Feature Stories

Previous Stories

Death In West Texas

Feb 23 2011

The current “price of oil” is not US$85 per barrel, it’s over US$100 per barrel. That’s because the West Texas Intermediate price is no longer a valid indicator.


Two More Decades Of Wet For Australia?

Feb 16 2011

Some scientists believe there exist longer scale wet/dry cycles which overlay the shorter El Nino/La Nina cycles and that we may have just come out of a decades of dry and into decades of wet. This could mean more “Brisbanes” over the next twenty plus years.


2011 – A Global Outlook

Jan 11 2011

Local and international economists discuss their expectations for 2011.


‘Tis The Season To Be Worried

Dec 02 2010

Gerry Harvey fears Christmas might be dreadful for retailers. Australia’s economy continues to fracture into mining and energy on the one hand and everyone else on the other. And everyone else is slipping further behind.


Are ETFs The New CDOs?

Nov 10 2010

Debate over the advantages and risks of a rapidly growing exchange-traded fund market have begun to rage in the US. Could we be heading down another path to disaster?


Australian Banks: The Battle At The Margin

Sep 30 2010

The market is concerned the big Australian banks are not the investment proposition they once were, and that margins will come under further pressure. Not all analysts agree.


Retail’s Downward Paradigm Shift

Sep 28 2010

The market is building in an assumed consumer recovery in 2011 on the strength of the Australian economy. But strategists argue such assumptions ignore a post-GFC change in the consumer mindset.


A Rough Road to Recovery – The Global Economic Outlook

Sep 27 2010

Economists debate the likely path of the global economy over the next twelve months. It’s all about policy.


Resource Sector Valuations Under The New Tax Proposal

Jul 07 2010

Analysts compare the impact of the new MRRT and PRRT tax proposals to the previous RSPT proposal.


An Introduction To Spread Trading

Apr 19 2010

Hedge funds often seek to profit from low-risk trades by engaging in “spread” or “pairs” trading. This article (first published for subscribers a week ago) by Aliom Futures’ Jay Richards provides stock market investors with an introduction to spread trading as an alternative avenue of return.