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Wall St closed higher on the first trading session of the holiday shortened trading week as investors welcome the delay in tariffs on the EU announced on Monday. The Dow Jones rose 1.78%, the S&P500 climbed 2.05% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 2.47%. Tesla shares rose 7% on Tuesday after Elon Musk said he is shifting his focus away from politics and back into his companies, while AMC's shares soared 22% after a record-breaking domestic box official over the Memorial Day long weekend that saw $326m spent at the movies over the highest holiday weekend ever.In Europe overnight markets closed mostly higher in the wake of tariff delays on the EU region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.33%, Germany's DAX gained 0.83% to close at a fresh record high, the French CAC fell 0.02% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed as investors continue to assess the global trade climate following Trump's delay to the EU tariffs until July. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.51%, South Korea's Kospi Index fell 0.27%, China's CSI index lost 0.54% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended the day up 0.43%.The local market started the week flat before rising on Tuesday as tech and the big banks buoyed the local index to a 0.56% rise at the closing bell yesterday.Capstone Copper (ASX:CSC) led the ASX200 gains yesterday with a rise of 6.72% amid the rising price of the commodity on the back of Ivanhoe halting production at Africa's largest copper mine due to seismic activity, pressuring supply side in a time where demand is escalating.Floods in the Northern NSW Hunter region have already hit IAG (ASX:IAG) with the insurance provider announcing yesterday it has received around 2500 claims related to the flooding. Earlier this month, IAG said its net natural perils claims were estimated to be approximately $900m to the end of April, which is around $250m lower than the year-to-date expectation. Shares in IAG rose 0.7% yesterday.Telstra shares rose yesterday after the telco giant reaffirmed FY25 guidance, expecting to hit the top end of free cash flow and capex targets, and launched its “Connected Future 30” strategy aiming for over 50% NPAT growth, stronger AI integration, and mid-single digit cash earnings CAGR by FY30.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.05% lower at US$60.88/barrel, gold is down 1.36% at US$3301/ounce and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$99.81/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.48 US cents, 93.03 Japanese Yen, 48.06 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.60% tracking Wall Street's rally on Tuesday.We have the all-important monthly CPI reading out today locally with markets expecting the annual inflation rate to fall to 2.2% for the 12-months to April.Trading ideas: Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Propel Funeral Partners (ASX:PFP) and have slight lowered the 12-month price target on the leading full-service funeral providers following an update including guidance that has a midpoint of around 8% miss to consensus expectations amid lower seasonality uplift in April and May. The company is well funded and has strong pricing power hence the buy rating, the downgrade in price target is simply due to the company navigating some short-term volatility.And Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Wisetech Global (ASX:WTC) from $112.50 to $122.50 and maintain a buy rating on the leading logistics software provider following the recent acquisition announcement of e2open and a delay in the launch of Container Transport Optimisation to 1HFY26.

Wall Street started the new trading week higher across the key indices as investors remain optimistic that President Donald Trump may hold back from implementing some of his tariff plans that could lead to an escalated trade war and economic slowdown in the US. The Dow Jones rose 1.42% on Monday, the S&P500 climbed 1.76% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 2.27%.Across the European markets on Monday, markets in the region closed slightly lower as investor optimism around Trump easing tariffs faded. The STOXX 600 fell 0.13%, Germany's DAX lost 0.17%, the French CAC dropped 0.26% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.1%.Asia markets closed Monday's session mixed as Trump's reciprocal tariff deadline of April 2 draws closer. South Korea's Kospi Index lost 0.42%, and Japan's Nikkei fell 0.18%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.91% and China's CSI index rose 0.51%.Locally to start the week, the ASX200 seesawed between positive and negative before ending the day just 0.07% higher as a banking rally offset heavy losses among staples, tech and industrials stocks.Investors took some profits from the supermarket giants yesterday following a strong rally for both Coles and Woolworths on Friday amid the lack of evidence of price gauging found by the ACCC in their investigation.Synlait Milk shares tumbled over 8% on Monday after the milk producers' latest results failed to impress investors despite the NZ-based company reporting a swing to profitability with a 105% increase in NPAT to $4.8m.And global building materials and fibre cement company James Hardie Industries weighed on the market gains yesterday following the company announcing it has entered into an agreement to acquire US-based AZEK which is a leader in providing high-performance, low-maintenance building products and solutions. Investors fled the stock upon release of the announcement as the deal is valued $14bn, which is an expensive multiple to pay, around 23 x EBITDA compared to JHX current multiple of 12x.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.45% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.25% higher at US$69.13/barrel, gold is down 0.4% at US$3011.82/ounce and iron ore is down 0.15% at US$102/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy US$0.62, 94.72 Japanese Yen, 48.62 British Pence, and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Catalyst Metals (ASX:CYL) from a hold to a buy and have raised the 12-month price target on the gold production and development company from $4.45 to $5.50 following the company's announcement of the sale of its non-core Henty Gold Mine to Kaiser Reed to simplify the business, enable greater focus on the expansion and exploration of the flag ship Plutonic Gold Operation and adding a clow cost and rapid option to unlock value at the Bendigo Project.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on ARB Corporation (ASX:ARB) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 8-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $34.00 to the range of $26.25 to $27.50 according to standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall St overturned its recent red run to close higher on Wednesday as investors overlooked concerns around Trump's tariffs and into areas of opportunity in the market. The S&P500 rose 0.01%, only just snapping a 4-day losing streak, while the Nasdaq gained 0.26% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.43%. Nvidia's results out overnight boosted the AI-market darling up 3% ahead of the results release after the closing bell. Nvidia's results once again beat expectations with sales growing 78%, revenue coming in at US$39.33bn and EPS rose to US$0.89/share. The outlook is also very strong for revenue of US$43bn in Q1 as global demand for AI drives tailwinds for the company.European markets ended the midweek session higher amid strong corporate earnings beats across the region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.99%, Germany's DAX rose 1.73%, the French CAC added 1.15%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.72%. Earnings from Budweiser maker AB Inbev, Adecco, and Munich Re each rallied yesterday after reporting earnings beats.Across the APAC region on Wednesday, markets closed mixed taking lead from Wall St on Tuesday and amid key pledges out of governments in the region. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 3.63% led by tech stocks after the city pledged in its budget to develop itself into an AI hub. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.25%, and South Korea's Kospi index rose 0.41%.Locally on Wednesday the ASX200 fell 0.14%, weighed down by the materials sector falling 1.61%, while Real Estate stocks fell 1.3%. Energy and Financials stocks offset some of the market losses with gains of 1.3% and 0.71% respectively.Bapcor rallied over 13% yesterday after the leading provider of aftermarket parts, accessories and services released strong first half results including strong cost reduction plans to increase cash conversion which has enabled the company to bay down debt and reinvest in growth plans this financial year to date. Light & Wonder also rose over 7% after the gaming company reported FY24 results including a 10% rise in revenue to a record $3.2bn, a 110% jump in net income to $336m and guided to low double-digit income growth for Q1FY25.What to watch today:Ahead of Thursday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.12%. On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.16% lower at US$68.82/barrel, gold is down 0.07% at US$2916/ounce and iron ore is down 0.02% at US$107.17/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly weakened against the greenback overnight to buy 63.03 US cents, 93.98 Japanese Yen, 49.89 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has slightly decreased the 12-month price target on Kogan.com (ASX:KGN) from $5.10 to $5.00 and maintain a hold rating on the online retailer following a 1H result that came in line with expectations. The slight decrease in 12-month price target is due to earnings downgrades by the analyst as Kogan's Mighty Ape business had some transition issues post a website upgrade last year.Bell Potter has downgraded the price target on Woolworths (ASX:WOW) from $31.75 to $30.75 and maintain a hold rating on the leading supermarket giant after the company reported first half results below BPe on an NPAT front and provided softer near-term guidance.

Ora Banda Mining Ltd has reported significant financial and operational growth for the first half of FY25, ending 31 December 2024. T The company's revenue increased by 93% to A$186.422 million, while net profit after tax (NPAT) rose 337% to A$50.8 million. EBITDA grew 254% to A$84.2 million, and cash flow from operations surged 765% to A$91.2 million. Ora Banda closed the period with A$57.8 million in cash, up A$31 million from the previous six months. The company transitioned from open pit to higher-grade underground mining, with Riverina Underground producing 46,190 ounces and early development at Sand King yielding 656 ounces. Capital expenditure for the half-year totalled A$54 million, primarily allocated to Riverina and Sand King development, resource exploration, and mill improvements. Managing Director Luke Creagh highlighted the rapid payback of Riverina Underground, which has provided free cash flow to self-fund Sand King's development. With improving operating margins and favourable gold prices, Ora Banda expects further growth in H2 FY25 and FY26, with Sand King Underground projected to reach steady-state production in the June 2025 quarter. #OraBandaMining, #GoldMining, #Davyhurst, #WesternAustralia, #MiningNews, #GoldProduction, #UndergroundMining, #FinancialResults, #GoldRevenue

Wall street was closed on Monday for the President's Day holiday.Over in Europe on Monday markets closed higher as several defence stocks soared amid renewed spend in the defence space in the region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.54% to a fresh record high, while Germany's DAX added 1.26%, the French CAC climbed 0.13%, and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.41%.Across the Asia region on Monday, markets closed mostly higher as investors digested Japan's latest GDP reading which came in at a Q4 expansion of 2.8%, exceeding market estimates of 1% growth. Japan's Nikkei added 0.06% on Monday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.02%, China's CSI index rose 0.21% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.75%.The local market was sold off yesterday, ending the day down 0.2% as the banks weighed on market gains after Westpac posted a 9% drop in net profit for Q1, while investors remain cautious ahead of the RBA's first meeting for 2025 starting today. The market is factoring in a 90% chance of a rate cut today, however, economic data shows inflation and key drivers of inflation remain sticky so the announcement out of the RBA will be highly anticipated this afternoon, in addition to the outlook for the rate journey.Gold miners saw significant sell-offs after the precious metal experienced its largest single-day drop on Friday. Northern Star Resources dropped 3.5%, Bellevue Gold lost 3.16% and Evolution Mining ended the day down 2.05%. On the other hand, payment provider Findi saw a strong rally, up 7.3%. This surge came after the company narrowed its earnings forecast for fiscal 2025, now expecting earnings before tax to fall between $30 million and $32 million, compared to the earlier range of $30 million to $35 million.Better-than-expected earnings boosted a2 Milk by 19.7% on Monday with the company reporting a 10.1% rise in revenue, NPAT up 7.6% to NZ$91.7m and A2M also declared an inaugural dividend of 8.5 NZ cps. A sharp rise in US steel prices since President Trump commenced his term in office, boosted BlueScope Steel's outlook in results out yesterday. Shares in Australia's largest steelmaker rose almost 13% on Monday despite the company reporting a 57% slide in underlying EBIT and NPAT down 59%.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.25%.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.91% higher at US$71.38/barrel, gold is up 0.78% at US$2903/ounce and iron ore is up 0.06% at US$106.83/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened overnight to buy US$0.63, 96.30 Japanese Yen, 50.52 British Pence and NZ$1.11.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN) from $5.15 to $5.75 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the platinum, nickel, copper and cobalt miner following metallurgical test work breakthrough at the company's 100%-owned Gonneville Project demonstrating two saleable, smelter grade flotation concentrated can be produced across the entire Gonneville Sulphide resource.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure (ASX:DBI) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 25-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $3.65 to the range of $3.96 to $4.04 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St started the week in positive territory as investors looked past Trump's latest tariff talks about a blanket tariff on steel and aluminium imports, and bought into growth areas of the market. The Dow Jones rose 0.38%, the S&P500 added 0.67% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq led the gains with a near 1% rise.Strength in the US jobs market dampened investor hopes of a near-term rate cut as the latest unemployment data showed the jobless rate in the world's largest economy fell from 4.1% to 4% in January at the same time 143,000 jobs were added. The Fed has already cut the US cash rate once last year to 4.25% - 4.5%, however, with signals of a stronger labour market, a rise in the inflation rate for the last 3-months and strong retail sales growth, the US central bank is unlikely to cut rates again until these inflationary driver's ease.In Europe overnight markets in the region started the new trading week higher with the STOXX 600 gaining 0.58%, while Germany's DAX added 0.57%, the French CAC rose 0.42% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.77%.Across the APAC region on Monday, markets closed mixed as escalating tensions around Trump's tariff implications weighed on investor sentiment. Japan's Nikkei closed flat, South Korea's Kospi index also ended the day little unchanged, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.76% and China's CSI index rose 0.21% after China's consumer inflation rose to a 5-month high in January amid higher consumer spend in the lead up to the Lunar New Year.Locally on Monday, the ASX200 started the new trading week in the red with a 0.34% loss at the closing bell as a sharp sell-off in tech stocks weighed on the local key index. Reporting season continued on Monday with key names releasing first half results that surprised investors. Trump's new tariffs on aluminium and steel weighed on the local index early in the session before realising that less than 1% of China's steel exports went to the US in 2024, and China is Australia's largest buyer of iron ore which is a key ingredient used to make steel.JB Hi-Fi faced inflationary pressures and subdued demand in the first half but still posted strong results, with total sales rising 9.8% to $5.67bn, NPAT up 8% to $285.4m, and an interim dividend increase of 7.6% to 170cps. However, investors sold off shares, likely due to a 13.5% rise in inventory and a 9bps drop in inventory turnover. Payables also increased by 16% YoY in H1. CEO Terry Smart's cautious remarks about retail market uncertainty and heightened competition likely spooked investors yesterday.Ansell on the other hand had investors buying in on Monday after the global leading protective equipment producer released strong first half results including sales growth of 12.5%, EBIT up 20.9% and a dividend of 22 US cps.What to watch locally today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session on the ASX the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the day up 0.37% tracking Wall Street's positive start overnight.On the local reporting season calendar today, we will likely see investors react to results out of global healthcare giant, CSL.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 2.02% higher at US$72.44/barrel, gold is up 1.68% at US$2907.41/ounce and iron ore is up 0.13% at US$106.37/tonne.The AUD has strengthened against the greenback to buy US$0.62, 95.29 Japanese Yen, 50.73 British Pence and NZ$1.11.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) from a buy to a hold and have increased the 12-month price target on the leading tech retail company from $98 to $99/share following the release of the company's results yesterday. The downgrade to a hold follows the analyst believing JB is currently well valued and limited earnings upgrades in the near-term are priced in at a current PE multiple of around 23x.And Trading Central has id

