Insights

Housing trends offer bargains to selective buyers.

A new study shows investors may not be paying enough attention to the risks of hybrids.

A key headwind for the yellow metal looks set to be removed.

Looking for dividends beyond the banks and Telstra? Here's a list of options.

This week we look at a fund that focuses on smaller listed companies.

Sydney house prices and the Martin Place soup kitchen.

The stock market will open this morning contemplating the good-news-is-bad-news theme as far as the US economy is concerned. A reasonable CPI read and very strong housing sales in the US during February have the market thinking about US interest rate increases. This led to a decline in US stock markets and is likely to flow through to a soft start to local trading this morning.

After a night of weak trading in shares local futures markets are indicating falls at the opening for most Asia Pacific markets. However, USD weakness has once again boosted commodity prices and may see support for Australian stocks despite a higher AUD.

The local bourse oscillated in mild gains ahead of HSBC Flash Manufacturing PMI numbers and trading volumes remained subdued as traders reserved their bets until after the fact.

Australia's economy is in better shape than you may think … and international investors have taken notice.

The environmentally-friendly asset class is becoming increasingly popular. However, investors must not be seduced by the green label and use caution.

The pharmaceutical giant is about to capitalise on a major change in the US drug market.

This week we look at BHP Billiton, TPG Telecom, Boral, Orica and Sirtex Medical.

While there was little news to influence investor thinking in international markets on Friday, ongoing support as investors continue to adjust to last week's FOMC meeting is driving stock markets higher. The potential for higher interest rates in the US now holds fewer fears for investors as they contemplate a scenario in which there are only marginal increases in rates over the next 12 months.

Last week, stocks worldwide experienced their largest rally in nearly two years as the US implied strongly they were in no hurry to raise rates - see chart 1. Interest rates have never been so low in history ($2.8 trillion of assets in Europe with negative yield), driving equities higher as investors stampede into riskier investments in an attempt to receive some coveted yield.

With the benefit of 24 hours hindsight, the strong reaction to yesterday's FOMC meeting by many world markets looks very like a short term trading reaction.