Commodities

Gold rally runs out of puff

Glenda Kwek Gold has fallen 4 per cent since the beginning of the week, as investors fret less about Ukraine and shift their focus to the timing of US interest rate rises.

Currencies

Forecasts up as Australian dollar toughs it out

Glenda Kwek The Australian dollar's recent resilience in the face of headwinds in international markets has seen analysts lift their forecasts for the currency.

Currencies

New Zealand, China in currency exchange deal

Glenda Kwek ANZ and Westpac are set to become the first Australian banks to support businesses in directly trading New Zealand dollars for the Chinese yuan as the world's second largest economy continues to...

Economy

Chinese company Zhejiang Xingrun Real Estate Co collapses with debts of $625 million

Glenda Kwek A Chinese real estate developer with more than half a billion dollars in debt has collapsed and its largest shareholder detained in what could be a further sign of financial stress in the world's...

Economy

Interest rates to stay steady 'for some time', says RBA

Glenda Kwek The Reserve Bank has strengthened its position on holding a period of stability for interest rates, saying that "the cash rate could remain at its current level for some time if the economy was to...

Currencies

Australian dollar nudges highs as RBA flags stability

Glenda Kwek The Australian dollar briefly pushed above US91¢ on Tuesday as the Reserve Bank strengthened its stance on maintaining a period of stability for interest rates.

Agribusiness

Wheat price rises amid Crimea tension but drought saps Australian hopes

Glenda Kwek and Tim Binsted Australian exporters set to benefit as prices raise to strongest yearly start since 2008.

Currencies

Australian dollar steady despite Ukraine and China

Glenda Kwek The Australian dollar has remained above US90¢ even as tensions in Ukraine continued and after China's central bank doubled the currency's daily trading band.

Grains

Australian growers to gain as wheat prices spike

Glenda Kwek Australian exporters are set to benefit from the spike in wheat prices, which have made their best start to a year since 2008.

Currencies

Australian dollar heading to US80c: Goldman Sachs

Glenda Kwek Goldman Sachs has lowered its Australian dollar forecast for the next 12 months to US80¢ amid a decline in the terms of trade, less supportive capital flows, concerns about Chinese financial...

Jobs

'On the mend': job numbers surprise

Glenda Kwek More than 80,000 full-time jobs were added to the economy last month, highest gain in 22 years and the second highest monthly growth on record

Economy

Company bailouts not a long-term answer, says Cameron Clyne

Glenda Kwek, Eric Johnston NAB CEO says funds used to bail industries out could be better spent investing in others.

Company bailouts not a long-term answer, says Cameron Clyne

Glenda Kwek Eric Johnston National Australia Bank chief executive Cameron Clyne says taxpayer funds in bailing out some industries could be better spent investing in sectors such as technology that will provide jobs of the...

Economy

Consumers gloomy as fears over jobs and economy grow

Glenda Kwek Australian consumers are increasingly worried about their jobs and the economic outlook, with the growing gloom expected to hurt their spending decisions.

Rare Earths

Doubts raised about Lynas funding future

Glenda Kwek Clock ticking to secure more cash funding, as shares slump to an almost five-year low.

Rare earths

Lynas shares hit 5-year low as funding crunch looms

Glenda Kwek Shares in Lynas slump following a larger first-half loss that triggered a warning from its auditor about its ability to continue trading.

Economy

'Little improvement' in store for business conditions: NAB

Glenda Kwek Australian business conditions slumped in February after rising to almost three-year highs at the start of the year, as sales and employment indicators weakened amid the soft jobs market.

Agribusiness

Drop support for old industries and get behind agriculture, report says

Glenda Kwek Australia has to leave behind traditional industries that are going nowhere and get behind agriculture if it wants to tap into Asia's growing demand for food and unlock billions of dollars in...

Currencies

$A unhooks from iron ore price slump

Glenda Kwek The Australian dollar has shrugged off the sharp fall in the iron ore price, prompting analysts to predict it could lose its tag as a commodity currency.

Currencies

Dollar slips on back of US, China data

Glenda Kwek The Australian dollar has started the week on a softer note, after a stronger-than-expected US jobs report and weaker Chinese trade data pushed the currency lower by almost one cent.