Wall Street closed in record territory again on Friday to close out a very strong November month for equities with the Dow Jones rising 0.42% to a record 44,910.65, the S&P 500 added 0.56% to a record 6032.38, and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.83%. Chip stocks rallied on Friday on reports that the Biden administration was considering additional barriers on the sale of semiconductor equipment to China that weren't as strong as previously expected.In Europe on Friday, markets closed higher on the back of the latest eurozone inflation data being released indicating a rise to 2.3% in November from 2% in November, which is above the ECB's target of 2% but in line with economists' expectations. The STOXX 600 rose 0.96% on Friday, Germany's DAX rose 1.04%, the French CAC added 0.78% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.07%. Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed in the mostly red led by South Korea's Kospi index falling 1.95%, following the release of key economic data in the region. South Korea's decline was due to industrial production growth falling 0.3% in October compared to September, while Tokyo's inflation rate rose to 2.6% up from 1.8% in October, which led the Nikkei to fall 0.4% on the rise in inflation. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2% on Friday while China's CSI index ended the day up 1.14%.Locally on Friday, the ASX closed out the last trading session for November 0.1% lower as a broad sell off led by REIT stocks offset a strong 0.82% rally for the materials sector. Despite the weakness on Friday, the key index posted 2 record closes in the final trading week of November.Select Harvest shares fell 5.4% on Friday despite the almond producer reporting a return to profitability through posting NPAT of $1.5m which is a significant turn around from the $114.7m net loss posted in FY23.And embattled casino operator Star Entertainment hit a record low share price on Friday of 18cps following a rating downgrade from Macquarie. The broker downgraded Star to an underperform rating after the company reported an earnings loss of $27m in the first four months of the new financial year.What to watch today:Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the first trading day of December up 0.25% on the back of Wall Street's record close on Friday and ahead of learning how strong the Black Friday sales were on the Friday just gone.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.43% lower at US$68.63/barrel, gold is up 0.72% at US$2657.79/ounce and iron ore is up 0.26% at US$102.44/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened to buy US$0.65, 97.58 Japanese Yen, 51.16 British Pence, and NZ$1.10.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on QBE Insurance (ASX:QBE) from a buy to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the insurance group from $19.05 to $19.20 following the release of a Q3 trading update including gross written premiums up just 2%, premium rate increases across the group reduced from over 8% a year ago to 4.9% at Q3, and full year guidance unchanged. The reason for the downgrade to a hold is the benign Q3 update against shares performing well over the recent period.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Myer (ASX:MYR) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 23-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.06 to the range of $1.20 to $1.24 according to standard principles of technical analysis. 

Over in the US on Tuesday markets rallied with the S&P500 and Dow hitting fresh record highs as investors assessed the threat of new tariffs from incoming President-elect, Donald Trump. Trump called for a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada on Monday as well as an additional 10% tax on Chinese goods on top of the 20% already promised on goods from the region, in a bid to stimulate domestic demand within the US economy. Despite the potential impact of the tariffs, the Dow Jones rose 0.3% to a fresh record 44,860.31 points, the S&P500 also rose 0.57% to a fresh record 6,021.63 points and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.63%.Across the European markets overnight, markets closed lower as investors in the region digested the implications of Trump's plans to hike tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. The STOXX 600 fell 0.5%, Germany's DAX lost 0.56%, the French CAC fell 0.87%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.4%.In Asia on Tuesday, markets closed mixed on the back of key economic data being released in the region. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.87% amid a slowdown in service PPI to a rise of 2.9% YoY from 2.8% in the previous month, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.05%, China's CSI index added 0.21% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.55%.The local market closed 0.7% lower on Tuesday dropping from Monday's fresh record close, as a 3% slide among energy stocks weighed on the key index, despite consumer staples stocks rising over 1% and the tech sector rebounding. The major cause of the sell-off yesterday was due to investor fears of increased tariffs to come from President-elect Donald Trump when he re-enters office.The fall in energy stocks follows investor hopes of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that would possibly lead to stability in the price of oil.Despite investor fears of rising tariff to be implemented when Trump comes into office, investors still found an opportunity in the local market through buying into companies that generate significant revenues from operating in the world's largest economy. Reece shares rose 2.2% as the plumbing giant operates in the US, while BlueScope Steel ended the day up 5.6% as investors see opportunity in the earnings potential for these two operators in the North American region.Webjet shares fell 2% on Tuesday after the travel agent released its first results since demerging from Web Travel Group. For the first half, bookings fell 8%, total transaction value declined 8% to $752m, revenue dropped 1% and NPAT rose just 2.2%, all of which reflected a challenging macroeconomic environment for the online travel agent.What to watch today:Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.45% on the back of Wall Street's slight rally overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.74% lower at US$68.43/barrel, gold is up 0.61% at US$2626/ounce and iron ore is up 0.06% at US$102.01/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly weakened against the greenback to buy US$0.65, 98.95 Japanese Yen, 51.59 British Pence and NZ$1.11.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Kogan.com (ASX:KGN) and maintain a hold rating on the online multi-brand retailer following the release of a trading update for the first 4-months of FY25 including gross sales up 0.4% on the PCP and adjusted EBITDA up 55% on the PCP, with topline growth tracking inline with Bell Potter estimates despite challenging market conditions.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Harvey Norman (ASX:HVN) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 26-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $4.79 to the range of $5 to 5.06 according to standard principles

Wall Street returned to mostly rally mode on Monday with the Nasdaq leading the gains, posting a rise of 0.6% at the closing bell while the S&P500 added 0.4% but the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.1%. Tesla shares popped 5.6% on Monday amid reports President Elect Donald Trump's team is working on ways to ease self-driving regulations, while Nvidia shares lost 1.3% as investors await earnings out of the semiconductor giant. Across Europe overnight, markets closed mixed in the region as investors await key inflation data out later this week from the Eurozone and the UK, while a slew of CPI readings are also due out this week across Europe. The STOXX 600 fell 0.1% on Monday, Germany's DAX closed flat, the French CAC rose 0.12% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.6%.Over in the Asia region, markets closed mixed to start the week as investors await key economic data out in the region this week including Japan's inflation data and China's loan prime rate. China's CSI index ended Monday's session down almost half a percent, Japan's Nikkei fell 1.09%, South Korea's Kospi index gained 2.16% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.82%.The local market started the week in positive territory with a 0.2% gain as investors hope further stimulus out of Beijing will increase demand for Aussie exports especially in the mining space. Consumer staples and utilities stocks led the rally on Monday with gains of 1.95% and 1.82% respectively, while health and tech, the two growth sectors, ended Monday's session with losses of 0.88% and 0.79% respectively.Russia's most recent move to cut exports of enriched uranium to the U.S. boosted local uranium miners on Monday, with Boss Energy rising 7.3% while Paladin Energy rose over 5%.Gold miners also felt some relief yesterday as the post-election USD rally eased and the gold price rebounded to trade 1.2% higher at US$2592.95/ounce. Northern Star Resources, Evolution Mining and Gold Road Resources each ended Monday's session in the green.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session on the ASX the SPI futures are anticipating the local market to open the new trading day 0.11% higher. We may see investors react to the release of the RBA's latest meeting minutes out today in Australia as investors will digest the RBA's remarks and determine if rate cuts are on the horizon. On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 2.63% higher at US$68.79/barrel, gold is up 1.87% at US$2610/ounce and iron ore is down 0.6% at US$101.63/tonne. The Aussie dollar has further weakened against the greenback to buy US$0.64, 100.61 Japanese Yen, 51.13 British Pence and NZ$1.10. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Alfabs Australia (ASX:AAL) with a buy rating and a price target of 40cps as Bell Potter's analyst sees this is a good buying opportunity for the diversified Australian industrial services group given it is relatively undervalued with an attractive NPAT and compound annual growth rate outlook of 21.8% p.a. over FY24-27.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on IRESS (ASX:IRE) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 48-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $9.48 to the range of $8.95 to $9.05 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

This week, several ASX-listed companies provided quarterly updates as we close out Q1. Among those reporting were Commonwealth Bank, James Hardie, and Xero. Additionally, check out Grady's insights on the key themes for FY25 as depicted in Q1 results.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:23): CBA soared to record highs, but what does the outlook suggest?(2:05): Xero maintains profitability, how did markets react?(3:54): the key themes and outlook for FY25(5:15): how the ASX200 performed this week so far (6:17): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients (6:47): economic news items to watch out for.

Wall St extended its post-rally breather into Wednesday with the major averages ending the day mostly flat. The Dow Jones rose 0.11%, the S&P500 added just 0.02% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.26%.The US CPI index for October showed inflation rose to an annual rate of 2.6% which met economists' expectations and was a slight uptick from the 2.4% reported in September. Core inflation which excludes food and energy rose 3.3% in the last month which also met expectations.Over in Europe on Wednesday, the global market pullback extended into the Euro region with the STOXX 600 falling 0.17%, while Germany's DAX lost 0.16%, the French CAC fell 0.14% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up just 0.06%.Across the Asia region overnight, markets in the region mostly fell in line with the global market sell off and as investors assessed corporate goods data out of Japan showing YoY price growth reached its highest level since July 2023, for the month of October with a reading of 3.4%. China's CSI index rose 0.62%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.45%, Japan's Nikkei lost 1.66% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 2.64%.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 tumbled 0.75% taking lead from Wall Street's losses on Tuesday US time, as investors took a breather from the recent post-election rally. 10 of the 11 sectors on the ASX ended Wednesday's session in the red led by financials stocks falling 1.07%.CBA shares fell almost 0.5% on Wednesday after the leading Aussie bank released a quarterly trading update including operating income out 3.5%, OpEx up 3%, and unaudited statutory NPAT of $2.5bn. CBA shares hit a record $150/share on Tuesday and a vast number of market participants continue to question whether this valuation is fair or if the bank is overvalued.Building materials producer James Hardie Industries bucked the sell-off on Wednesday to close higher despite outlining profit dropped 23% in Q2FY25 results out yesterday due to weakness in Europe and China, while its North American division, the key driver of revenue, is expected to continue growing into FY26.In economic data out yesterday, Australia's wage price index rose at the weakest level since Q4 2022 with a QoQ rise of just 0.8% and an annual rise of 3.5%, both of which fell short of economist's expectations and provide a strong sign of inflation easing in Australia as wages inflation has been a key driver of the stickiness of inflation in recent months.What to watch today:Ahead of Thursday's trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.35% despite the global market turbulence overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.24% lower at US$67.95/barrel, gold is down 1.18% at US$2575.86/ounce and iron ore is down 0.14% at US$102.96/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened again overnight against the greenback to buy US$0.65, 100.83 Japanese Yen, 51.20 British Pence and NZ$1.10.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Light and Wonder (ASX:LNW) from $165 to $180 and maintain a buy rating on the gaming technology provider following the release of the company's Q3 update including 12% YoY revenue growth and adjusted NPATA of US$122m which is growth of 23% YoY. The company's outlook target of FY25 AEBITDA at US$1400m was reaffirmed.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on South32 (ASX:S32) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 21-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $3.54 to the range of $3.19 to $3.27 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

US equities rebounded from the previous day's sell-off led by Amazon's 6.2% gain on strong results. Equity markets brushed off weak nonfarm payrolls data rising 12k last month, the smallest gain since December 2020, significantly below forecasts of 113k. S&P 500 advanced 0.41% halting its two-day rout and the NASDAQ rose 0.80%. The Dow added 289 points (+0.69%). Up 563 points at best. Nivida +2.0% will be added to the Dow Jones index replacing Intel +7.8% losing its spot after 25 years. For the week, Dow -0.15%, S&P 500 -1.37%, and NASDAQ off 1.50%. US treasury yields rebounded after initially tumbling on fresh economic data. 10Y yield jumped 10.1bps and the 2Y yield gained 4.2bps. ASX SPI up 36 - WBC up dividend 6%.Gold inched 0.38% lower pressured by a rising dollar and treasury yields.Aluminium -0.84% was the only base metal to fall overnight, with producers selling forward to lock in higher prices.Base metals higher supported by a weaker dollar making greenback prices metals cheaper for holders of foreign currencies. Copper +0.43%, nickel +1.40%, zinc +1.02%, lead +2.49%, and tin +2.0%.WTI rose 0.33% on reports that Iran was preparing a retaliatory strike on Israel.Why not sign up for a free trial? Get access to expert market insights and manage your investments with confidence. Ready to invest in yourself? Join the Marcus Today community. 

