Oil prices rose slightly early on Wednesday, with market participants expecting to see demand rising in China next year after Beijing announced a looser monetary policy to stimulate economic growth. Brent crude futures gained 10 cents, or 0.14%, to $72.29 a barrel by 0131 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 9 cents, or 0.13%, to $68.68. China said on Monday it would adopt "appropriately loose" monetary policy in 2025 as Beijing tries to spur its economy with the first easing of its stance in 14 years. Chinese crude imports also grew annually for the first time in seven months in November, up more than 14% from a year earlier. China's policy changes, however, "are unlikely to provide much support to prices till the Trump 2.0 policies act, which can counter the bullish bias," said Mukesh Sahdev, head of oil analysis at Rystad Energy . Stock Trading Point & Figure Chart Mastery: A Comprehensive Trading Guide By - Mukta Dhamankar, Full Time Trader, 15 Years Experience, Instructor View Program Stock Trading Candlesticks Made Easy: Candlestick Pattern Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading Mastering Options Selling: Advanced Strategies for Success By - CA Manish Singh, Chartered Accountant, Professional Equity and Derivative Trader View Program Stock Trading RSI Trading Techniques: Mastering the RSI Indicator By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading Market 103: Mastering Trends with RMI and Techno-Funda Insights By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Stock Valuation Made Easy By - Rounak Gouti, Investment commentary writer, Experience in equity research View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis Demystified: A Complete Guide to Trading By - Kunal Patel, Options Trader, Instructor View Program Stock Trading Market 104: Options Trading: Kickstart Your F&O Adventure By - Saketh R, Founder- QuickAlpha, Full Time Options Trader View Program Stock Trading Options Trading Made Easy: Options Trading Course By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Stock Trading Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading Macroeconomics Made Easy: Online Certification Course By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program "This (China's changes) can only help prevent further downsides at best," he said. In the U.S., crude oil and fuel stocks rose last week, market sources said on Tuesday, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. [API/S] Crude stocks rose by 499,000 barrels in the week ended on Dec. 6, the sources said on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories rose by 2.85 million barrels, and distillate stocks rose by 2.45 million barrels, they said. Official data on oil stocks from the U.S. Energy Information Administration is due on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET (1530 GMT). Analysts polled by Reuters expect a 900,000-barrel decline in crude and a 1.7 million-barrel increase in gasoline. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )
Some companies operate in very specific industries, whether that's a supermarket business, a retailer, or something else in an exact sector. But, a few (ASX: XJO) shares have operations spread across a wide array of areas, providing . One of the great things about having diversification within a company is that it lowers the risk of any one segment going poorly, and it also means the company has multiple avenues to pursue growth. They can choose which area of their diverse operations they see as the best opportunity to invest for the biggest return. With that in mind, I think the below two stocks are two of the most diverse ASX 200 shares. Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd ( ) I think this company, commonly called Soul Patts, is the most diverse business because it already represents a wholly diversified portfolio. It started as a pharmacy business 120 years ago but has since made a number of investments in various other industries and assets. For example, it's invested and . This diversified portfolio provides to Soul Patts, which then enables a resilient, growing dividend. It has paid a dividend every year since it was listed 120 years ago, and it has grown its annual ordinary dividend every year since 2000, which is the best record on the ASX. Wesfarmers Ltd ( ) Wesfarmers is another of the oldest businesses on the ASX. The ASX 200 share can trace its history back to 1914 as a Western Australian farmers' cooperative. It's now one of the largest Australian companies. It has operations across home improvement, building supplies and outdoor living products (Bunnings), general merchandise and apparel (Kmart and Target), office and technology products (Officeworks), health, beauty and wellbeing products and services (Priceline), a retail subscription program, wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical goods, manufacturing and distribution of chemicals and fertilisers, a lithium project including mine, concentrator and refinery, industrial and safety product distribution, and gas processing and distribution (WesCEF). The ASX 200 share has made Kmart and Bunnings two of the country's most impressive retailers, with market-leading positions in their categories. Kmart is looking to grow its earnings by taking its Anko brand products to international markets, while Bunnings is looking to grow through bolt-on acquisitions (such as Beaumont Tiles) and growing in new product categories, such as auto care and pet care. I think there's more growth to come.None
