Commodities At Six Year Lows
Lead by oil and metals, especially copper, the downward march of commodity prices continues apace.
Lead by oil and metals, especially copper, the downward march of commodity prices continues apace.
The gathering pace of the global slump is forcing more and more central banks to hack their official interest rates lower.
On Wednesday, the Australian stock market closed marginally higher as figures showed that economic growth slowed to a crawl in the September quarter. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index rose 5.6 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 3,533.8, while the broader All Ordinaries added 3.1 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 3,476.5. In recent weeks, the Australian share kept see-sawed during the trading day. In a short term investors remained cautious to any trigger on the market, while the impact for low interest rates and government stimulus may need some time to work.
It was hardly a ringing endorsement of the Qantas led marriage plans with British Airways; in fact it ended up as something of a thumbs down from local investors who have heard it all before.
Not all resource spending is being cut, trimmed or stopped.
Mining services group Boart Longyear will review its dividend payout after cutting its 2008 guidance.
No wonder the Big Three American car companies have returned to Washington with their begging bowls outstretched, asking for billions more than the $US25 billion offered by US politicians last month.