Daily FNArena News - FYI

Weekly musings from your editor. Former laggards are turning into leaders on the stock market. This does not only affect banks and resources stocks, but also the retailers.

While the trend remains in favour of further US dollar weakness ANZ Bank doesn’t see this as translating to further Australian dollar strength as the currency appears to have lost some momentum.

Increased demand from professionals and international students and ongoing supply constraints mean inner Sydney apartment rents will continue to increase according to market forecaster BIS Shrapnel.

Australia, NZ, Japan, Canada, the EU and UK all make rate decisions this week, amidst an avalanche of global economic data.

The Australian dollar this week hit a 25-year high against the US dollar but TD Securities sees further gains ahead, predicting parity and beyond by the end of the year.

BMW is threatening to slash it’s workforce. Airbus is struggling. Asia is trying to keep a lid on its currencies and the Russians are moving to trade commodities in the ruble. All because of the crashing greenback.

Weekly musings from your editor. Meet one of the original proponents of the Commodities Super Cycle. He is convinced the best has yet to come.

ANZ Bank sees little downside for the Aussie dollar before next week’s RBA meeting.

The US housing market is facing protracted foreclosure problems in determining just who owns the mortgages in question – a problem which could extend the length and breadth of the housing decline.

With the US further advanced in its downturn than is Europe there is scope for a medium-term turnaround that would see the US dollar reverse its downtrend against the euro.