sales in the U.S. increased twice as much as forecast in November. The 1.2 percent increase, the biggest since May, followed a 0.2 percent gain the prior month, the Commerce Department said. Purchases excluding automobiles jumped 1.8 percent, the most since January 2006.

Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. chain of wholesale-warehouse stores, fell the most in more than two weeks on earnings that failed to top analysts' estimates. Costco slid $1.65 to $68.54. Net income was 59 cents a share in the first quarter, matching projections of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

 SOME HEAVEY MOVERS ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE TODAY

 

Bear Stearns Cos. (BSC US)Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB US)
Ciena Corp. (CIEN US)
Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST US)Countrywide Financial Corp. (CFC US)
Dow Chemical Co. (DOW US)
Fannie Mae (FNM US)
Freddie Mac (FRE US)
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS US)Home Depot Inc. (HD US)
Honeywell International Inc. (HON US)
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH US)
Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER US)Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM US)
Target Corp. (TGT US)
Washington Mutual Inc. (WM US)

Biogen Idec Inc. slumped $17.97, or 24 percent, to $57.91, its steepest loss since February 2005. The maker of drugs for cancer and multiple sclerosis said it will no longer pursue a sale. The biotechnology company put itself up for sale in October after billionaire investor Carl Icahn bid $23 billion.

Qualcomm

Qualcomm Inc., the second-biggest maker of chips that run mobile phones, dropped $1.15 to $39.86 after Nokia Oyj won the first round of a patent fight. Administrative Law Judge Paul Luckern in Washington rejected Qualcomm claims that Nokia, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, infringed patents for a technology that prevents dropped calls. He also said one of the three patents is invalid. The decision is subject to review.

Ciena Corp. fell $5.08, or 12 percent, to $37.04. The maker of network equipment forecast revenue for the current fiscal year will be $935.7 million, less than the average estimate of $949.2 million in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

Dow Chemical Co. surged $2.64 to $44.39 after the largest U.S. chemical maker and Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Co. said they will form a joint venture to make plastics and chemicals.

Honeywell International Inc. climbed $2.91 to $60.65, the steepest gain in the Dow average and its biggest advance in almost five years. The world's largest maker of aircraft controls forecast higher 2008 profit as demand for plane parts and overseas sales of thermostats and security systems help overcome a U.S. housing slump.

australia stocks business news

Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's benchmark stock index, the S&P ...
Bloomberg - 10 hours ago
The index of 203 companies traded on the Australian Stock Exchange rose 13.20 to 6628.40. Among the stocks in the index, 85 rose, 26 fell and 92 were ...
IPOs in Australia Fizzle as Losses in Uranium, Subprime Mount Bloomberg
Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's benchmark stock index, the S&P ... Bloomberg
Australian Shares Fall on US Outlook; James Hardie Declines Bloomberg
Bloomberg - Bloomberg
all 12 news articles »

Australia Stock Update: S&P/ASX 200 Rises 13.20 to 6,628.40

Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's benchmark stock index, the S&P/ASX 200 Index, rose 0.20 percent at 10:05 a.m.

The index of 203 companies traded on the Australian Stock Exchange rose 13.20 to 6,628.40. Among the stocks in the index, 85 rose, 26 fell and 92 were unchanged.

Gains in the S&P/ASX 200 Index were led by Bhp Billiton Ltd, Commonwealth Bank Of Australia and Brambles Ltd. About 104.07 million shares changed hands on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Bhp Billiton Ltd, which rose 34 cents to A$43.54, was the most active stock by value in Australia.

The next most-active issues were Bradken Ltd, which fell A$5.20 to A$9.60, and Carnarvon Petroleum Ltd, which rose 14 centsto 72 cents,

Last Updated: December 12, 2007 18:05 EST

Australia S&P/ASX Falls on Fed Liquidity Move; Westfield Drops
Bloomberg - 3 hours ago
13 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's stocks fell for a second day on concern the US Federal Reserve's move to cut its key interest rate and provide cash to ...
Bradken Shares Fall as Company Warns of `Flat' Profit (Update3) Bloomberg
Bradken Shares Fall as Company Warns of `Flat' Profit (Update2) Bloomberg
Australian Oil Shares Advance on Higher Crude; Bradken Tumbles Bloomberg
all 14 news articles »