Wall Street closed lower at the end of the midweek session as investors braced for the release of Nvidia's Q2 earnings results that were released after the closing bell. The Dow Jones fell 0.39% on Wednesday, the S&P500 lost 0.6% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 1.12%. Nvidia's results have fast become one of the most important pieces of data the market analyses for outlook on growth in the AI revolution. For the second quarter, Nvidia reported record quarterly revenue of US$30bn, up 15% on Q1 and a rise of 122% from a year ago, record quarterly data centre revenue of $26.3bn was also reported which is a rise of 16% on Q1 and 154% from a year ago. In after-hours trade, Nvidia shares are down over 6.5% despite the company posting outlook for revenue growth to US$32.5bn in Q3.Over in Europe on Wednesday, markets closed mostly higher in the region on strong corporate earnings results out in the region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.33%, Germany's DAX added 0.54%, the French CAC rose 0.16%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down just 0.02%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday markets closed mixed as investors digested key economic data out in the region. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.05% on Wednesday, China's CSI index lost 0.57%, Japan's Nikkei rose 0.22% and South Korea's Kospi Index closed flat on Wednesday.Locally on Wednesday, the ASX200 closed flat as investors responded to corporate earnings results and the release of key inflation data that came in slightly hotter-than-expected. Australia's monthly CPI indicator rose 3.5% in the 12-months to July 2024, down from 3.8% in June, but above the 3.4% economists were expecting. The greatest contributors to the 3.5% rise for July were housing up 4%, food and non-alcoholic beverages up 3.8%, alcohol and tobacco up 7.2% and transport up 3.4%. The nation's core inflation which strips out volatile metrics including fuel, fruit and holiday travel, was 3.7% for the year to July, down from 4% in June.Woolworths shares rallied 3.4% on Wednesday after the supermarket giant reported strong FY24 results including a special dividend of 40cps.Travel agency group Flight Centre also rallied nearly 2% yesterday after releasing FY24 results outlining airfares moderated and travel demand remained strong over the last financial year, with total transaction value topping $23.7bn for FY24, which was $1.8 bn more than FY23.Fortescue shares fell 2% yesterday despite the mining giant reporting an 18% jump in net profit for FY24 to $8.4bn. Investors likely sold out due to the near $1bn loss reported for Fortescue's green energy division.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the day down 0.27% tracking turbulence on Wall St overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.44% lower at US$74.45/barrel, gold is down 0.7% at US$2508/ounce and iron ore is up 0.15% at US$98.45/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.67, 97.94 Japanese Yen, 51.36 British Pence and NZ$1.09 cents.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Fortescue (ASX:FMG) from a sell to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the mining giant from $17.41 to $17.58 following the release of the company's FY24 results with the belief subdued outlook in priced into the current market price. FY24 results were reported broadly in-line with market expectations with moderately lower NPAT due to higher tax and D&A charges. The analyst believes the results in FY24 were solid but subdued iron ore outlook and interest rate differentials pointing to a stronger AUD to USD exchange rate, will pressure build on FMG's margins.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on NRW Holdings (ASX:NWH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 8-days which is roughly the same amount of time the

Wall Street ended Friday's session higher after Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated rate cuts are on the horizon at his Jackson Hole Economic Symposium speech on Friday. The Dow Jones added 1.14% on Friday while the S&P500 rose 1.15% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 1.47%. Powell said ‘the time has come for policy to adjust' which was music to all investor ears after over a year of an aggressively high interest rate strategy to tame inflation in the world's largest economy.Friday's rally in the US boosted the major averages to gains for the week with the Dow adding 1.3%, the S&P500 rising 1.45% and the Nasdaq climbing 1.4%.Uranium miners in the states rallied on Friday after Kazakhstan's national uranium miner cut its production output for 2025 due to delays in ramping up production at some sites and limited access to sulfuric acid. This output decline places pressure on the global supply of uranium, which is growing in demand due to the global increase in nuclear power.Positive rate cut sentiment out of the Fed boosted European markets on Friday as a lower US interest rate weakens the USD and increases the attractiveness of trade with Europe and other export-oriented countries. The STOXX 600 rose 0.5% while Germany's DAX added 0.76%, the French CAC rose 0.7% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.48%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed mostly lower as investors awaited Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech of Jackson Hole on Friday. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.4% as inflation came in at 2.8%, a flat reading on the prior month, while China's CSI index rose 0.42%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.14% and South Korea's Kospi Index lost 0.22%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 ended the day down just 0.04% as the utilities and energy sectors weighed on market gains. For the week though, the ASX200 rose 0.66% to sit above 8000 points again for the first time since the early August mass-equity sell off.What to watch today:Tech sector heavy weight WiseTech Global led the winning stocks for the week with a 28% climb which paved the foundations for the tech sector to soar over 8% last week. The WTC rally was on the back of strong FY24 results and growth momentum expected to continue into FY25.Telix Pharmaceuticals shares fell 9% on Friday despite the radiopharmaceuticals company posting very strong first half results. For the first half, Telix reported total revenue rose 65% to $364m, gross margin increased to 66% from 63%, the company reported NPAT of $29.7m up from a loss of $14.3m and Telix reaffirmed its guidance for FY24.Ahead of the first local trading session of the last week for August, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the day up 0.51% on the back of the Fed's rate cut outlook boosting global sentiment late last week.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 2.5% higher at US$74.83/barrel, gold is up 0.9% at US$2509/ounce, and iron ore is down 0.14% at US$98.05/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened to buy 67.97 US cents, 98.26 Japanese Yen, 51.21 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Rural Funds Group (ASX:RFF) and has raised the 12-month price target on the agricultural property management company from $2.40 to $2.50 following the release of RFF's FY24 results. For the last financial year, RFF reported AFFO above Bell Potter's forecasts, 18% revenue growth and strong operating cash flows. The analysts also noted material improvement in the profitability indicators in recent months including cattle, almond and macadamia prices rallying off lows in recent times, with RFF also having a history of delivering net asset value growth through investment, with the next macadamia pillar.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Nick Scali (ASX:NCK) following the formati

The likelihood of a rate cut out of the Fed in September sent Wall Street back into rally mode overnight as investors digested the positive rate outlook in the Fed's latest FOMC meeting minutes. The S&P 500 rose 0.42% on Wednesday, while the Nasdaq added 0.57%, and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.14%. Wall Street now awaits further indication of rate cuts out of Fed Chair JeromePowell at his Jackson Hole Economic Symposium speech on Friday. US retail giant Target jumped 11% on Wednesday after reporting Q2 earnings that exceeded Wall Street estimates while department store giant Macy's tumbled 13% after lowering its full year sales forecast.Over in Europe on Wednesday, markets closed higher on positive sentiment out of the U.S. and ahead of flash PMI figures out for the eurozone on Thursday. The STOXX 600 rose 0.32% on Wednesday, Germany's DAX added 0.5%, the French CAC gained 0.52%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 closed the midweek session up 0.12%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday, markets were mostly lower on weaker-than-expected economic data out in the region. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.3% after Japan's trade balance data for July indicated higher exports than imports, imports exceeded expectations and exports fell short of economists' forecasts. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.82% on Wednesday, China's CSI index lost 0.33% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.17%.Locally on Wednesday, the ASX200 reversed losses in afternoon trade as a 5% rally for tech stocks and a 1.72% gain among mining stocks offset losses among energy, REIT and financial stocks.Wisetech global did most of the heavy lifting in the tech-sector's near 5% rally as the logistics software company soared over 18% on FY24 results including total revenue increasing 15% organically on FY23 to $1.041bn, CargoWise revenue lifting 19% organically to $880.30m, underlying NPAT rising 15% on FY23 to $283.5m, and the final dividend increased 10% to 9.2cps. WiseTech's results were driven by its recent aggressive acquisition strategy flowing through to improved financial results.What to watch today:Ahead of Thursday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the day up 0.35% tracking global gains overnight.Australian property development company Charter Hall also rocketed over 15.5% on Wednesday after releasing stronger-than-expected FY24 results including operating earnings of $358.7, with operating EPS post-tax of 75.8cps, FY24 statutory loss of $222.1m and distributions to the value of 45.1cps. Investors likely rallied around the REIT stocks after it issued guidance for FY25 with the expectation of FY25 EPS to grow to approximately 79cps, with a 6% increase in distributions.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.7% lower at US$71.92/barrel, gold is up just 0.02% at US$2513/ounce, and iron ore is down 0.11% at US$97.99/tonne.The Aussie dollar is buying US$0.67 cents, 97.90 Japanese Yen, 51.53 British Pence, and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Cedar Woods (ASX:CWP) from $5.75 to $6.50 and maintain a buy rating on the real estate development company following FY24 results coming in as a strong beat including EPS of 49.2cps which beat Bell Potter expectations by 7.4% and the company guided to NPAT growth of 10% for FY25.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Hansen Technologies (ASX:HSN) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 54-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $4.68 to the range of $5.15 to $5.25 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street's 8-day winning streak ended overnight as investors took a breather from the comeback rally after the early August mass market sell-off. The Dow Jones fell 0.15% on Tuesday, the S&P500 lost 0.2% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.33%. This week, investors are preparing for the Federal Reserve's annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium where Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, will speak on Friday. Investors are also likely taking a breather from the recent equities rally ahead of the US Fed's latest FOMC meeting minutes out on Wednesday US time before assessing their next moves in line with the rate outlook from the Fed at the last rate-decision meeting.Over in Europe on Tuesday, markets closed lower on Tuesday as economic uncertainty weighed on investor sentiment. The STOXX 600 fell 0.46% with all-but the automotive sector ending the day in the red, while Germany's DAX lost 0.35% on Tuesday, the French CAC fell 0.22% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 1%. Germany's producer price index fell 0.8% YoY in July, while inflation in the euro zone was 2.6% in July, up from 2.5% in June with both datasets weighing on investor sentiment on Tuesday.Across Asia on Tuesday, markets closed mostly higher tracking Wall Street's strength on Monday and after China's loan prime rates were held, in-line with expectations. Japan's Nikkei led the gains with a 1.8% rise, while South Korea's Kospi index rose 0.83%, and China's CSI Index added 0.72%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.5% on Tuesday.Locally on Tuesday, the ASX200 rose for an 8th straight session on Tuesday, closing the day up 0.2% above 8000 points for the first time since the early-August mass sell-off.What to watch today:The RBA meeting minutes out yesterday revealed the RBA considered raising Australia's cash rate from the 12-year high 4.35% in August in a bid to return inflation to the target 2-3% range in a more reasonable timeframe. The RBA also didn't rule out any further rate hikes which saw market gains ease in afternoon trade from the morning rally.The hawkish tone out of the RBA meeting minutes weighed on real estate stocks yesterday with the sector posting a 1.55% decline while a tech and materials rally more than offset the weakness among real estate stocks.Baby Bunting shares soared 8.85% on Tuesday after the baby retailer released FY24 results. Investors overlooked the decline in sales, profit and increase in net debt to buy into the stock on outlook for improved outlook in FY25 amid cost cutting measures and pro forma NPAT expectations of between $9.5m and $12.5m. Plumbing supplies giant Reliance Worldwide also rallied just shy of 9% yesterday on the release of FY24 results including net sales growth of 0.2%. Investors bought in also on strong outlook for FY25 in anticipation for this company to form part of the group of entities that will benefit from an easing interest rate environment. On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.41% lower at US$73.36/barrel, gold is up 0.43% at US$2514/ounce and iron ore is up 0.3% at US$98.10/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened overnight to buy 67.39 US cents, 98.11 Japanese Yen, 51.79 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 10 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session on the local bourse, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the day down 0.55% tracking the global market sell-off overnight. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on Mader Group (ASX:MAD) from $7.60 to $6.80 and maintain a buy rating on the leading provider of specialised contract labour for maintenance of heavy mobile equipment in the resources and civil industries, following the release of Mader's FY24 results. Near-term outlook supported by mid-cycle fleet renewal in Australia and North America, however, the analyst is cautious that chal

Wall St closed higher overnight following the release of positive US inflation data. The Dow Jones closed 0.61% higher, the S&P500 closed in the green for the 5th straight day, up 0.38% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose slightly by 0.03%.US core inflation data which excludes volatile items such as food and energy were released overnight, coming in at 3.2% year-on-year which was 0.1% lower than the forecast and previous result of 3.3%.Over in Europe, markets closed higher as investors digested key inflation figures coming out of both the US and UK. The STOXX600 closed 0.43% higher overnight with travel and leisure stocks rising 2.89% and mining stocks leading losses, down 0.97%. Germany's DAX rose 0.41%, the French CAC rallied 0.79% and over in the UK the FTSE100 gained 0.56%.Key UK inflation data was released overnight, coming in below expectations for July at 2.2%, however this is still above the Bank of England's target of 2%.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 closed 0.3% higher by market close. Gains were led by the health and information technology sectors which rose 1.68% and 1.59% respectively. This was offset by the materials sector which saw a loss of 1.87% by the closing bell.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open higher, with the SPI futures suggesting a rise of 0.36% at market open this morning.On the economic calendar today, Australian unemployment data for July will be released with a consensus and forecast to remain at 4.1%, the same as its previous result.On the commodities front this morning, Oil is trading 1.28% lower at 77 US dollars and 35 cents a barrel after the EIA reported an increase in US crude oil inventories that rose by 1.357 million barrels last week. Gold is trading 0.66% lower at 2447 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is trading 0.23% lower at 100 US dollars and 44 cents a tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Seven Group Holdings (ASX:SVW) and has increased its 12-month price target to $46. The buy rating is maintained by Bell Potter, following the announcement of results by SVW which included an underlying NPAT attributable to owners of $850m, up 30% year-on-year and exceeding Bell Potter's forecast of $822m. As well as this, SVW's business and investments are market leaders in their respective industries, with scale, brand and industry expertise underpinning commercial advantages that are hard to replicate by competitors. Bell potter remains positive on the near-term outlooks for mining production, engineering construction and transitional energy markets, hence the buy rating is maintained.Trading central has identified a bearish signal on BlueScope Steel (ASX:BSL), indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $19.84 to the range of $16.80-$17.40 on a pattern formed over 31 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall street closed mixed on Tuesday as the S&P and Nasdaq snapped 3-day losing streaks while the Dow Jones reversed gains to close lower as investors regain appetite for AI-stocks after some profit taking sessions. The Dow Jones fell 0.76% on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended the day up 0.39% and 1.26% respectively, driven by Nvidia jumping 6.7%. In recent weeks we have seen investors in the region shift focus from rate-driven sentiment to a bull market driven purely by the AI movement. In Europe overnight markets closed lower amid investor fears of rising geopolitical tensions in the region. The STOXX600 fell 0.3% weighed down by industrial stocks, while Germany's DAX lost 0.81%, the French CAC declined 0.58% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the session down 0.41%. Airbus shares fell 9.4% on Tuesday after the company announced aircraft delivery and earnings target cuts for 2024, while drug maker Novo Nordisk rose 4% after the company's Wegovy weight loss treatment has been approved in China for long-term weight management. Across the Asia markets on Tuesday, China's CSI 300 closed at its lowest level since February despite the rest of the region rallying yesterday. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.95% on Tuesday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.25% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.35% on a clime in consumer confidence in the region.What to watch today:Locally yesterday, the ASX recovered on Tuesday from Monday's sell-off to close the day up 1.36% taking lead from Wall Street rising on Monday and buoyed by a strong rally for the local banks which saw CBA rise to a record high yesterday. Mining giants were also boosted yesterday by a rise in the price of oil which led to the energy sector ending the day up with a strong 2.23% rally.KFC Australia operator Collins Foods jumped over 7.3% yesterday after the restaurant operator released full year results including record revenue and rising earnings in this challenging market. Collins Foods reported revenue rose 10.4% to $1.4889bn, and underlying NPAT rose 15.6% to $60m. Collins also reported net operating cash flow rose $30.2m and net debt was reduced by $46.7m. Investors welcomed the 28cps fully franked final dividend declared by the company which is up from 27cps in FY23.Casino operator Sky City Entertainment Group recovered some of Monday's losses on Tuesday after announcing it has entered into an unconditional agreement to sell its entire shareholding comprising around 10% in Gaming Innovation Group, a European-based online gaming platform provider, for around NZ$55m with proceeds to be used to pay down Sky's debt as part of its capital management review.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.11% lower at US$80.72/barrel, gold is down 0.53% at US$2318/ounce, and iron ore is down 0.38% at US$106.55/tonne.1 Aussie dollar is buying 66 US cents, 106.15 Japanese Yen, 52.57 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents. Today is a big day on the economic calendar locally with the release of Australia's inflation print out this morning with the expectation of a slight uptick to 3.8% from 3.6% in April which if it does come in at this reading, will indicate inflation remains sticky and the RBA has a tough job ahead on a rate front.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the day down 0.37%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has slightly increased the 12-month price target on Cleanaway (ASX:CWY) from $3.10 to $3.15 and maintain a buy rating on the leading waste and environmental services company in Australia after the company announced the acquisition of Melbourne-based Citywide Waste which will add three key waste services to Cleanaway's Melbourne Metro operations and a further 1500 C&I customers in metro Melbourne.Trading Central has ident

