National Australia Bank Limited

Overnight Wall Street gained in a late rally early this morning, as investors snapped up beaten-down shares after Wall Street's worst day since the 1987, and consumer companies gained as the price of oil fell.

Yesterday, the Australian share market ended almost 4% higher in its best two-day gain since 1975, adding $42 billion to the value of stocks listed in the All Ordinaries index. As confidence was buoyed, investors rushed back to the big miners and banks and pushed the two-day rally to 9% in total. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 154.5 points, or 3.7%, at 4335.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index gained 169.6 points, or 4.09%, to 4311.5.

The Australian share market ended a horror week on Friday, down more than 8% in a session that wiped A$106 billion from the value of stocks on the bourse. Last Friday the S&P/ASX200 index fell 8.3% in mid-afternoon trading, losing 360.2 points to plunge to 3960.7, the biggest one-day loss for the ASX200 index. Its affiliate, the All Ordinaries index, had its worst day since the October 1987 crash, losing 8.2%, or 351.9 points, to 3939.4. The ASX200 lost almost 16% for the week, about three times the amount it lost in the week after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Yesterday, the Australian share market closed at a fresh three-year low, plummeting 5% as the continuing fallout from the global credit crisis wiped A$56 billion from the value of stocks. The benchmark S&P/ASX-200 share index lost 5% yesterday, the biggest one-day fall for both major stock exchange indices since January 22 this year. RBA has said the Australian economy is slowing faster than originally anticipated. Analysts said the sell-off is totally unemotional. Markets across Asia also slumped with 5-10% drop in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai and Jakarta.

Yesterday the Australian share market closed higher with most of the upside in the financial sector, after news that American billionaire Warren Buffet would buy a $US5 billion slice of investment bank Goldman Sachs. As Buffet is a long term investor with a good record of investing at the right time, people speculate that potentially it's the bottom of financial stocks.

The Australian share market fell yesterday. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 87.4 points, or 1.75%, to 4980.1, while the broader All Ordinaries gave up 84.4 points, or 1.67%, to 5041.9. The resource stocks dropped again, with the commodity prices down.

Yesterday, the Australian share market closed weaker across the board as the big miners and most of the banks fell. On Thursday the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index slid below the key 5000 mark, losing 80.5 points, or 1.59%, to 4979.5, while the broader All Ordinaries lost 79.6 points, or 1.55%, to 5050.9. Analysts says today investors face a day of turmoil as Wall St slumped overnight on renewed concerns about the economy with reports showing retail sales and employment are weakening.

The Australian share market had its best day in two weeks yesterday, with the market closing firmly in the black after ovecoming a negative lead from Wall Street.

The Australian stock market may rise slightly after oil continued to slide, and transport and consumer related stocks may firm on the back of further fall in oil prices.

Australian shares closed firmly in the black yesterday for the second consecutive day, driven by a positive US lead and higher prices overnight for copper, nickel and oil. DJ Carmichael research assistant Peter Kopetz said investors remained cautious and would continue to looking for more signs of positivity from company earning reports during the latter part of the profit reporting season in August. More big swings in the US are expected as their profit reporting season continues.