CNBC

Australia's Qantas increases earnings guidance on higher passenger ...
Forbes, NY - 5 hours ago
'The peak of the business cycle is over and we are still 190 billion US dollars in debt. So we could be heading for a downturn with little cash in the bank ...
Qantas Increases Forecast for Full-Year Profit (Update1) Bloomberg
Qantas Revises Up 2007 - 08 Profit Before Tax Forecast - Update ... RTT News
all 57 news articles »

Stocks Trade Weak Despite Positive Lead From Wall Street - Asian ...
RTT News, NY - 6 hours ago
At 11:53 am local time, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index was down 7.3 points or 0.1% at 6607.9 and the broader-based All Ordinaries Index was losing 5.0 points ...
Stocks Decline As US Federal Reserve's Rate Cut Decision ... RTT News
Stocks Tumble On Wall Street Sell-off - Asian Commentary [] RTT News
New Zealand Stocks Get Negative Wall Street Lead Off Fed Rate ... RTT News
RTT News - RTT News
all 19 news articles »

 

Australia & New Zealand

Financial News

Qantas Raises Full-Year Earnings Growth Forecast on Increased Passengers Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia's biggest airline, raised its earnings forecast, predicting record profit as the carrier flew more domestic passengers.

Australia's Employment Jumps More Than Forecast, Worsening Labor Shortage Australia added more than twice as many jobs in November as economists forecast, deepening a skills shortage that prompted the central bank to raise borrowing costs to an 11-year high.

Fortescue Seeks $1 Billion in Loans From China For Expansion, Bankers Say Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., aiming to become Australia's third biggest iron ore producer, is seeking at least $1 billion in loans from Chinese banks to fund expansion, said two bankers involved in the talks.

Fonterra Increases Milk-Payment Forecast, Bolstering New Zealand's Economy Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd., the world's biggest exporter of dairy products, raised its forecast milk payment to farmers, stoking an industry that makes up 7 percent of New Zealand's economy.

S&P/ASX 200 Declines on View Fed Moves Will Not Save U.S. From Recession Australia's stocks fell for a second day on concern the U.S. Federal Reserve's move to cut its key interest rate and provide cash to financial institutions won't be enough to stem losses tied to the country's subprime mortgage market. Westfield Group led declines.

Bradken Shares Slump as Mine Project Delays Lead to Stalling Profit Growth Bradken Ltd. plunged by a record in Sydney trading after the Australian supplier of tools and services to mining and railroad companies said full-year earnings will miss analysts' estimates.

Centro May Lower Earnings Forecast as Borrowing Costs Likely to Increase Centro Properties Group, Australia's second-biggest shopping-mall owner, will revise its earnings forecast because borrowing costs are likely to rise.

Australia May Reduce Key Interest Rate, Macquarie's `Rate Cut Rory' Says The Australian central bank's next move may be to cut its benchmark lending rate, confounding expectations for further increases, as it tries to prevent fallout from the global credit squeeze hurting growth, Macquarie Bank Ltd. said.

Australia: Casino Chain Expands in Las Vegas
New York Times, United States - 4 hours ago
By AP Australia’s largest casino company, Crown Ltd., said it agreed to buy Cannery Casino Resorts for $1.75 billion, expanding its business in Las Vegas. ...
Packer's Crown Buys Cannery Casino for $1.75 Billion (Update5) Bloomberg
Packer bets house on US casinos The Australian
all 145 news articles »

Stock market closes lower
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 11 Dec 2007
The Australian stock market closed lower on Wednesday after United States markets fell sharply after a smaller than expected interest rate cut by the US ...

Australian shares close lower on concerns about credit markets ...
Forbes, NY - 2 hours ago
Bradken, a manufacturer of heavy equipment and replaceable parts for the mining industry and rail freight wagons, was the second-worst performing stock ...
Australian shares slightly lower in mid-session in directionless trade Forbes
Australian shares higher early buoyed by Wall St gains, profit ... Forbes
Australian shares pare losses as bargain hunters move in Forbes
Forbes
all 43 news articles »

Australia Stocks Face Downward Pressure For Wednesday Open []
RTT News, NY - 11 Dec 2007
Australian stocks rode a strong lead from Wall Street to higher ground on Tuesday. At the close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 55.3 points at 6680.4 ...
Step into line: Wall Street sets the positive trend Sydney Morning Herald
all 58 news articles »

Austock takes stock of a 16.7% kick start

FINANCIAL services company Austock Group hopes its healthy debut on the sharemarket will be vindicated by a roll-out in its property business in the second half of this financial year.

