Macro concerns outweighed earnings on Wall Street and in Europe overnight as concerns over stalemate on US-China trade negotiatiosn plus more Ruzzian sanctions intensified. A surprise drawdown in US oil stocks lifted oil prices while gold is still suffering from its recent correction as it touched the $4000USD per ounce level. Meanwhile the USD was
DXY has stopped falling and that’s about all we can say about it. AUD is the reverse. CNY same, same. Gold is volatile! Oil jumped on possible new Russia sanctions but it is stuffed. Not so AI metals. RIO is the chosen AI metals king. EM can’t run without DXY gfalling. Junk is stuck. US
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP) is a roadmap for transitioning Australia’s energy system to net zero emissions by 2050. It outlines the necessary investments in generation, storage, and transmission to meet consumer needs and government renewable energy and emissions targets. AEMO’s ISP was built on the fantastical assumption that Australian
Asian share markets have paused their recent strong rebound on the Trump TACO trade as not much news around the traps keeping most risk markets in a holding pattern. Currency markets are seeing more strength return to the USD which has been taking back its recent lost ground against the majors with some moves higher
The market share of Australia’s illegal tobacco trade is estimated to have risen from 29.6% in 2023 to 61% in 2025, according to tobacco industry sources. The growing cost of firebombings and ram-raids targeting tobacconists is reflected in the rising cost of premiums in the retailer sector. Master Grocers Australia’s CEO Martin Stirling notes that
The ferrous complex is struggling to keep its head above water as steel production remains too high, inventories are bulging, and prices keep falling. The market for iron ore is, I suspect, clinging to hope that Beijing will stimulate again. But anti-involution is crashing commodity-intensive capex activity. Only tech is booming. If Beijing sticks to
By Ashwin Clarke and Lucinda Jerogin, economists at CBA: Key Points: The price of gold has surged to new record highs this month, driven by safe-haven demand. Australia is the third largest producer of gold and will be a beneficiary of price improvements. Sustained higher gold prices will stimulate mining investment, as well as boost
The Market Ear on weird everywhere. Expensive BTD Retail has grabbed gold with both hands lately, especially on big down days. All articles on gold and silver from earlier today, here, here and here. Source: GS Upside pain? GS with a gentle reminder: 1. The average S&P 500 return from October 20th to December 31st is +4.16% since 1928.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke front ABC’s Insiders on the weekend, where he admitted that immigration “needed to come down” but lambasted the ‘far right’ for using immigration as a “dog whistle” to destabilise social cohesion. Burke’s salvo followed the release of two opinion polls in the previous week showing, yet again, that Australians do
Critical minerals are very energy-intensive to process. There are different processes using coal, gas, or electricity to roast, calcinate, separate, and leach, but most use gas. Lots of gas. How is Australia going to produce rare earths at scale with our gas prices? The agreement foresees and addresses this problem by creating a price-protected supply