Wall Street closed mixed on Friday but higher across the three major averages for the week as investors welcomed softer economic data over recent weeks. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.34% on Friday to top 40,000 points for the first time in history which has some investors questioning how far the current rally can go, but the recent inflation on earnings outlined in many corporate results indicates the value is still there for the rally to continue. The S&P500 rose 0.12% on Friday and the Nasdaq ended the session down 0.07%. The Dow posted its 5th straight weekly gain of 1.2%, while the S&P500 and Nasdaq ended the 5 trading days up 1.5% and 2.1% respectively.Over in Europe, markets closed lower to snap a 9-day winning streak in the region as corporate earnings weighed on investor sentiment. The STOXX600 fell 0.13%, Germany's DAX lost 0.18%, the French CAC fell 0.26%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.22%.Across the Asia markets on Friday, markets closed mixed however, China's CSI300 index rose 1% as investors welcomed the announcement out of China's central bank for sweeping measures to boost the country's deteriorating property market.Locally on Friday the ASX200 closed 0.85% lower with every sector aside from materials stocks closing the day in the red, with the tech and healthcare sectors posting the greatest declines of 3.05% and 2.27% respectively. For the week though, the key index rose 0.84% led by the consumer discretionary sector soaring 3.23%. Investors took some profits on Friday after the key index closed 0.2% shy of a record high on Thursday following the unemployment rate rising to 4.1% in Australia. This data indicates rate cuts could be on the horizon out of the RBA sooner than expected as economic data continues to fall in line with RBA expectations and requirements.Lithium miners offset some of the market losses on Friday amid forecasts for increased demand outlook of the commodity driving a rebound in the price, with Pilbara Minerals rising 2.2%, while Mineral Resources ended the day up 0.8%.What to watch today:Ahead of the first trading session of the new week, the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open Monday up 0.45%.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.14% higher at US$80.11/barrel, gold is up 0.28% at US$2421/ounce, iron ore is up 0.15% at US$117.02/tonne, and uranium is down 0.28% at US$90.65/pound.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.67, 104.21 Japanese Yen, 52.91 British Pence, and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on GrainCorp (ASX:GNC) from $9.20 to $9.50 and maintain a buy rating on the end-to-end grain producer following the release of the company's the 1H24 results including NPAT coming in modestly ahead of Bell Potter's expectations. Despite revenue falling below BP expectations, the outlook for FY24 was maintained amid a likely lift on new oilseed crush capacity.And Bell Potter has initiated coverage of SRG Global (ASX:SRG) with a buy rating and a price target of $1.30 amid strong short-to-medium term outlook for the leading diversified industrial services group, driven by Government-stimulated construction activity in the Infrastructure and Non-Residential sectors. 

In 2023, despite tough markets, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) showed strong revenue growth, with HEPS up 12.2% and NPAT up 11%. This reflects JSE's resilience and adaptability, achieving a 19.4% return on equity. CEO Leila Fourie credits this success to diversifying revenue streams and staying competitive in uncertain times. And Chris Vorster, CEO at Stadio  on A+ growth spurt amid economic hurdles.     The author, a dynamic individual named Alex, founded DigsConnect International at the age of 25, making her South Africa's youngest startup tech prodigy. Inspired by student protests in 2016, she created a platform addressing the student housing crisis, which quickly gained traction. DigsConnect raised R12 million in its initial seed fundraising round in 2019, propelling it from a local startup to a global player in the tech landscape. She chats to Bruce Whitfield about the book.   Andre Vlok, a specialist in conflict and employment dispute resolution, negotiator, mediator, and author is our guest in How I Make Money. Initially trained as an attorney, Vlok practised in commercial litigation with a focus on employment disputes starting in 1990. After years of working as an employee, he ventured into establishing his own practice. Transitioning from running his own practice, he chose to leverage his legal expertise differently. In 2017, he launched three specialist consultancies dedicated to mediation and conflict resolution, addressing workplace disputes, and conducting commercial negotiations at an advanced corporate level. Vlok shares the journey of his career development and discusses the specifics of his current roleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, despite tough markets, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) showed strong revenue growth, with HEPS up 12.2% and NPAT up 11%. This reflects JSE's resilience and adaptability, achieving a 19.4% return on equity. CEO Leila Fourie credits this success to diversifying revenue streams and staying competitive in uncertain times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wall St closed lower overnight, despite a rally in AI stocks as part of the artificial intelligence boom. The S&P500 lost 0.12%, the Dow Jones fell 0.25% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the trading session 0.41% lower. These losses were pulled back by AI company Nvidia, which soared 18% as the S&P Dow Jones indices revealed it would join the S&P 500 later this month.Over in Europe, markets closed slightly lower as investors await the European Central Bank meeting. The STOXX600 closed 0.07% lower with most stocks closing in the red including mining stocks which fell 1.24% with tech stocks gaining 0.8%. Germany's DAX closed 0.11% lower, the French CAC gained 0.28% and over in the UK the FTSE100 closed just over half a percent down.Locally yesterday, markets closed 0.13% lower as the majority of sectors finished in the red. Losses were led by the health and utilities sector which lost 0.78% and 0.77% respectively. This was slightly offset by the real estate sector which gained 1.34%.What to watch today: The Australian share market is set to open slightly higher, with the SPI futures suggesting a rise of 0.05% at the open this morning.On the commodity front this morning, Oil is trading down 1.54% at US$78.13 a barrel after OPEC and its allies agreed to extend voluntary production cuts until the end of June. Gold is trading 1.62% higher to US$2117 an ounce and iron ore is trading flat at US$117.50 cents a tonne.Trading Ideas: Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on DroneShield (ASX:DRO) with a 12-month price target of $0.90. The buy rating is maintained by Bell Potter as DroneShield is now a profitable growth company after its first profitable year with an NPAT of $9.3m. The company is also exposed to relevant investment trends, including rising defence expenditure globally, the increasing risk of drones and the role of AI/ML technology.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal in Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL), indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $0.24 to the range of $0.28-$0.30, on a pattern formed over 21 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street reversed morning losses to close mostly higher on Tuesday as investors prepare for the release of key inflation data later this week. The Dow Jones fell 0.25% while the S&P500 added 0.17% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.37% on Tuesday. Retail giant Macy's is up more than 3% during the session after announcing it would close around 150 of its struggling bricks and mortar retail stores following a revenue miss in the prior quarter.In Europe overnight, markets closed mixed in the region as investors await key inflation data out later this week to determine how key global economies are faring in the high interest rate environment. The STOXX600 reversed Tuesday's losses to close 0.2% higher, buoyed by mining stocks rising 1.7%. Germany's DAX ended the day up 0.76%, the French CAC rose 0.23%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 closed the session virtually flat.Across the Asia markets, trading was mixed on Tuesday with Hong Kong's Hang Seng rising just shy of 1% while Korea's KOSPI index fell 0.83% and Japan's Nikkei closed flat. China's CSI 300 index rose 1.2% as shares of Chinese electric vehicle maker Li Auto soared over 22% after the company reported a 2068% increase in net income in Q4 compared to a year ago.The local market recovered from a morning sell-off to close Tuesday's session 0.13% higher as a 2.15% surge in consumer staples stocks more than offset losses among real estate and utilities companies. The materials sector was also weighed down yesterday as the big iron ore miners were sold off on the declining price of iron ore.As the theme goes lately on the local market, reporting season results dominated share market moves yesterday.Supermarket giant Coles rallied yesterday after releasing a strong first half result including a 3.7% jump in sales revenue to $22.2bn, and the outlook for momentum to continue into the second half with sales up 4.9% during the first 8-weeks of the second half already.A stronger-than-expected first half result also prompted investors to send shares in Aussie plumbing parts and services company, Reece, rocketing over 18% yesterday. The company revealed a 2.5% rise in sales revenue, a 6% increase in NPAT and declared an interim dividend of 8cps.Payment service providers like Zip Co and Tyro Payments both posted beats across their respective first half results, however, investors took the opportunity to collect some profits in the days after the results were released as both companies faced turbulence over the last few years during the rising interest rate and uncertain economic environment.What to watch today: Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia, the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open the midweek session up 0.28% tracking global gains overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil has rebounded to trade 0.56% higher at US$78.02/barrel, gold is up just 0.06% at US$2032/ounce and iron ore is down 3.24% at US$119.50/tonne.Trading Ideas: Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Cooper Energy (ASX:COE) and has slightly increased the 12-month price target from 16cps to 18cps on the release of the energy exploration and development company's first half result including EBITDAX and NPAT topping BPe, while statutory NPAT came in at a loss of $91m. Bell Potter's analyst sees there are promising signs at the company's Orbost Gas processing plant with production continuing to increase at a time of short-term positive catalysts including higher realised gas prices.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on GUD Holdings (ASX:GUD) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 8-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $11.14 to the range of $12.30-$12.60 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