Once best known as a broking house, Austock now has a range of interests from life insurance and property fund management to pooled development funds investing in emerging companies.

Chief executive Tim Boyle said Austock aimed to gather at least half its revenue and profit from recurrent streams — rather than just stockbroking — within three years. "We've got a very strong corporate pipe and also we've got some strong prospects for property in the back end of 2008," he said.

Having ushered dozens of floats and placements into the market since it was founded in 1991, Austock chose its own moment well yesterday, securing a strong premium.

Austock opened at $2.09, compared to the offer price of $1.80, and closed at $2.10, up 16.7%, or 30¢.

The offer follows the successful listing of rival Wilson HTM Investment Group earlier this year and comes ahead of the float of Bell Financial Group today.

Mr Boyle was reluctant to take too much credit for booking a premium at launch during a period of market volatility that has scuppered some floats and scared off others.

Last week, financial planning firm Storm Financial delayed a planned initial public offer, potentially worth almost $500 million, blaming global market turbulence for a lack of institutional support.

By contrast, Austock's small raising — generating $10.8 million from its offer of 6 million shares — may have spurred after-market demand, Mr Boyle said.

'The initial offer, together with more than 113 million shares already on issue, gave Austock a market value of $214.3 million upon listing.

Central Banks Fail To Calm Asian Stock Markets
FXstreet.com The Futures Market, Spain - 4 hours ago
Australia unemployment rate goes up: (AU NOV EMPLOYMENT CHANGE: 52.6KV 20.0K expected, prior revised to 5.4K from 12.9K; NOV UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 4.5% V 4.3% ...

Asian Stocks Fall for Second Day; Mitsubishi UFJ Leads Declines
Bloomberg - 3 hours ago
Woodside Petroleum, Australia's second-largest oil producer, added 0.7 percent to A$47.85. Singapore Petroleum, the city's only publicly traded refiner and ...
Asian Stocks Rise in US Trading; Mitsubishi UFJ, Banks Climb Bloomberg
Japanese Stocks Rise on UBS Capital Plan, US Home Sales Bloomberg
Japanese Shares Drop After Bank of America Warns of More Losses Bloomberg

Australian Institute of Management corporate partnership

To enable leaders and managers the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills, the Tax Office has corporate membership with the Australian Institute of Management (AIM). Our membership enables all 4,200 leaders and managers in the organisation access to:

• AIM Library
• AIM Bookshop
• short courses at member rates
• professional development forums at member rates, and
• AIM monthly events at member rates.

As AIM is a state-based organisation, each state has their own website advertising their products linking off from their main site. Leaders and managers are encouraged to access their state website to find out what development opportunities are available to assist in meeting their personal needs.

When contacting your state AIM office or registering for any AIM product, please advise that we are corporate members. Each state has a different corporate number. They are:

• NSW/ACT – A0056C2
• QLD/NT – 1003411
• WA – 542085
• VIC/TAS – 305781, and
• SA – 000320

 

Stock Exchange of Perth (1889 - 1987)

 

Location: Perth, Western Australia

The Stock Exchange of Perth was formed in 1889. In 1987 it became the Australia Stock Exchange (Perth) Ltd.

  Image available here >>

http://hdl.handle.net/1885/114

1889 - 1987 Stock Exchange of Perth
1987 - Australian Stock Exchange

 

Previous and Subsequent Entities

? - 1887 Adelaide Stock and Share Association
1883 - 1968 Launceston Stock Exchange
1871 - 1987 Sydney Stock Exchange
1882 - 1987 Hobart Stock Exchange
1884 - 1987 Brisbane Stock Exchange
1884 - 1987 Melbourne Stock Exchange
1887 - 1987 Stock Exchange of Adelaide Limited
1889 - 1987 Stock Exchange of Perth

 

 

The Stock Exchange of Perth, Western Australia

Description

Photograph of a group of men in front of and in the entranceway of the Perth Stock Exchange Building. The men presumably all work in the building. The figure fifth from the right dressed in a jacket with conspicuous buttons all the way up the front and unusual headgear might be a messenger boy. The Exchange has a symmetrical façade and features bay windows and arched openings, balustrades and an entablature. Some of the decorative details are Classical, such as the Corinthian capitals on the pilasters. On the other hand, the small pillars above the entrance and the carved ornamentation on the upper window arches are more reminiscent of a Medieval cloister. The dates: 1889, and, 1897 are carved on either side. There is a plaque in the lower left of the façade, but the inscription is too faded to be legible. A number of businesses announce their occupation through signs painted onto windows. They include: T. C Dunster, Mining Agent; Polain & Co., Consulting Engineers; J. Polain, Architect; Tregurtha & Coles and G. W Dent & Co., Auctioneers. The Stock Exchange had for a period been housed in the National Bank building in St Georges Terrace, but that had been demolished in 1887. The building in this image was built to replace it.

