Newspaper icon
The latest issue of Financial Standard now available as an e-newspaper
READ NOW

Economics

Health insurance lobby lessons

ALEX DUNNIN  |  TUESDAY, 13 MAY 2008
The reforms to the private health insurance rebate and the industry reaction to it should be studied by everyone in wealth management who seeks to influence government policy.

Market Wrap - Morning

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 13 MAY 2008
The Australian stock market is expected to open higher today, with Wall Street and base metals in London offering positive leads overnight, and the SPI futures index in Sydney up strongly.

Home loan fall follows rate hikes

AAP  |  MONDAY, 12 MAY 2008
Australian housing finance commitments for owner-occupied housing fell by a seasonally adjusted 6.1 per cent in March, which was much worse than the median market forecast for a one per cent fall.

Market Wrap - Midday

AAP  |  MONDAY, 12 MAY 2008
The Australian share market continued its run higher at midday bolstered by the banks, offsetting softer miners and a weak lead from Wall Street.

Market Wrap - Morning

AAP  |  MONDAY, 12 MAY 2008
The Australian stock market is expected to open lower today, with Wall Street and base metals in London offering negative leads on Friday, and the SPI futures index in Sydney down slightly.

Market Wrap - Midday

AAP  |  FRIDAY, 9 MAY 2008
The Australian share market was in positive territory at midday, with stronger commodity prices overnight driving gains in resource stocks both locally and on Wall St.

Labour force participation up 20 bps

ALEX DUNNIN  |  FRIDAY, 9 MAY 2008
The real story in yesterday's unemployment rate staying flat at 4.1 per cent is that labour supply increased.

ASEAN's mute economic muscle

ALEX DUNNIN  |  FRIDAY, 9 MAY 2008
The near invisible response of ASEAN to the Myanmar disaster highlights how despite all the talk of the world realigning economically, the Asia-Pacific region still point to the West for the heavy global lifting.

Market Wrap - Morning

AAP  |  FRIDAY, 9 MAY 2008
The Australian stock market is expected to open slightly lower according to the SPI futures index in Sydney, but Wall Street points the way higher, following a surge in global commodity prices.

Market Wrap - Midday

AAP  |  THURSDAY, 8 MAY 2008
The Australian stock market had staged an impressive recovery at noon to be 0.3 per cent higher as strength in banking stocks offset a poor lead from Wall St.