Feature Stories

Previous Stories

Alignment To War: Asian Commodity Demand Versus The US Printing Press

Sep 19 2006

Respected commentator Marc Faber explains why the commodity boom has just begun, why the US is becoming increasingly alienated, and why you should buy gold.


The How And Why Of Gold Price Manipulation

Aug 30 2006

Due to reader response, FN Arena delves further into the groundswell of belief that there is a world-wide conspiracy to keep the gold price down. If the theory is right, gold should at least be over US$1,000/oz.


Media Advertising: The Future Is Very Big

Aug 23 2006

Foster’s is no longer going to bother advertising its beer on US television. Why? Australians, and Australian media companies, have been very slow to wake up (but not all of them).


Uranium Wars – The Battle For Queensland

Aug 14 2006

Paladin Resources, Resolute Mining, Valhalla Uranium, Summit Resources, the Queensland government, the coal industry, trade unions, the federal government and the federal opposition are just some of the protagonists locked in a battle to exploit, or not, Australia’s fifth largest uranium reserves.


Enhancing Yield Through Warrant Products

Aug 11 2006

As interest rates push higher the natural effect is that stocks purchased for yield become less attractive. Using sophisticated derivatives it is possible to enhance that yield.


An Update To Our Oil Valuation Story

Jul 24 2006

A new price target has served to reinforce the difficulties in valuing oil companies, as discussed in our earlier feature.


How Do You Value An Oil Company?

Jul 21 2006

Putting a price on an oil exploration and production company is a very complex business. Just how do oil analysts go about it, and are their efforts of any real value?


Deepwater, Tar Sands, Shale: Are Alternative Oil Sources Realistic?

Jul 18 2006

Once commercially unviable, various alternative sources have been put forward as a counter to the global oil shortage argument. Are these sources recoverable? And at what cost?


Will Coal Replace Oil?

Jul 13 2006

The technology exists to convert coal into oil. It’s not cheap, and requires the crude oil price to exceed about US$50/bbl for the sake of economic viability. Experts have largely given up on seeing that price again in the near future, if ever. And while the world still has plenty of coal, it may not have a lot more oil.


Why Gold Will Break All Records

Jul 11 2006

As the US has become the debtor to the world, faith has been lost in the US dollar as a safe haven. The world has turned to hard commodities as investment assets, and gold is primary amongst them. Further fuelling gold’s inevitable rise is one of the greatest marketing ploys in history – the exchange traded fund.