Some info on ASX

 

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is the primary stock exchange in Australia. The ASX began as separate state-based exchanges established as early as 1861. Today trading is all-electronic and the exchange is a public company, listed on the exchange itself.

The Australian Securities Exchange as it is now known resulted from the merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange in December 2006.

The biggest stocks traded on the ASX, in terms of their market capitalization, include BHP Billiton, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Telstra Corporation, National Australia Bank and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. As at 31-Dec-2006 the three largest sectors by market cap were financial services (34%), commodities (20%) and listed property trusts (10%).

The major market index is the S&P/ASX 200, an index made up of the top 200 shares in the ASX. This supplanted the previously significant All Ordinaries index, which still runs parallel to the S&P ASX 200. Both are commonly quoted together. Other indices for the bigger stocks are the S&P/ASX 100 and S&P/ASX 50.

The ASX is a public company, and its own shares are traded on the ASX. However, the corporation's charter restricts maximum individual holdings to a small fraction of the company.

While the ASX regulates other listed companies listed on the ASX, it cannot regulate itself, and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

The current managing director Robert Elstone was appointed in July 2006. Prior to the merger of ASX with the Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE), Robert Elstone was the CEO of the SFE.

There is a question which is sometimes asked by those new to the financial markets, and even occasionally debated by experienced participants. That question is how one differentiates between trading and investing. Because both trading and investing - when one considers them from the perspective of the financial markets - are performed in very similar fashions, they are often thought of as interchangeable actions.
In my book, The Essentials of Trading, I followed along with this basic theme by introducing the idea that what differentiates the two is scope definition. Both trading and investing, after all, are at the most simple of levels application of capital in the pursuit of profits.

 

What are dividends ?

Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders. When a company earns a profit, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business (called retained earnings), or it can be paid to the shareholders of the company as a dividend. Paying dividends is not an expense; rather, it is the division of an asset among shareholders. Many companies retain a portion of their earnings and pay the remainder as a dividend. Publicly-traded companies usually pay dividends on a fixed schedule, but may declare a dividend at any time, sometimes called a special dividend to distinguish it from a regular one.

Dividends are usually settled on a cash basis, as a payment from the company to the shareholder. They can also take the form of shares in the company (either newly-created shares or existing shares bought in the market), and many companies offer dividend reinvestment plans, which automatically use the cash dividend to purchase additional shares for the shareholder.

A good site to check companies and thier dividend information is  >> http://www.incomeinvestor.com.au/

 

If I buy XYZ stock I expect to either see the price appreciate or earn dividends – perhaps both. What separates trading from investing, however, is that generally in trading one has an exit expectation. This might be in the form of a price target or in terms of how long the position will be held. Either way, the trade is seen to have a finite life. Investing, on the other hand, is more open-ended. An investor will buy a company’s stock with no predefined notion of when he or she will sell, if ever.
We can use examples to help demonstrate the difference. Warren Buffet is an investor. He buys companies which he sees as somehow undervalued and holds on to his positions for as long as he continues to like their prospects. He does not think in terms of a price at which he will exit the stock. George Soros is (or at least was while he was still actively running his hedge fund) a trader. His most famous trade was shorting the British Pound when he thought the currency was overvalued and ready to be withdrawn from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. The position he took was based on a specific circumstance. Once the Pound was allowed to float freely, and quickly devalued in the market, Soros exited with a handsome profit. That meets the criteria of having a predefined exit, making it a trade, not an investment.
There is another way one can define trading as set against investing, though. It has to do with the manner in which the applied capital is expected to produce a return. In trading the appreciation of capital is the objective. You buy XZY stock at 10 expecting it to go to 15 and thereby produce a capital gain. If dividends or interest are paid out along the way, that is fine, but likely only a minor contribution to the expected profits.
In contrast, investing looks more toward income over time. That makes income production, such as dividends and bond interest payments, the major focal point. Do investors experience capital appreciation? Sure, but unlike in trading, that is not the prime motivation.
With these definitions in mind, consider what many people refer to as their single biggest investment – their home. Based our second definition of investing, however, a home is generally not an investment because in most cases is does not produce any income. In fact, it produces considerable expenses in the form of mortgage interest payments, utility bills, and upkeep. If anything, a home is a trade. We buy it and hope for its value to rise over time, increasing our equity. And the fact that many people expect to move in only a few years and sell at that point makes it even more of a trade rather than an investment. (Of course own rental property can certainly be viewed as investing, unless one is flipping it, which would definitely be more trading.)
As noted earlier, for many people trading and investing seem like the same thing. The mechanics of buying and selling are basically the same. Sometimes the analysis one does to make those decisions is identical as well. It’s the intention and definition of objectives which separate trading and investing, though

