Daily FNArena News - Australia

Australia continues to enjoy strong population growth and this is supporting the economy despite global economic weakness.

Telstra’s annual investor day update contained some good news but brokers continue to question the outlook for the company given a range of uncertainties.

ANZ economists expect rising commodity exports to force the RBA’s hand into a much more restrictive monetary policy setting.

DJ Carmichael suggests positive news flow could spark investor interest in junior uranium play Aus-American Mining.

Competitor Octapharma has been temporarily taken out of the European and US IVIG markets and while this could tighten the global market brokers see few lasting earnings benefits for CSL.

With the help of the CBOE, the ASX has today launched its own VIX volatility index on the ASX 200. Investors should take note.

In the wake of the David Jones result, analysts query whether current valuation can be justified.

Economists had previously expected no rate hikes before 2011 but that opinion has changed, with at least one bank now calling October as the next move.

With the RBA in a hawkish mood, the Aussie seems destined to hit parity. But this has varying implications for stocks, inflation, the trade balance and monetary policy itself.

The minutes of the September RBA board meeting do little to dispel the belief interest rates will be on the move again soon.