The ASX started the week up 0.1% at the closing bell on Monday as investor sentiment was boosted by some strong corporate earnings results and the local index took lead from Wall Street's record close on Friday. The energy sector weighed on yesterday's gains following a decline in the price of oil overnight.The consumer discretionary sector on the other hand was the top performer yesterday as Wesfarmers rose 1.5% while fashion jewellery leader Lovisa rallied a further 4.5% after releasing strong first half results late last week. Kogan.com also surged 23.7% after reinstating its dividend and returning to profitability in the first half of FY24 against challenging headwinds of slowing consumer spend.Reporting season continued yesterday in the final weeks of earnings results being released locally. 251 companies have reported so far with 91 beating expectations, 93 meeting expectations and 67 missing expectations.TPG Telecom shares tanked over 10% after the IT internet and communications company reported annual net profit shrunk to $49m from $513m a year earlier amid rising costs.Endeavour Group was in a similar boat yesterday as investors also hit the sell button after the alcohol and hotels retailer reported its net profit fell 3.6% over the first half due to higher financing costs.Over in the US today overnight, stocks reversed morning gains to close lower following record setting closes for the Dow and S&P500 on Friday and as investors await the release of key inflation data out in the region later this week. The Dow Jones fell 0.16% the S&P500 dropped 0.38% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted 0.13% decline on Monday. On the back of Nvidia's blockbuster results out last week, investors are assessing whether the AI momentum can last, given economic and inflation risks continue to linger, and later this week when personal consumption expenditures data is released, we will gauge the impact on the AI thematic.In Europe overnight, markets started the week in mostly negative territory as investors look ahead to key global inflation data out later this week to determine the rate outlook for key economies. The STOXX600 fell 0.4% following a record close last week, weighed down by the mining and utilities sectors. Germany's DAX rose 0.02% on Monday, the French CAC fell 0.46% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 lost 0.3%.Across the Asia markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 extended its rally to a new all-time high on Monday while China markets snapped a 9-day winning streak to close 1.04% lower as investors await the release of key economic data in the region including China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index to gauge how economic recovery in the region is faring.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open Tuesday's session down 0.03% tracking global markets overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil has rebounded from Monday's lows to trade 1.49% higher at US$77.63/barrel, gold is down 0.2% at US$2031.73/ounce and iron ore is up 0.82% at US$123.50/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 98.49 Japanese Yen, 51.70 British Pence and NZ$1.06.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on NextEd Group (ASX:NXD) but has decreased the 12-month price target on the education services provider following a softer-than-expected first half result including revenue up 36% however NPAT fell and the company withdrew its second half guidance due to significant macro uncertainties across the industry.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Capitol Health (ASX:CAJ) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 153-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $0.27 to the range of $0.33 to $0.35 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Monday with the Dow Jones rising to a record close, building on the momentum of last week as investors responded to key earnings results and await the release of core inflation data out later this week to determine the broader picture of business and economic stability in the higher interest rate environment. European markets started the week in positive territory across the board as investors continue responding to corporate earnings results out in the region. The local market started the new trading week with a rollercoaster of a session as the key index rose and fell throughout the day before closing 0.4% lower as investors responded to key trading updates and reporting season results. Tech stocks took lead from the Nasdaq's strong rally last week while consumer discretionary stocks rose on resilient results out of some big names.Healthcare giant CSL weighed on the healthcare sector and ASX as a whole yesterday, with its shares falling over 5% on the announcement that the company's top-line results from the Phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of its CSL112 drug in reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients, did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint reduction at day 90, and that the company now has no near-term plans to file for regulatory approval of the drug candidate.Reporting season ramped up yesterday with JB Hi-Fi rallying 7% during the session after posting results that topped analysts' expectations. Despite revenue, profit and the company's interim dividend all declining, investors bought into the tech retailer as the results were not as bad as were expected and reflected the company's resilience amid the declining consumer spend environment.Synlait Milk also disappointed investors yesterday, with shares dropping 14% after the company warned investors to brace for a net loss in the range of $17m-$21m for the six-month period ending 31st January mainly due to financing costs and changes in margins.Rail freight operator, Aurizon, was the talk of the market yesterday after posting strong first half results including revenue up 16%, NPAT growth of 82% to $237m, EPS up 82% and increased its dividend per share by 39% to 9.7ps. Aurizon also reported a 169% rise in free cashflow, attributing the impressive first half results to a solid performance in the Network and Coal businesses and continued revenue and volume growth in Bulk and Containerised freight.On the economic calendar today, NAB Business Confidence data for January and Westpac Consumer Confidence data for February are released this morning with the expectation of a rise in business confidence but a slide in consumer confidence.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open Tuesday's session 0.26% higher.On the commodities front this morning, oil is flat at US$76.80/barrel, gold is down 0.32% at US$2017/ounce, and iron ore is flat at US$128/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 97.62 Japanese Yen, 51.65 British Pence and NZ$1.07.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Propel Funeral Partners (ASX:PFP) and have raised the 12-month price target on the company from $5.90 to $6.20 following the company's successful raising of ~$90m via a $80m institutional placement and $10m non-underwritten share purchase plan at $5.15/share. Proceeds from the raising are to be used to pay down debt to provide financial flexibility to pursue further growth initiatives, including acquisitions.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 20-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $60.58 to the range of $60.90 to $61.90 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Friday with the S&P500 climbing 0.57% to close above 5000 points for the first time ever on Thursday as investors responded to December's revised inflation report came in below first reported reading. The Dow Jones fell 0.14% at the closing bell while the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 1.25%. Over the 5 trading days last week the S&P500 added 1.4% in its 5th straight positive week, the Nasdaq rose 2.3% and the Dow Jones remained flat across the trading week.The initial December inflation reading of 0.3% growth was downwardly revised on Friday to a 0.2% increase and core inflation results for the U.S. are due out this week.Strong earnings results are also driving investor confidence in the US as tech mega caps including Nvidia and Alphabet rallied 3.6% and 2% respectively on Friday while Cloudfare soared 19.5% on strong earnings.Over in Europe, markets closed slightly lower on Friday as investors digested corporate earnings results despite the release of favourable economic data out in the region. The STOXX600 fell just 0.08% on Friday, Germany's DAX lost 0.22%, the French CAC dropped 0.24%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.3%.Fresh inflation data out of Germany released on Friday indicated inflation fell to 3.1% in January in a positive sign for Europe's largest economy.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 rose 0.07% led by the technology sector rallying 1.12% and healthcare stocks adding 1%, while losses among energy and utilities stocks weighed on the key index.Boral shares jumped 13% on Friday after the leading cement producer delivered very strong first half results including revenue up 9.4% and underlying NPAT soaring 143% over the 6-month period. Strong price realisation and volume recovery were the drivers of the stronger first half results.Local uranium stocks took a hit on Friday after Canadian uranium miner Cameco announced plans to expand production at its Cigar Lake Mine and McArthur River/Key Lake, to address the growing global demand for the key commodity. Boss Energy fell 12.7% on Friday while Paladin Energy fell just over 7%.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia to start the new week, the ASX200 is set to open Monday's session slightly in the red ahead of a big reporting season week locally this week.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.81% higher at US$76.84/barrel, gold is down 0.5% at US$2022.90/ounce, uranium is up 6% at US$106/pound and iron ore is flat at US$128/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 97.29 Japanese Yen, 51.67 British Pence and NZ$1.06.On the reporting season calendar today, you can expect to see results released from Aurizon Holdings, Beach Energy, JB Hi-Fi, and James Hardie Industries.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a hold rating on REA Group (ASX:REA) and has slightly decreased the 12-month price target from $179 to $174 following the release of first half results including a 22% increase in EPS to 189cps, a 16% increase in dividend to 87cps which fell short of Bell Potter expectations. Despite the strong quarter, Bell Potter believes the current share price of $176.43 has REA Group relatively fully valued.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Infratil (ASX:IFT) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 9-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $10.11 to the range of $10.80 to $11/share according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed recovered some ground in afternoon trade on Tuesday to close the day mixed across the key indices as investors assessed the latest slew of corporate earnings and tried to gain further insight into the rate outlook out of the Fed. The Dow Jones rose 0.1%, the S&P500 fell 0.2% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.07%.Technology stocks continue to outperform this reporting season in the US with Palantir Technologies soaring 19% on Tuesday after posting a revenue beat for Q4 while music streaming platform, Spotify, rose 6% after also topping expectations and posting an increase in premium subscribers.In Europe overnight, markets rebounded to close higher as a rally for oil and gas stocks led to a positive close across markets in the region. The STOXX600 added 0.7% on Tuesday, Germany's DAX added 0.76%, the French CAC rose 0.65% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 jumped 0.9%.The local market extended losses into Tuesday's session as the tech sector, which wears the full brunt of high interest rates, plunged 1.8% after the RBA did not rule out further monetary policy tightening should inflation remain high.The RBA held the nation's cash rate at 4.35% for the month ahead at the latest meeting yesterday as was largely expected but investors were more focused on the commentary and outlook out of the RBA to gauge an idea of when rate cuts may be on the horizon.Inflation remaining at 4.1% is a good signal that it is easing faster than expected, however, it is still too early to assume inflation is under control. The RBA also outlined that higher interest rates are working to establish a more sustainable balance between aggregate supply and demand, and that the labour market in Australia, despite showing signs of easing, remains tight. Until the RBA sees a trend in inflation drivers coming under control over a material period, the likelihood is that the nation's cash rate will remain on hold at 4.35%. RBA Governor, Michele Bullock, said she expects the nation's inflation rate to fall to the target range of 2-3% by 2025.Against all odds of declining Aussie retail spend, high interest rates and high input costs, the retailers continue to surprise with resilience as investors piled into Nick Scali and Myer on Tuesday. Nick Scali reported NPAT above the guided range for the first half of FY24 despite revenue falling in the high interest rate high cost of living environment. Myer on the other hand reported growth across most metrics and expects a strong NPAT for the first half between $49m and $53m.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia for Wednesday, the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open the midweek session up 0.73%.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.6% higher at US$73.23/barrel, gold is up 0.55% at US$2035/ounce, uranium has fallen 5.66% to trade at US$100/pound, and iron ore is flat at US$130.50/tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on fashion jewellery company Lovisa (ASX:LOV) and raised the 12-month price target on the company from $25/share to $26.50 amid the growth opportunity in China representing the largest incremental market identified in the company's global store rollout strategy. Since opening the first store in China in December, the Chinese fashion jewellery market alone is estimated at a value of US$13bn or 25x that of Australia which makes the market there highly attractive and a strong growth opportunity.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 148-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price will rise from the close of $14.50 to the range of $17.20 to $17.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

In Europe overnight, markets extended the week's rally into Tuesday's session as investors assessed preliminary fourth-quarter GDP figures for the eurozone which came in at a flat reading for the third quarter, indicating the eurozone economy stabilised and narrowly missed a recession. The STOXX600 and Germany's DAX each rose 0.18% on Tuesday, while the French CAC added just under half a %, and in the UK, the FTSE100 rose 0.44%.Wall St closed mixed on Tuesday as investors look ahead to the Fed's interest rate decision on Wednesday US time with markets expecting the Fed to maintain rates at the current level and not cut prematurely. The S&P500 closed flat, the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.3% and the Nasdaq fell 0.6%.General Motors shares jumped 8% on Tuesday after the automaking giant posted better-than-expected earnings, while Starbucks shares are down in after hours trading after the coffee giant released disappointing earnings results.In Asia, markets mostly fell on Tuesday with Hong Kong's Hang Seng leading the losses as markets digested the fallout from the liquidation of embattled property developer, Evergrande.The local market is hovering in record territory with the ASX closing 0.3% higher on Tuesday as earnings season ramps up and favourable economic data boosts investor sentiment for a soft landing both at home and in the US. The tech sector took strong lead from the tech-heavy Nasdaq overnight as the local high growth sector rose almost 2% yesterday.While we are hovering around all-time index highs, it is important to realise the market gains are not across the board and some sectors are rallying against market expectations, for example China's struggling property sector would traditionally have weighed on iron ore prices as the country Australia's largest iron ore importer, however, the price of iron ore is us around US$135/tonne on expected stimulus out of the Chinese government.Megaport jumped over 29% during trade yesterday after the cloud connectivity provider said its revenue increased 5% to $48.6m in the latest quarterly update.City Chic recovered ground yesterday rising 22% as offshore buyers circle the company's North America business.Nickel Industries also soared 22% yesterday after the Indonesian-based nickel producer announced an increased dividend and unveiled a share buyback valued up to $151m.Aussie retail sales data for December out yesterday came in at a decline of 2.7% which was attributed to a few reasons. Firstly, the black Friday and cyber-Monday sales period saw $9bn spent across the four days, a 22% rise on 2022, in a sign that many Aussies snapped up the bargains ahead of the December period. Additionally, the high interest rate environment we are currently in meant a lot of Aussies continue struggling with the high cost of living thus reducing discretionary spend all together, especially in the December period.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open the midweek session flat following the mixed session on Wall St overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.4% higher at US$77.81/barrel, gold is up 0.08% at US$2033/ounce and iron ore is up 0.73% at US$138.50/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.66, 97.40 Japanese Yen, 52.10 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Mader Group (ASX:MAD) from a hold to a buy and has raised the 12-month price target on the leading provider of specialised contract labour following the release of the company's December quarter update including revenues of $189.3m, which was driven by the Australia business outperforming the rest of the world with $141m. The company also reiterated FY24 revenue and NPAT guidance and paid down net debt over the period.

Over in Europe, markets started the week lower as investors in the European region prepare for the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. The STOXX600 fell 0.5% on Monday, while Germany's DAX closed down 0.49%, the French CAC lost 0.72% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day 0.4% lower. Germany's DAX closed in the red after fresh GDP data indicated the economy contracted 0.3% in 2023 amid rising interest rates, weaker domestic and foreign demand and high inflation in the region. Despite the 0.3% contraction in the region, Germany's GDP was still 0.7% higher in 2023 than pre-pandemic in 2019.Locally on Monday, the ASX was little unchanged with the key index closing the day down just 0.03% as a 2.11% surge in energy stocks was offset by losses among materials, healthcare and utilities companies.Uranium stocks have enjoyed an extended rally into the first trading weeks of 2024 as global sentiment around nuclear energy continues to rise. Locally, Boss Energy and Palandin Energy rose over 9% and over 7% respectively on Monday.On legal battles front yesterday, Santos and Qantas had very different outcomes that led to mixed reactions from investors. Santos shares rallied almost 4% after the mining giant received the green light to push ahead with laying the pipe at its $5.8bn Timor Sea gas project, after the Federal Court judge rejected cultural and environmental evidence from a group seeking to halt the project.Qantas shares on the other hand fell 4.44% on Monday on news that the airline is engaged in another legal case with its workforce over alleged underpayment of its aircraft engineers.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session on the ASX, the local market is set to open the day 0.3% lower, taking no lead from Wall Street overnight as the U.S. was closed for the Martin Luther King Junior holiday.On the economic calendar today, we can expect Westpac's consumer confidence data for January out this morning with the expectation of a slight rise by 0.5% for the first month of the year, that's down from a 2.7% rise that ended 2023 on a high for consumers.Looking at the commodities, oil is trading 0.1% lower at US$72.61/barrel, uranium is up 1.65% at US$92.50/pound, gold is up 0.26% at US$2054/ounce and iron ore is down 2.92% at US$133/tonne amid ongoing weak economic growth fears out of China.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.67, 97.07 Japanese Yen, 52.31 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the price target on Santana Minerals (ASX:SMI) from $1.40 to $1.85 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the gold explorer and developer after the company released an update outlining it is awaiting one last batch of infill drilling results before commencing an updated Rise-and-Shine Mineral Resource Estimate. Bell Potter's re-rating follows an update on the outlook for gold price forecasts, a modification to Bell's Notional Development Scenario to confine the initial project development to an open pit mine development on the Rise-and-Shine deposit and an increase in exploration valuation to account for unutilised Mineral Resources.And Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on GrainCorp (ASX:GNC) but has slightly decreased the 12-month price target on the end-to-end grain logistics company following a review of key drivers at the end of harvest season including improved soil moisture and tighter domestic wheat premiums. The reason for the slight decline in price target is due to NPAT expectation being reduced by around 4% in FY24 on lower assumed crush margins. 

Noluthando Mthonti-Mlambo speaks to Trialogue Director, Cathy Duff about the latest annual edition of the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook which has reported that South African companies have spent an estimated R11.8 billion on corporate social investment in the 2023 financial year. The handbook reflects a continued recovery in CSI expenditure, with more than half of surveyed companies (59%) reporting an increase in CSI spend, compared to 36% in 2021. About 60% of companies determined their CSI budget as a percentage of net profit after tax (NPAT), supporting the primary reason for increases and decreases in CSI as changes in corporate profits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wall Street closed higher on Friday, extending on the November rally among equities in the US with each of the key indices posting a gain for a third straight week. The rally on Friday extended from the prior sessions on the back of softer-than-expected inflation data being released, boosting investor hopes that further rate hikes will be off the table. The Dow Jones added 0.01% on Friday while the S&P500 rose 0.13% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.08%.Shares in clothing retailer Gap soared 30% on Friday, a day after the company posted better-than-expected results for the third quarter. While on the other end of the market, EV charging network ChargePoint tanked 35% after the company announced a change up to its product suite and cut forecast for third-quarter revenue.Over in Europe, markets closed higher on Friday following the release of eurozone inflation data indicating a sharp slowdown, with October's YoY inflation reading coming in at 2.9% compared to 4.3% in September. The STOXX600 rose 1%, Germany's DAX added 0.84%, the French CAC added 0.91%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 rose 1.26% boosted by a 0.3% decline in retail sales figures to the lowest level since early 2021.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 fell 0.13% as a sharp decline in the price of oil sparked a sell-off in energy stocks, with the sector ending the day down 1.6%. Industrials and tech stocks offset some of the session's heavy losses with 0.45% and 0.43% gains respectively.Gold miners rallied on Friday on a rise in the price of the precious commodity, with Northern Star Resources, Evolution Mining and Bellevue Gold each rising over 3%.Telix Pharmaceuticals and NextGen Energy were two beneficiaries of the Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference last week after industry experts said the healthcare stock and uranium stock were undervalued and the top stock pick, respectively at the conference.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are expecting the local market to open the new trading week 0.4% higher.On the commodities front this morning, oil has rebounded to trade 4.1% higher at US$75.89/barrel, gold is down 0.04% at US$1980.01/ounce and iron ore is down 0.38% at US$132.50/tonne.1 Aussie dollar is buying 65 US cents, 97.40 Japanese Yen, 52 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Stocks trading ex-dividend today include Silk Laser Australia and Tamawood. If you've been thinking about these stocks, it might be worth considering buying in today as stocks trading ex-dividend generally trade lower on the ex-dividend date.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on GrainCorp (ASX:GNC) from $9.45 to $9.55 and maintain a buy rating on the leading Australian grain facilitation company following the release of the company's FY23 results including underlying NPAT slightly above Bell Potter expectations at $268.9m, revenue up 5% to $8.23bn which topped Bell Potter expectations and lease adjusted operating cash inflow of $534.6m, which is above the inflow of $407.1m in FY22.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on ClearView Wealth (ASX:CVW) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 278 days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $0.58 to the range of $0.69 to $0.71 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street's recent rally extended into Tuesday's session as investors welcomed the latest inflation data that came in at an annual rate of 3.2% which was below economists' expectations of 3.3% and raises investors' hopes that the Fed's rate hike campaign is coming to an end. The Dow Jones rose 1.7%, the S&P500 added 2.1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 2.5%. The 10-year US Treasury Yield also tumbled below 4.5% following the release of the soft inflation report.Banks including Bank of America and Wells Fargo rallied on hopes that the US economy could avoid a recession all together.Home Depot shares lifted nearly 6% on Tuesday following the release of better-than-expected third-quarter earnings results.Over in Europe, markets also welcomed the cooler-than-expected US inflation data, as markets in the region closed higher on Tuesday. The STOXX600 rose 1.4%, led by retail stocks rising 3.1% while oil and gas stocks fell 0.2%. Germany's DAX rose 1.76% on Tuesday, the French CAC added 1.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 lifted 0.2%.Locally yesterday, ASX closed 0.83% higher on Tuesday, despite the release of Westpac consumer confidence data for November and NAB business confidence data for October both showing declines against economists' expectations of respective rises. NAB Business confidence data for October fell a further 2 points despite business conditions edging up, driven by higher sales and profitability while employment eased. This reading indicates businesses remain cautious despite the resilience we are seeing in business conditions.Westpac consumer confidence for November also fell 2.6% in data out yesterday to 79.9 points indicating consumers are pessimistic following the RBA's latest rate hike for November placing additional financial pressures on Aussie households.Energy stocks did most of the heavy lifting on Tuesday with the sector closing 2.54% higher, boosted by Beach Energy rising 5.6%.Commonwealth Bank of Australia rallied just shy of 1% on Tuesday after Australia's largest bank released a first quarter trading update including unaudited statutory NPAT up 1% on the PCP to $2.5bn. Operating income was flat though for CBA and operating expenses were up 3%, reflecting higher costs from wage inflation and higher amortisation.Big bank earnings over the last weeks have indicated strength and resilience by the big four in FY23 and the start of FY24, with revenues boosted by the rising interest rates and the peak of respective Net Interest Margins. Multiple signs have suggested though that future revenue and earnings are likely to ease including slowing mortgage and business credit growth across the board, rising operating costs due to inflation, higher switching by customers between all accessible banks both big and small, and the net interest margin peaking during FY23.What to watch today: Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the midweek session up 1.35% following the strong rally on global markets overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.74% higher at US$78.83/barrel, gold is up 0.85% at US$1962.52/ounce and iron ore is flat at US$130.50/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 97.87 Japanese Yen, 52.03 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas: Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN) from $7.10 to $5.40 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the exploration company following the release of an update from ongoing hydrometallurgical test work programs the company has been undertaking for its 100%-owned Gonneville deposit. The results demonstrate the potential for higher recoveries to be achieved compared with those assumed in the scoping study released in August this year. The decline in price target is due to lower palladium and platinum price for

