The Australian share market has closed lower, with the banking sector down ahead of the biggest bank's, the Commonwealth, full year results on Wednesday.
US stocks have surged as Berkshire Hathaway announced a $US37.2 billion ($A50.2 billion) acquisition of Precision Castparts and petroleum-linked equities rose on higher oil prices.
National Australia Bank has lifted its quarterly cash profit nine per cent to $1.75 billion after a fall in bad debts offset the impact of tough competition among lenders in Australia.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is aiming to keep its investor home loan rates steady in a bid to attract borrowers, despite increases by the big lenders and pressure on its interest margin.
The Australian share market is almost 1.4 per cent lower, dragged down by the banking sector's reaction to ANZ's capital raising and falls on Wall Street.
A major sell-off in media equities following disappointing earnings reports from Viacom and 21st Century Fox have pushed US stocks lower, with the biggest hit taken by the Nasdaq.
The Australian share market has closed lower, largely pulled down by weakness among the major banks after the ANZ bank announced a $3 billion capital raising.
While it’s a close call, chances are the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut rates again before year end reflecting the poor business investment outlook, greater than expected weakness in commodity prices, and the $A remaining too high.
The Australian dollar is virtually unchanged, with a push for a US rate hike from a Fed boss offsetting favourable comments from the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Perth-based NWQ Capital Management has been selected by Yellow Brick Road to manage a new protected equities fund that it will seek to operate as a ‘hedge fund for retail investors’.
