| Big profit tipped for BHP
BHP Billiton is expected to deliver a strong interim profit tomorrow, and likely formalise its massive takeover offer for rival Rio Tinto. BHP Billiton's first half profit for fiscal 2008 is set to eclipse the previous corresponding result of $US6.168 billion ($A6.84 billion), analysts say. ABN Amro analyst Warren Edney is forecasting a profit of $US6.3 billion ($A6.99 billion) and says investors will be looking for an update by the resources giant on impact of flooding in Queensland on its coal operations and power issues in South Africa. "BHP may be able to quantify the impact of the floods and I think that will be relatively important," Mr Edney said. "The other key thing will be seeing what they say about the issues of southern African power." Last month, heavy rain in central Queensland forced the closure of a number of coal operations, while electricity shortages in South Africa have disrupted a number of different operations in the country.
Obituaries for Thursday
Box 1791, Anniston, Ala. 36202, or a favorite charity. Online condolences may be made to the family at: www.klbrownmemorychapel.com. Arrangements by: K.L. Brown Memory Chapel, 620 Golden Springs Road, Anniston, Ala. 36207 (256) 231-2334 SMITH OHATCHEE — Funeral services for Mr. Willie "Onion" Smith, 62, will be announced by Anniston Funeral services. Mr. Smith died on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at his residence in Ohatchee, Ala. "You have our deepest sympathy." Anniston Funeral services (formerly Williams Funeral Home) www.annistonfuneralservice.net .
Stocks take rocking ride on bourses
Volatility is in these days. ‘Playing safe' and ‘going long-term' play no longer play a role in the modus operandi of the new-age investor in India. The new breed of investors likes to play the market and thrives on taking risks.
While volatility is generally perceived as an indicator of high risk, it can also be used to one's advantage by utilising it to earn returns in a very short span of time. To provide a reckoner on volatility ET Investor's Guide analysed intra-day volatility of BSE 100 stocks over a three-month period from September to November '07. We calculated the daily volatility for 64 trading sessions to arrive at the average volatility.
While there are complicated mathematical ways of calculating volatility, a simple method is by looking at the highest and lowest value of the stock.
Oil prices remain near US$99 a barrel but market seen staying bullish
Oil prices were barely higher Friday from the previous session's close after setting a record above US$100 a barrel overnight on a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles. Light, sweet crude for February delivery was up 4 cents to US$99.22 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe. On Thursday, the contract rose as high as US$100.09 a barrel, a trading record, before retreating to settle at US$99.18. In London, Brent crude fell 8 cents Friday to US$97.52 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. The U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said Thursday that crude inventories fell 4 million barrels last week, much more than the 1.7 million barrel decline analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires, on average, had expected.
WallSt.net Updates Investment Community Through All-New Interview With ...
NEW YORK, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 11, Greg Vacca, CEO of WiFiMed Holdings Company, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: WIFM) updated the investment community in an all-new interview with http://www.wallst.net/. Topics covered in the interview include an overview of the company and its growth strategy, recent press releases, market opportunity, and upcoming milestones for which investors should watch. To hear the interview, visit http://www.wallst.net/ and click "Interviews." Locate the company's ticker symbol under the appropriate exchange at the top of the "Interviews" section of the site or enter the company's ticker symbol in the Search Archive window. Ask Greg Vacca a question, post a comment on his personal page, and join his financial social network today at http://www.mywallst.net/.
Thomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Stocks mixed; oil ...
Data on Friday showing a higher-than-expected rise in U.S. wholesalers' inventories provided Wall Street with little new evidence about the economy's health. A motley batch of corporate earnings failed to provide much reassurance to investors. Some companies such as software maker McAfee Inc and jewelry maker Tiffany & Co seem to be faring well despite the economic slowdown, but others, including paper and wood product maker Weyerhaueser Co, are struggling. BONDS: Government bond prices rose. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.65 pct from 3.73 pct late Thursday. FOREX: The dollar slipped slightly against the euro and the pound Friday, maintaining some of the gains that followed a pair of European interest-rate decisions. The euro was worth 1.4506 usd in late New York trading -- up from 1.4459 usd in New York late Thursday, when it lost more than a US cent.
Tech merger possibilities buoy stocks; energy heats up
Stocks edged higher Monday, as investors overlooked fresh worries in financial stocks and focused on merger prospects among technology companies.
Energy stocks were big winners, as oil prices moved higher in futures trading.
The Dow Jones industrial average added 57.88 points, to 12,240.01. International Business Machines and Boeing were the biggest contributors to the gain among the 30 Dow industrials.
.
Forex News (Podcast and Text): British Pound Gets a Boost from BOE ...
Swiss Inflation Rockets Higher, Will the US Dollar Give Up Yesterday's Gains? Feb 07 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): US Dollar Gains As BOE Cuts, ECB Leaves Rates On Hold - Will Trichet Lead Euro To Bounce Back? Feb 06 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): Nikkei Plummets 4.7% Overnight, But Carry Trades May Start to Stabilize Feb 05 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): US Dollar Rallies Ahead of ISM, Australian Dollar Down Despite RBA Rate Hike Feb 04 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): European Optimism Lags As ECB Remains Hawkish, Aussie Data Sets Stage For RBA Hike Tonight Feb 01 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): Microsoft Offer To Buy Yahoo Bodes Well For Dow, Carry Trades Today Jan 31 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): German Retail Sales Derail Euro's Rally, Will Trichet Remain Hawkish Next Week? Jan 30 - Forex News (Podcast and Text): Euro Breaks 1.48, Asian, European Stock Markets Uneasy As Traders Gauge Fed Rate Cut Odds Jan 29 - Forex News (Text and Podcast): Swiss Economy Show Signs of Slowing, Global Equities Continue To Recover On Fed Rate Cut Bets Jan 28 - Forex News (Text and Podcast): US Dollar Starts Out On Sour Note As Wall Street Faces Rocky Week Jan 25 - Forex News: Bank of Canada May Have More Room To Cut As Core CPI Drops Jan 24 - Forex News: German Business Confidence Suprises, Regulators Call for Banks to Rescue Bond Insurers.
Down $77b and falling
Australian shares plunged a massive 6 per cent this afternoon as panic selling set in among investors over an expected slowdown in global growth.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Share Index had shed more than 6 per cent, down 335.4 points to 5245 points - its lowest since November 2006 - placing the market on course for a record 12th day of declines.
The plunge equated to a $77 billion loss of market value. The latest plunge means the sharemarket has now lost more than 23 per cent of its value since hitting a record high in November and is now officially in a bear market.
The broader All Ordinaries Index was down 294.4 points, or 5.23 per cent, to 5336.5 before noon.
Asian bourses were also softer, with Japan's benchmark Nikkei Share Average Index down 4.8 per cent and the boarder TOPIX index down 4.6 per cent.
|
