Daily FNArena News

Buy ratings are thin on the ground for Telstra, but a review of capex timing has led to ABN reassess valuation.

The Aussie is rising on the greenback fall, but experts are divided on what effect commodity prices should be having.

Commonwealth Bank suggests the prevailing weather conditions are disguising a downturn in the Australian retail sector.

Austock Securities estimates 20% of the customers of Maxitrans Industries are drought affected, leading the broker to downgrade its rating and cut its earnings estimate.

A wealth of economic data in both Australia and the US features in this, the last week of the year of anything meaningful before late January.

Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers see the euro strengthening further against the US dollar in the short-term, but a soft landing in the US should see a reversal next year.

CLSA’s monthly manufacturing survey in China saw activity soaring to a four month high, with inflationary pressures picking up as well.

Telstra’s possibly petulant decision to shelve FTTN might lose it market share as the state governments of Queensland, WA and NSW all plan competing broadband infrastructure.

National Australia Bank is forecasting an easing of base metal prices from record highs over the course of 2007 due to long-awaited production increases, but zinc will remain tight.

More soft economic news saw the greenback fall to a 14-year low against the sterling, and gold punch through US$640/oz resistance as if it were a wet paper bag.