Wall St had a mixed start to the trading week with the Dow Jones adding 0.16% as traders look past the US outlook cut from Moody's. The S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq finished the day 0.08% and 0.22% lower respectively.In terms of US stocks, DaVita, Insulet and Henry Schein all gained over 7% each, with Boeing also adding 4% after Emirates announced a $52 billion order for aircraft, helping lift the Dow.Over in Europe, markets closed higher overnight with the STOXX 600 closing 0.7% higher with travel and leisure stocks leading the way, adding 1.7%. Germany's DAX gained 0.73%, the French CAC added 0.6% and over in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the trading session 0.89% in the green.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 fell 0.40% with all but the utilities sector finishing in the red. Losses were led by the energy sector and the real estate sector which lost 0.88% and 0.56% respectively.What to watch today: The Australian share market is set to open higher, with the SPI futures suggesting a rise of 0.86% at the open this morning.In terms of economic data today,Westpac consumer confidence change will be released at 9:30am this morning with a forecast of a 0.7% lowering from the 2.9% in October. And later on tonight, over in the US, core inflation data is set to be released with a consensus to maintains its previous result of 4.1%.On the commodities front this morning, Oil is up 1.60% to 78 US dollars and 40 cents a barrel with OPEC increasing its 2023 global oil demand growth forecast to 2.46 million barrels per day. Gold is up half a percent to 1946 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is up 0.38% to 130 US dollars and 50 cents a tonne. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Elders (ASX:ELD) and has increased its price target to $8.35. The buy rating is maintained by Bell Potter following the release of FY23 results with underlying NPAT ahead of expectations at $103.7m, raising NPAT forecasts in FY24 by 13% and 15% in FY25.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal in Grange Resources (ASX:GRR), indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $0.51 to the range of $0.53-$0.55, on a pattern formed over 29 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed lower on Tuesday, led by the Nasdaq falling 1.04% in its first losing session in three days as Oracle shares plunged 13% on weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue and guidance. The S&P500 fell 0.57% and the Dow Jones fell in afternoon trade to close 0.05% lower after trading higher all day. Chevron shares rallied almost 2% on strength in the price of oil to offset some of the losses for the Dow Jones on Tuesday. Apple shares were also lower in afternoon trade after the tech giant unveiled a new iPhone model this afternoon in US time. Investor attention in the US is focused this week on key inflation data which will be released on Wednesday US time as it will give an indication into how the US economic inflation is faring and provide further support for the Fed to either raise or hold rates at the next FOMC meeting.In Europe, markets closed mixed across the board on Tuesday ahead of key economic data released later this week. The STOXX600 fell 0.2%, Germany's DAX fell 0.54%, the French CAC lost 0.35% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 rose 0.41%.UK average earnings data released overnight showed regular pay excluding bonuses in the UK went up 7.8% YoY in the three months to July, which is the same reading as the prior quarter and the highest regular growth rate since comparable records began in 2001, in a sign inflation remains high in the region.The local market has rallied across the first two sessions of this week amid a rise in staple and financial stocks over the two trading sessions. On Tuesday, the ASX200 rose 0.20% led by materials stocks lifting 0.9% on a 3% rise in the price of iron ore following better-than-expected economic data out of China in the form of total credit growth climbing in August 2023, marking the first month-on-month acceleration since March.It was a big day for lithium miners yesterday with some mining giants making key strategic moves that had investors excited. Delta Lithium shares jumped almost 6.5% after Mineral Resources founder and CEO joined Delta Lithium's board as non-executive chairman, and Mineral Resources increased its shareholding in Delta to 17.4%.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the local market to open the midweek session down 0.29%.On the commodities front this morning, oil continues to strengthen, trading up 1.70% at US$88.77/barrel, gold is down just shy of half a percent at US$1913/ounce and iron ore is up 3% at US$120/tonne on the back of that favourable economic data out of China reigniting demand outlook for iron ore from the region.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.64, 94.48 Japanese Yen, 51.28 British Pence and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on EROAD (ASX:ERD) from a hold to a buy whilst lowering the 12-month price target from $1.25 to $0.90 amid forecasting for the NZ$50m capital raising and the subsequent impact to NPAT that is expected by Bell Potter's analyst. Bell Potter questions the decision to raise equity capital at such a sharp discount to the last close – especially after the EROAD board rejected the non-binding indicative offer of NZ$1.30/share from Brillian APAC, but the Bell's analyst does recognise the much-strengthened balance sheet which now removes risk of another capital raise in the short term.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Boral (ASX:BLD) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 9-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $4.65 to the range of $4.13 to $4.23 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

US equities advanced on Wednesday as investors digested the release of fresh economic data. Annual GDP growth in the US was downwardly revised on Wednesday from the previously forecast 2.4% to 2.1% growth. This came alongside US payrolls data showing private employers added 177,000 jobs in August which was below the Dow Jones estimate of 200,000, but adds a further sign of the U.S. economy doing it tough in the high interest rate environment.The S&P500 advanced 0.38% in its fourth straight winning session, the Nasdaq rose 0.54% and the Dow Jones added 0.11%. Tech stocks bolstered the gains on Wednesday after chipmaker and 2023 market darling Nvidia announced an expansion of its partnership with Google.Over in Europe, markets closed mostly marginally lower on Wednesday as investors responded to the release of economic data out of Spain and Germany. Spain reported flash inflation rate data rose 2.6% YoY in August which was in line with expectations, while Germany reported a 13.2% drop in imports in the year to July, the sharpest drop since 1987. The STOXX600 fell 0.2%, Germany's DAX lost 0.24%, the French CAC fell 0.12%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 added 0.12%.The local market closed 1.21% higher on Wednesday as investor sentiment was boosted by Australia's CPI indicator data cooling to growth of 4.9% in the 12-months to July. Industrials and healthcare stocks posted the biggest gains on Wednesday, while Real Estate stocks also rose 1.31% on the hopes of fewer or no further interest rate hikes in Australia as inflation continues to cool.Australia's monthly Consumer Price Index indicator rose by 4.9% in the year to July from a 5.4% rise in June and below market expectations of a 5.2% rise last month. Although it is still above the RBA's target range of 2-3%, it is showing strong signs of cooling which provides support for the RBA to ease its rate hike stance.Plus-size fashion retailer City chic tumbled 4.4% on Wednesday after posting a 17.2% slide in sales over FY23, while Brambles rose 7.1% after the supply chain solutions specialist reported a 10% rise in revenue, a 19% increase in profit after tax and a 15% lift in the company's dividend to 26.25UScps.Regional Express REX released FY23 results yesterday which sent the share price down nearly 3% despite the company reporting a statutory profit after tax of $14.4m, compared to a loss of $46.1m in the PCP. The result was boosted by a $44.5m contribution from REX's 50% acquisition of National Jet Express during the year.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia the ASX is set to open Thursday's session up 0.06%.On the commodities front this morning oil is up 0.6% at US$81.63/barrel, gold is up 0.36% at US$1944/ounce, and iron ore is flat at US$115.50/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 94.61 Japanese Yen, 50.97 British Pence and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Paragon Care (ASX:PGC) from a hold to a buy and maintain a 26 cents per share price target on the healthcare equipment, devices and consumables provider following the release of the company's FY23 results that included revenue up 24% to $307.6m, EBITDA margin up 12.5% driven mainly by acquisitions, and reported NPAT increased 89% to $13.6m. Revenue from the devices business increased 14% despite headwinds in reimbursements paid by the prosthesis list. Bell Potter upgraded the company to a buy as it expects further organic growth in FY24 and acceleration of growth in FY25.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 30-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $0.69 to the range of $0.91 to $0.97 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed in the green on Tuesday as investors begin buying into the August dip, especially in the technology space. The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 1.74% on Tuesday, in its best session since June, while the Dow Jones rose 0.85% and the S&P500 added 1.45%. Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio fell 5.8% on Tuesday after posting a wider quarterly loss than expected. Best Buy shares rallied nearly 6% on Tuesday after the retailer's second quarter results beat on both top and bottom lines.In Europe, markets closed higher on Tuesday amid positive global momentum and as investors look ahead to a fresh round of economic data out later this week. The STOXX600 rose 1% on Tuesday, Germany's DAX added 0.88%, the French CAC lifted 0.67% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 had the biggest rally of 1.72%.The local market closed 0.71% higher on Tuesday driven by a 1.6% rally for materials stocks while the consumer discretionary sector rose 1.42%. Healthcare and technology stocks were the only two sectors to close yesterday's session lower.Sayona Mining soared over 26% on Tuesday as investors bought back into the lithium producer following a 30% drop on Monday after the shock departure of managing director and CEO, Brett Lynch.Mineral Resources rose 8% on Tuesday after the mining giant released strong FY23 results including its full year dividends rising 90% on FY22 to $1.90/share. EML Payments also had a very strong day on Tuesday following the release of the payments company's FY23 results. Despite the company reporting a net loss of $248.8m, revenue rose 9% to a record $254.2m which was above the company's guidance range.We are nearing the end of reporting season and as of yesterday, 272 companies have reported with 89 beating expectations, 103 falling in-line with expectations and 80 missing expectations. 38 companies have been upgraded by brokers and 36 have been downgraded. Some key trends we have seen this reporting season include exposure to China is hurting outlook for companies operating in this region, retailers who reduced inventory over the last financial year showed resilience in FY23, and healthcare valuations continue to decline amid slowing earnings growth outlook.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open the midweek session up 0.66% on the back of the US rally overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.26% higher at US$81.13/barrel, gold is up almost 1% at US$1936/ounce and iron ore is down 1.7% at US$115.50/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 94.44 Japanese Yen, 50.97 British Pence and NZ1.09.Trading IdeasBell Potter has maintained a hold rating on LGI (ASX:LGI) and decreased the 12-month price target from $2.77 to $2.32 per share following the market leader in the recovery of biogas from landfills, FY23 results. While the company reported FY23 results largely in-line with Bell Potter estimates if not slightly ahead, the hold rating is maintained, and price target decreased based on commodity pricing updates and downward revisions to Bell Potter's forecast biogas volume growth.Bell Potter has also maintained a buy rating on Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) and increased the price target on the rare earths miner from $7.80 to $8.50 following the release of the company's FY23 results which saw the business deliver NPAT of $310m which exceeded Bell Potter's expectations of $292m even though Lynas faced production issues in Q1 and the NdPr prices were weaker. Lynas also increased Capex as inflationary and time pressure mounts on the Kalgoorlie project, however the company also announced the installation of 9 thousand tonnes per annum of NdPr equivalent of increased capacity at Kalgoorlie.