Gigantic global software beast Microsoft has blamed two young girls for killing Santa.

Now that it has pulled the plug on its oral-sex-obsessive MSN bot, the firm's spinners have tried to deflect scrutiny of its sloppiness by claiming that the outrage was caused by users.

Our story of how Santa turned nasty has been picked up by the AP newswire. It means Microsoft's lies over the affair are set to appear in papers and on news channels all over the world.

Here's the whopper that Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn told AP: "It's not like if you say, 'Hello Santa', he's going to throw inappropriate stuff at you."

Erm, yes it is, Adam. It's pretty much exactly like that. When we innocently asked him to eat something, Santa said: "It's fun to talk about oral sex, but I want to chat about something else."

The slapdash job Microsoft did on the supposedly festive chat agent was revealed when Reg reader Iain's nieces offered Santa some pizza. According to Microsoft the girls were "pushing this thing to make it do things it wasn't supposed to do".

Bleurgh. That's PR at its worst, and now we feel dirty. Would it really have hurt Microsoft's pride so much to admit the cockup?

BHP Billiton Ltd. led mining stocks higher after JPMorgan Chase & Co. said coal and iron ore producers may climb about 20 percent next year today

Coal and iron ore are in much demand in developing countries like china and india , whose economy is growing at a phenomenal rate at the moment.

Miners of coal and iron ore may jump next year, outperforming other natural-resource stocks, as price gains and supply shortages boost returns, JPMorgan's asset management unit said yesterday.

Some Coal Facts

1. Coal is the largest single source of fuel in the world for the generation of electricity.
2. 75%of coal is used for the production of electricity.
3. The USA consumes about one billion tons of coal each year
4. China and India use about 1.7 billion tons annually
5. Coal is the fastest growing energy source in the world
6. China was the top producer of coal with almost one-third world share
7. US is the second largest producer of coal
8. The largest exporter of coal is Australia.
9. Coal is found on all continents except Antarctica.
10. There is enough coal to provide the entire planet with all of its energy for 155 years, 285 years, or 600 years, depending on what source you use.

Taken from >> http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/263/

IRON ORE PIECES

My picks for these sectors are

Mt gibson iron ( mgx ) - 2.65 Buy today ( iron )

Mc arthur coal ( mcc) - 9.03 Buy today ( coal )

Whitehaven coal ltd ( whc ) - 2.91 Buy today ( coal )

Gloucester Coal ltd (gcl ) -6.10 Buy today ( coal )

Swick services (swk ) - .180 Buy today ( mining services )

BHP Billiton ( Bhp ) - 42.00 Buy today ( mining)

Atlas iron lyd ( Ago ) - 2.00 Buy ( iron )

Cape lambert iron ore ( Cfe ) - 0.57 ( iron )

Other companies to look out for is mis , ioh , mmx , gindalbie metals

check out Recent posts

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IRON ORE COMPANIES

A combined Murchison metals - Midwest group would have the potential to produce 45 million tonnes of iron ore a year. The would place output at the same level as Fortescue's initial production --- though the Pilbara miner has far greater ambitions.

Murchison is backed by Japan's Mitsubishi Corp and South Korea's POSCO, while Midwest is backed by China's Sinosteel Corp.

Other iron ore players in the mid-west including Gindalbie Metals Ltd, which is backed by Chinese steelmaker Anshan Iron & Steel Group Corp, and Mt Gibson Iron Ltd, which is also backed by Chinese interests. Those companies also enjoyed share price gains on hopes the tussle over infrastructure will be resolved.

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