Wall Street closed higher on Friday as investors welcomed comments made by Fed Chair Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole symposium regarding stronger economic growth than expected.The Nasdaq advanced almost 1% on Friday while the S&P500 rose 0.7% and the Dow Jones also lifted 0.7%. Over in Europe, markets closed mixed on Friday ahead of the European Central Bank President's speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium in Wyoming over the weekend. On Friday, the STOXX600 fell 0.04%, Germany's DAX rose 0.07%, the French CAC added 0.21% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 rose 0.07%.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 fell 0.93%, weighed down by the tech sector falling 2.51%, while consumer staples and consumer discretionary stocks were the only to sectors to finish the final trading session of the week in the green. Lovisa rose 6.3% on Friday after the fashion jewellery retailer released strong FY23 results including revenue up 30% to $596.5m and net profit lifting 16.7% to $68.2m. While the results fell short of Bell Potter expectations, investors appeared impressed with the company's report. Wesfarmers also rallied 3.2% on Friday after also releasing strong FY23 results led by a surge in revenue for Kmart and NPAT up 4.8% in FY23 against a slowing consumer spend environment. Another inclusion for Wesfarmers was the announcement of a 6.1% rise in the full year dividend.What to watch today: Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open Monday's session up 0.28%.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.57% higher at US$80.29/barrel, gold is down 0.11% at US$1915/ounce and iron ore is up 1.3% at US$117.50/tonne.Stocks trading ex-dividend today include Coronado Global Resources (ASX:CRN), Challenger (ASX:CGF), Domino's Pizza (ASX:DMP), Santos (ASX:STO) and Aurizon (ASX:AZJ). If you've been thinking about these stocks, it might be worth considering buying in today, as stocks trading ex-dividend generally trade lower on the ex-dividend date.Australian preliminary retail sales data for July is out today with consensus expecting a rise of 0.3% for the month, up from a 0.8% fall in June which if the reading comes in-line with or above expectations, we could see a rally for consumer discretionary stocks today as this will indicate Aussie's are still spending despite the high cost-of-living environment.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.64, 93.84 Japanese Yen, 50.84 British Pence and NZ$1.08. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has slightly decreased the price target on Cobram Estate Olives (ASX:CBO) from $1.75 to $1.70 and maintain a buy rating on the specialised olive oil producer and marketer following the release of the company's FY23 results which came in line with expectations including 31% growth in revenue, and a key highlight was US NPAT of $7.7m which compares to a $0.7m loss in FY22. The outlook provided includes the expectation for sales to remain positive in FY24 both in the US and Australia, sufficient olive oil inventory levels despite lower-than-expected FY23 crop, and US harvest is expected to be materially higher than FY23. The reason for the price target decrease is as Bell Potter does not see the current share price as reflecting the inbuilt value upside of the farming and processing assets, and the inbuilt growth that is likely to emerge in the brand as company owned and third-party oil production lifts.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Ingenia Communities Group (ASX:INA) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 59-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $3.97 to the range of $3.25 to $3.40 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St fell sharply on Thursday, despite a tech rally which was led by a stronger than expected results from chipmaker Nvidia. The S&P 500 finished the day 1.35% lower, which was followed by the Dow Jones and the tech heavy Nasdaq losing 1.08% and 1.87% respectively.Nvidia's share price reached an all time high after its revenue and earnings significantly exceeded analysts' expectations. The tech giant has also raised guidance with analysts' predicting third quarter revenue to climb to $16 billion US dollars.The S&P500's information technology sector performed poorly on Thursday, ending the day down 2.15%. Shares of major tech companies such as Amazon and Apple finished lower by 2.7% and 2.6%.Over in Europe, markets ended lower on Thursday as tech stocks fell by 2.3%. The STOXX600 ended the day 0.4% lower, with the financial services sector slightly offsetting losses, gaining 0.5%. Germany's DAX closed 0.68% lower while the French CAC also ended the day 0.44% lower. This was slightly offset by the UK's FTSE 100 which ended 0.18% in the green on Thursday.Locally yesterday, the ASX 200 closed 0.47% higher on the back of strong results from the info tech sector which finished the day 4.2% higher. This was further supported by the financial sector and energy sector closing the day 1.04% and 0.89% higher respectively. This was offset by the consumer staples sector which closed 1.09% lower on Thursday.What to watch: The Australian share market is set to open lower, with the SPI futures suggesting a fall of 1.28% at the open this morning.On the commodities front this morning,Oil is up by 0.1% to 78 US dollars and 96 cents a barrel after deteriorating economic situations in China.Gold is up 0.15% higher to 1915 US dollars an ounce as markets have scaled back bets on further tightening from the Federal Reserve. And iron ore is up 2.22% to 115 US dollars a tonne after renewed bets of stronger demand form steel producers.Trading Ideas: Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Alkane Resources (ASX:ALK) and maintain a price target of $1.05 on the company after Alkane's underlying NPAT grew 19% to $42.1m on 5% growth in gold production. Bell Potter's analyst says that with upside of 57.9% from the closing share price, the buy rating is maintained in accordance to the rating structure.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal in Tabcorp Holdings (ASX:TAH), following the formation of a pattern formed over 20 days, which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise form the close of $1.09 to the range of $1.13-$1.15, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Tuesday amid investor concerns over rising bond yields, sentiment wavering ahead of a key speech later this week from Fed Chair Jerome Powell and on key banking downgrades out of S&P Global. Several regional banks including KeyCorp and Comerica fell 4% on Tuesday after S&P Global cut credit ratings on several banks citing ‘tough operating conditions' as the reason for the downgrade. The S&P500 fell 0.3% on Tuesday while the Dow Jones lost 0.5% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted a small gain at the closing bell.Rising bond yields are placing pressure and adding further downside to equities in the US, with cash and short-dated bonds yielding 5% plus, thus attracting investors to the returns received from bonds over equities at these current levels.And in Europe, markets closed higher across the region on Tuesday as a rise in technology stocks boosted gains across the board. French game maker Ubisoft Entertainment rose 9% after Microsoft said it would divest several gaming rights to the company as part of a new deal submitted to UK regulators for its takeover of Activision Blizzard, according to CNBC. Investors are also monitoring European natural gas prices which saw a sharp rise earlier this week amid threat of strike action in Australia which could disrupt 10% of the world's LNG flows. The STOXX600 rose 0.7% on Tuesday while Germany's DAX added 0.66%, the French CAC rose 0.59% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 lifted 0.18%.The local market rose just 0.09% on Tuesday following a half a percent loss on Monday as the market volatility driven by global market moves and macroeconomic news out of China continues to impact investor sentiment. China's sluggish recovery continues to go from bad to worse with weak retail sales and manufacturing output data providing further indication that the world's second largest economy is struggling to regain momentum post pandemic. With no material stimulus to support recovery coming out of the Chinese government yet aside from some slight interest rate cuts and hub-support, the economy is looking to continue its deflation journey over months to come.Heavy losses among consumer staples and information technology stocks on Tuesday were offset by strength in the consumer discretionary and energy sectors. IRESS tanked 36% while Premier Investments and Breville led the gains, adding 12% and 9% respectively.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia, the SPI futures are expecting the ASX to open the midweek session down 0.24%.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.38% lower at US$79.80/barrel, gold is up 0.18% at US$1897/ounce and iron ore is up almost half a percent at US$109/tonne.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.64, 93.68 Japanese Yen, 50.04 British Pence and NZ$1.08Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the price target on Mader Group (ASX:MAD) from $6.10 to $6.90 and maintain a hold rating on the leading provider of specialised contract labour for maintenance of heavy mobile equipment in the resources and civil industries, following the release of the company's FY23 results including revenue up 51% YoY to $608.8m, EBITDA up 57% to $75.1m and underlying NPAT up 48% YoY to $38.5m. Mader Group also expects FY24 revenue of at least $770m and NPAT of at least $50m implying material growth in the new financial year.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Terracom (ASX:TER) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 45-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $0.48 to the range of $0.55 to $0.57 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street extended its red run into Wednesday as investors digested the latest FOMC meeting minutes that included some Fed officials saying further rate hikes may be needed to bring inflation down to the target. The meeting minutes also outlined the current robustness in the economy shown through recent third quarter GDP estimates and retail sales data are not what the Fed wants to see. The Dow Jones fell just over half a percent on Wednesday, the S&P500 lost 0.76% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 1.15%.TJX Companies rose 4% after the discount retailer beat Wall St expectations for Q2, while Target rallied 4% even after the retailer cut its full-year earnings forecast and second quarter sales fell short of expectations.Over in Europe, markets closed lower in the region as investors assessed the latest inflation data out of the UK. The reading of inflation came in at 6.8%, which was a sharp decline from 7.9% in June mainly due to a slump in fuel prices. This reading was in line with expectations which poses a headache for the Bank of England as inflation is showing signs of cooling but wages growth yesterday continues to rise.Locally, the ASX fell 1.5% on Wednesday after taking lead from the US on Tuesday and as investors digested the latest slew of poor economic data out of China indicating the economic recovery in the region remains sluggish. Information technology stocks took the biggest hit locally yesterday, though every sector closed the midweek session in the red.Endeavour Group fell over 4% on Wednesday despite the company reporting FY23 results that fell short of analysts' expectations. Investors may have sold out after the company failed to issue outlook for FY24 but FY23 turned out strong with NPAT up 6.9% to $529m and the full year dividend up 7.9% to 21.8cps.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open 0.32% lower, extending yesterday's losses into Thursday's trading session.On the commodities front this morning oil is down 1.99% at US$79.38/barrel, gold is down 0.53% at US$1891.55/ounce and iron ore is up almost half a percent at US$104/tonne.AU$1.00 US$0.64, 93.95 Japanese yen, 51.22 British pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the price target on Life360 (ASX:360) from $9.25 to $10.50 and maintain a buy rating on the location services and hardware technology company following the release of the company's first half results including revenue and adjusted EBITDA beating Bell Potter expectations. Life360 also announced total paying circles were up 62,000 quarter-on-quarter which nearly doubled what BP was expecting and cash as at June 30 was $64.2m which also beat forecasts.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Australian Clinical Labs (ASX:ACL) following the formation of a pattern over a period 58-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $3.27 to the range of $3.71 to $3.81 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

ASX 200 closed up 63 to 7358 (+0.9%), rising for its seventh consecutive session, supported by interest rate cuts out of China propping up commodities as well as positive RBA meeting minutes that revealed policymakers were less hawkish on more rate hikes than previously thought. Energy and mining stocks led the advance today, WDS rose 2.2%, STO up 2.3%, BHP +1.3%, and PLS +2.5%. REITS did well, up 1.3%, buoyed by a less hawkish RBA, SCG up 1.5%, GMG up 1.0% and VCX gaining 1.6%. Banks stronger, with the Big Bank Basket up to $173.35 rising 1.2%. NAB leading the charge up 1.7%. WBC also in demand up 1.3% with insurers doing ok, QBE up 1.6% and SUN better by 1.6%. Tech rode the broad market rally. All-Tech Index up 0.3%, CPU up 0.7% and XRO rose 1.4%. Defensive sectors outperformed. Healthcare stocks were mixed, CSL off 0.3% and RMD up 0.4%. Industrials were strong today, WOW up 1.0%, and ALL up 1.6%. Lots on the corporate front today, BST -0.3% reported an 11.7% fall in sales and significantly reduced NPAT guidance for H2 FY23, ASX +1.0% on management restructure, LLL +4.2% upgraded resource estimates by 48.2%, WDS +2.2% invests in Trion oil project in Mexico, LRS announced a 241% increase in resource estimate for the Colina Deposit, and ZIP -1.1% gained approval from convertible note holders to amend terms allowing the company to reduce its debt by $192m. In economic news, the PBoC slashed two key lending rates for the first time since August 2022 in line with expectations. One-year LPR lowered 10bps. Asian markets are down, Japan down 0.3%, HK down 1.7%, and China off 0.2%. Long-dated bond yields rise while the 2Y yield fell, Australian 10Y yield up to 4.01%. Bitcoin up 0.62%. Dow Jones futures down 141 points, and Nasdaq futures down 41 points. Why not sign up for a free trial? Get access to expert insights and research and become a better investor.Make life simple. Invest with Marcus Today.

US markets are set to rally on Monday following the conclusion of a length negotiations process over raising the U.S. debt ceiling which finally concluded on Saturday (US time). Stocks in the US rallied on Friday as investors grew hopeful of an outcome in the debt ceiling negotiations between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The Dow Jones rose 1%, the S&P500 added 1.3%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rallied 2.2%. On Saturday night in the US, President Biden and Kevin McCarthy held a 90-minute-long phone call to discuss the deal where a compromise was reached and an agreement in principle has been decided. House speaker Kevin McCarthy expects congress to pass the debt deal, which is called a compromise and is good for the country because according to Biden, ‘it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastates and millions of jobs lost'.And over in Europe, markets closed higher as investors looked ahead to a crucial weekend for the U.S. debt ceiling negotiations. Technology stocks in the region rallied late in the week following the release of chipmaker Nvidia's strong results. Germany's DAX rose 1.2% on Friday, the French CAC rose 1.24% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 added 0.74%.The local index closed 0.23% higher on Friday, buoyed by a rally for technology stocks, also on the back of Nvidia's strong results which fuelled a rally for tech stocks around the world. Investor appetite is also growing for technology stocks as rate hike pauses and potential cuts are on the horizon in the future. Materials stocks also had a strong end to the week with the sector rising 0.93% on Friday on a solid rebound in the price of iron ore which has been slammed lately on weakened demand outlook out of China.What to watch today:Ahead of the local trading session here in Australia, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open almost 1% higher, driven by a boost in sentiment as debt ceiling negotiations come to a close.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.86% higher at US$73.32/barrel, coal is flat at US$160/tonne, gold is up 0.14% at US$1943/ounce and iron ore is up 3.55% at US$102/tonne.Stocks trading ex-dividend today include Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure and Infratil. If you've been thinking about these stocks it might be worth considering buying in today as stocks trading ex-dividend generally trade lower on the ex-dividend date.AU$1.00 is buying US$0.65, 91.83 Japanese Yen, 52.8 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the price target on Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE) from $15.25 to $15 but maintain a buy rating on the leading automotive retailer following the release of the company's trading update at its AGM which was slightly below Bell Potter expectations with underlying NPAT before tax for the first four months of the year only in line with the PCP. Bell Potter expects a stronger H2 due to further improvement in deliveries from the big three – Toyota, Mitsubishi and Mazda as well as BYD.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on APM Human Services International (ASX:APM) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 17-days which is roughly the same amount time the share price may rise from the close of $2.04 to $2.14 to $2.18 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

ASX 200closed up 10 points to 7267 (+0.1%) rebounding from a midday slump. Gold stocks performed well today, as gold prices rose above $2,010 snapping a three-day decline spurred on by safe-haven buying. NCM up 1.5%, after accepting Newmont's takeover offer, NST +2.9%, EVN +4.2%, and PRU +2.9%. Financials weighed on the market, The Big Bank Basket down to $169.62 (-0.8%) ANZ off 4.0% ex dividend,, MQG down 2.4% as it went ex dividend too and CBA slipped 0.5%. Interest rate sensitive tech stocks lower, All-Tech Index down 0.5% hampered by SQ2 down 2.7% and REA off 1.7%. Lithium stocks were mostly down, PLS -1.1%, AKE -1.9%, LTR +1.4%, while SYA rose 4.7%.  Oil stocks fell on lower crude prices, WHC off 0.7% and NHC down 1.0%. REITs firmed despite a rise in bond yields GMG up 1.1% and CHC up 2.8%. Healthcare and insurers mixed, CSL +0.5%, RMD -0.5%, QBE +1.1%, and SUN off 0.8%. Elsewhere, MYR down 8.1%, WAM off 5.8% and CXL falling 7.7% as money found a way back into resource stocks. In corporate news, ELD tumbled 13.3% after reporting a 46.5% fall in NPAT and a dividend cut. ALL acquires NeoGames for $1.5bn, up 2.1%. IVC +12.1% received a revised offer from TPG Capital and PBH fell 21.1% after announcing it has entered into a binding agreement to sell its US business to Fanatics Betting for $222m. In economic news, private house approvals in Australia fell 2.8% MoM on a seasonally adjusted basis after an 11.3% in February, WA the only state that saw an increase of 8.7%. Asian markets up, Japan up 0.9% and HK up 2.0% with China up 0.2%. Australia 10Y yield up 10bps to 3.42%. Bitcoin up 1.51%. Dow Jones futures up 53 points and Nasdaq futures up 20 points. Why not sign up for a free trial? Get access to expert insights and research and become a better investor. Make life simple. Invest with Marcus Today.

Wall Street closed mixed on Wednesday after US inflation data for April was released showing the CPI rose 4.9%, the lowest level since April 2021, which was also lower than economists' expectations of a 5% rise. The reading remains above the Fed's target zone however is a sign that that aggressive rate hike strategy so far, but the fed is starting to have an effect in cooling economic growth. Over in Europe, markets closed lower as investors in the region digested the latest inflation report out of the U.S. Technology stocks in Europe rose as investors in the region, like in the U.S., saw the inflation reading as a positive sign for high growth stocks, while investors also await an interest rate decision out of the Bank of England today, which is expected to be a 12th consecutive rate hike.The local market closed 0.12% lower on Wednesday, as a near 1% rise for healthcare stocks was offset by losses in the financials and communication services sectors. Healthcare stocks were boosted by the release of the Australian Budget on Tuesday with the inclusion of through $3.5bn to triple the bulk-billing incentive that GPs receive, and hundreds of millions to better coordinate healthcare through digitisation of records and increasing Medicare rebates. The government has also promised $263.8m over 4-years for a new lung cancer screening program, $113 million for the National Immunisation Program, and $445.1m for the Workforce Incentive Program to help practices employ nurses and other health professionals.The local financial sector had a lacklustre Wednesday possibly due to a few reasons. Firstly, National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB) and Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) went ex-dividend yesterday, which generally means the stock will trade lower on the ex-dividend date. Westpac (ASX:WBC) goes ex-dividend today and ANZ Group (ASX:ANZ) trades ex-dividend on the 15th May so we might see some slides in their respective share prices on those key dates.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.24% lower at US$72.80/barrel, gold is down just 0.24% at US$2029/ounce and iron ore is flat at US$107/tonne.On the economic data front today, Westpac Consumer Confidence data for May is released with the market expecting a decline from 85.8 points in April to 82.1 points in May amid ongoing rate hikes out of the RBA and tough economic conditions. China's inflation rate data for April is also released today with consensus expecting a decline to 0.4% from 0.7% in March. And the Bank of England will release its interest rate decision, with the market expecting a 25-basis point rate hike to be announced.The Aussie dollar is buying US$0.68, 91.07 Japanese Yen, 53.6 British Pence and NZ$1.06.Stocks trading ex-dividend today include Westpac Banking Corporation and Challenger. If you've been thinking about these stocks, it might be worth considering buying in today as stocks trading ex-dividend generally trade lower on the ex-dividend date.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has decreased its price target on Appen (ASX:APX) from $2.25 to $2.05 and maintain a sell rating on the AI data services tech company after the company released a trading update saying ‘'the challenging external operating and macroeconomic conditions that were notes at the FY22 result have persisted into FY23' and included results for the first four months of the year of NPAT dropping 24.7% and revenue down 21.4%.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX:CWY) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 51-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $2.67 to the range of $2.90 to $2.96 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

ASX 200 closed down 12 to 7264 (-0.2%) snapping a two-day advance, weighed down by energy stocks. Banks hold onto yesterday's gains, with the Big Bank Basket back to $170.47 climbing 0.4%. NAB EX-DIVIDEND TOMORROW. WBC EX-DIVIDEND THURSDAY. ANZ and MQG EX DIVIDEND ON MONDAY. CBA +0.2%, ANZ +0.7%, NAB +1.0% and WBC +0.1%, MQG +2.3%. Oil prices were up 2.54% overnight but BHP, STO, and BPT found no love, falling 0.6%, 0.4%, and 0.7% respectively. Energy stocks posted notable losses, WDS down 0.2%, STX slipped 4.4%, and KAR off 3.7%. Gold stocks having a bad day as the US dollar rises. NCM -0.7%, EVN -0.5%, and AGG -1.3%. REITS sector leads the fall today, down 1.5% as bond yields rise. Tech stocks on the nose, SQ2 down 1.8%, WTC -0.2%, XRO -1.1%, CPU -0.1%, NXT -0.1%. Defensive sectors underperform. Utilities -0.3%, healthcare -0.6%, Staples -0.3%. Lithium stocks find support again, MIN +2.9%, PLS +2.0%, and AKE up 2.8%. In corporate news, CBA released their Q3 results, NIM down 2%, NPAT up 1%, and non-interest income up 11%. All the banks have now reported. In economic news, Australian retail trade rose 0.4% MoM in line with expectations. The Federal Budget is released at 7:30 pm tonight, expecting a $1bn surplus. China's imports fell by 7.9% YoY to US$205.21bn, while exports increased by 8.5% YoY to US$295.42bn, resulting in a trade surplus of US$90.21bn, higher than market expectations of US$71.6bn. Asian markets mixed, Japan up 1.3% and HK down 0.9% with China down 0.3%. 10Y yield up 6bps to 3.45%. Bitcoin down 0.65%. Dow Jones futures down 32 points and Nasdaq futures down 17 points.Why not sign up for a free trial? Get access to expert insights and research and become a better investor.

The global banking crisis took an historical turn this morning with investment bank, UBS, agreeing to buy Credit Suisse Group in a deal worth $4.5 billion to restore investor confidence in the global banking sector. The crisis worsened on Friday after a fourth bank, the First Republic bank, received a US$30 billion lifeline from a group of big banks including Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, after customers began withdrawing their deposits from First Republic bank amid the collapse of SVB. Shares in First Republic Bank tumbled 33% on Friday to close the week down 72%. On Friday, the Dow Jones closed 1.2% lower, the S&P500 fell 1.1% and the Nasdaq closed down 0.74%. For the week though the Nasdaq rose 4.41% as investors bet on technology and growth stocks ahead of the FOMC meeting this week.Over in Europe, markets closed lower on Friday as investors digest the fallout from Credit Suisse accepting financial help to stabilise the banking system. Germany's DAX fell 1.33% on Friday while the French CAC lost 1.43% and in the UK the FTSE100 shed just over 1%.In Australia, markets closed 0.42% higher on Friday but 2.1% down for the week as the local index was caught up in the global banking crisis driven sell-off. What to watch today:In commodities, oil Is trading 2.36% lower at US$66.74/barrel, gold is up almost 3.6% at US$1988.08 and iron ore is flat at US$132/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly strengthened to buy US$0.67, 88.53 Japanese Yen, 54.89 British Pence and NZ$1.07.Ahead of the local trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX to open 1.4% lower as investor sentiment continues to ride on the unfolding global banking crisis.Stocks trading ex-dividend today include HUB24 (ASX:HUB), Adairs (ASX:ADH), and Duratec (ASX:DUR). If you've been thinking about these stocks it might be worth considering buying in today as stocks trading ex-dividend generally trade lower on the ex-dividend date.Trading Ideas: Bell Potter has downgraded its price target on Synlait Milk (ASX:SM1) from $4 to $3.20 but maintain a buy rating on the company. The downgrade in price target comes after the company downwardly revised FY23 NPAT expectations relative to market expectations ahead of its 1H23 result. NPAT guidance has been downwardly projected to now be $15-$25m NZ dollars, which is much lower than Bell Potter's expectations of a forecasted NZ$35.8m and consensus expectations of NZ$50m. Major drivers of the change in NPAT forecast from the company have been attributed to order deferrals from major IMF customers, inflationary cost pressures, lower milk production and higher working capital costs.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Ansell (ASX:ANN), following the formation of a pattern over a period of 40-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $26.14 to the range of $20.90 to $21.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.03.17.533218v1?rss=1 Authors: Armstrong, C., Passanisi, V. J., Ashraf, H. M., Spencer, S. L. Abstract: Faithful DNA replication requires that cells fine-tune their histone pool in coordination with cell-cycle progression. Replication-dependent histone biosynthesis is initiated at a low level upon cell-cycle commitment, followed by a burst at the G1/S transition, but it remains unclear how exactly the cell regulates this change in histone biosynthesis as DNA replication begins. Here, we use single-cell timelapse imaging to elucidate the mechanisms by which cells modulate histone production during different phases of the cell cycle. We find that CDK2-mediated phosphorylation of NPAT at the Restriction Point triggers histone transcription, which results in a burst of histone mRNA precisely at the G1/S phase boundary. Excess soluble histone protein further modulates histone abundance by promoting the degradation of histone mRNA for the duration of S phase. Thus, cells regulate their histone production in strict coordination with cell-cycle progression by two distinct mechanisms acting in concert. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

In New York overnight, equities gained in the final hour of trading, as Treasury yields rose. US markets started the week on a positive note, ahead of a busy week of economic news. Important catalysts with week include congressional testimony on Tuesday and Wednesday from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who will speak about how the central bank is thinking about inflation and rate hikes going forward. Also, the US awaits their February jobs report out this week as well. European markets were flat after modest early-session gains, with mining stocks down the most. China has announced a growth target of 5% this year. It's viewed as a modest target, with Citi analysts announcing it is “disappointing to some investors” and falls short of their expectation. The 5% target is also below last year's target of around 5.5%, when the country had its zero-covid policy. This saw the Aussie dollar drift lower. What to watch today: The SPI futures are suggesting the Australian market will drop 0.26% at the open this morning. The key economic announcement is watch out for today is the RBA's interest rate decision, so this could see our dollar rise again, as its widely expected the RBA will deliver its 10th straight interest rate hike. The announcement will be at 2:30pm AEDT today, when the cash rate is expected to rise to 3.6%. In commodities, Oil is rallying, extending gains for the fifth session as a weaker US dollar boosted the appeal of greenback-priced commodities, and offsetting concerns about China's demand and economic growth targets. So, keep watch of energy producers. Gold is lower ahead of the US Fed chief testimony, and iron ore is trading flat. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintain a HOLD rating on PWR Holdings (ASX:PWH), a leading provider of customised cooling solutions to the global motorsports and automotive industry. Bell Potter reviewed their forecasts after the release of the company's H1 results last month, and have made some modest changes, including increasing FY24 and FY25 revenue forecasts and reducing NPAT forecasts. They have decreased their price target by 2% to $10.75 for the earnings changes, as well as market movements and time creep. Bell Potter have upgraded their recommendation on Arafura Rare Earths (ASX:ARU) from a Hold to a Speculative BUY. Their valuation remains unchanged at $0.72, which at ARU's current share price of $0.55, implies 32% share price growth in a year. 

US equities closed in the green overnight, trying to recover some ground after the Wall Street had its worst week of the year. The Dow gained 0.2%, the S&P500 up 0.3% and the Nasdaq rose 0.6%. These moves came as Treasury yields eased, following a jump on Friday. We're seeing a renewed focus on inflation and again seeing rates driving equities. Investors are also looking ahead to another week in retail earnings. European equities were also higher, with all major benchmarks in positive territory. And the European Central Bank has stated that it'll be hiking rates by another 50 basis points in March, so investors are preparing for that announcement this month. What to watch today:The Australian market is looking to start the day higher. The SPI futures are suggesting a rise of 0.47% at the open. Reporting season is wrapping up today with the final list of companies set to release their earnings reports today. Some of these companies include DGL Group (ASX:DGL), Mach7 Technologies (ASX:M7T) and Tyro Payments (ASX:TYR). So, with one day to go, this reporting season we've seen 268 companies report their earnings. 80 of these beat expectations, 107 were in line with expectations, and 81 companies missed expectations. It's also been a busy month for brokers – we saw a total of 50 rating upgrades and 38 rating downgrades. Keep watch of the stock going ex-dividend today, as this often sees their share prices fall as investors take their profits. These include Amcor (ASX:AMC), Accent Group (ASX:AX1), Bega Cheese (ASX:BGA), Domino's Pizza (ASX:DMP), Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN), Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) and Worley (ASX:WOR). In commodities, oil is down, as lingering concerns about a recession-driven demand downturn offset prospects of tighter global supplies. Gold is higher, however still hovering at its weakest level in two months, and iron ore has dropped more than 1.5%, so watch iron ore stocks today. Trading Ideas: Bell Potter have a Hold rating on Appen (ASX:APX) and have lowered their price target from $3 to $2.25. The company's 2022 revenue fell 3% to US$388.5 million, which was slightly below Bell Potter's forecast of US$393.8 million. Underlying EBITDA fell 39%, but was in line with Bell's forecast. Bell Potter also maintains their Buy rating on Accent Group (ASX:AX1), after the company beat expectations for H1 and H2 trading has commenced on strong note. AX1 reported EBIT of $81 million, NPAT of $50.7 million and dividends per share of 12cps. 

In this episode, Karthik speaks with Lux Narayan about his book - Name Place Animal Thing. Lux is a serial entrepreneur, a Ted Speaker, stand-up comedian, and pursuer of multiple other passions that range from flying to molecular gastronomy. NPAT is an inspiring fable about hope, positivity, and living your best life. It is a practical guide to answering the ultimate question: “So, what do you do?”.Karthik and Lux speak about the latter's personal journey leading up to this first book and the various inspirations that made to its pages. They also talk about the unique narrative style of the book - non-fiction told as a fable, how Lux is able to manage time between his many passions, his quests of understanding the first principles of things, and how he lives a life without wearing masks (metaphorical that is!).Lux's Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/lux_narayan_what_i_learned_from_2_000_obituaries?language=enLux's interview with Guy Raz on the Ted Radio Hour: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/645360945You can also buy his Book - Name Place Animal Thing here:(https://luxnarayan.com/npat/about/) or (https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08VHH4NPY?geniuslink=true)Tweet to Karthik Nagarajan (@The_Karthik): https://twitter.com/The_Karthik and follow his WordPress handle here (filterkoffee.com).You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com