NonePeter Dutton will use a private Coalition meeting to calm MPs fearful that Labor’s teen social media ban is a Trojan Horse for government control of the internet, ahead of a sitting week in which the major parties plan to ram the legislation through parliament. On Friday Coalition MPs were called to a Monday morning gathering in Canberra, party sources said, where Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman planned to field questions about Labor’s proposed law to ban children under 16 from platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman will face concerned MPs. Credit: Louise Kennerley Right-wing Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic have been sharply critical of the bill’s potential to require Australians to give tech giants their IDs and the power it would give the eSafety Commission, which is a federal agency that will be charged with overseeing the ban. But doubts about the bill, which was only released last week, have expanded from the pair to more mainstream Coalition MPs, setting up the meeting as a test of the opposition leader’s authority after he hauled his party room into line on abortion earlier this month. On Sunday night, the MPs were informed Monday’s meeting was cancelled, with the conversation to take place on Tuesday as part of the Coalition’s party room meeting. The Coalition leadership remains confident of overwhelming support for the bill inside the party, according to several opposition sources speaking anonymously about internal dynamics. Dutton, whose office declined to comment, plans to hear out his concerned colleagues but ultimately expects the party to back the bill, allowing it to pass parliament this week. The opposition rode a wave of conservative and libertarian campaigning against Labor’s misinformation bill in recent months before the government dropped its plan to crack down on falsehoods online on Sunday. Some of the groups and people behind that campaign, including One Nation, the Libertarian Party and former Coalition MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly, have launched an email crusade about the social media age barrier that has resulted in complaints flooding into MPs inboxes. They endorse the view of X owner Elon Musk, who wrote on the platform last month that the ban “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians” because it could require users to prove their identities before accessing major online services. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was asked about the need to hand over ID in a Labor caucus meeting last week and said her laws would not force people to give ID documents to social media giants, dismissing the prospect as a right-wing scare campaign. However, the government has not announced the technology that would be used to prove a user’s age. ‘A red flag’ LNP MP Garth Hamilton said Labor had rushed the legislation and sent mixed signals about details such as which platforms would be included. The Wiggles successfully lobbied to allow YouTube to remain while Snapchat will be banned, though both apps now also have a TikTok-style feed of clips. “The tests for this bill are that it should not be a proxy for digital ID [to be required to access the internet] and that it actually responds to parents’ needs,” Hamilton said.“I fully agree with Peter Dutton’s concerns about the impacts of social media, and they are long-held. But Labor has had a long time to get details right [and] the utter confusion on the detail is a red flag.” Loading Coleman, who first proposed a teen ban in an April interview with this masthead at a time when Labor opposed such a change , told opposition MPs last week that the government could use a “double-blind tokenised approach” suggested by the eSafety Commission last year. That would allow a third party to verify a user’s age on a social media platform without revealing the identity information used to do so, while another option could force companies that operate app stores, such as Google and Apple, to take on the role. Labor announced the ban early this month after years of claims that social media was harming children’s mental health, much of which is disputed by the technology giants, and argued that it would bolster parents’ ability to reject pestering from kids to go online. But detractors including Ben Thompson, the boss of major Australian tech firm Employment Hero, said on X that bill would make it harder for children with special needs to make friends online. “Not to mention that it’s a Trojan Horse for digital ID and further censorship,” he said. On Sunday, Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young called advocates for the ban well-intentioned, but said the bill was rushed compared to the government’s halting approach to gambling reform. “The government and the opposition are ramming through a ban on social media that was introduced on Thursday,” she said on ABC’s Insiders . “We’ve got a joke of a Senate inquiry for three days tomorrow. But they can’t do gambling ... Talk about priorities.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Social media Peter Dutton Anthony Albanese Paul Sakkal is federal political correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald who previously covered Victorian politics and has won two Walkley awards. Connect via Twitter . Most Viewed in Politics LoadingPartnership Established To Advance WHO's Road Map For Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Nasdaq Announces Mid-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date December 13, 2024
Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas
48 Academy Drive, Broadmeadows, shows the affordable entry on offer for Melbourne with a $640,000-$704,000 asking price despite a four-bedroom floorplan. Affordable Melbourne suburbs including Broadmeadows and Heidelberg West have been tipped for surge in demand as buyers flee more expensive capitals interstate. PRD’s latest Affordable and Liveable Property Guide has also named St Albans, Albanvale, Lalor and Mill Park as suburbs to watch. Chief economist Diaswati Mardiasmo has flagged the city’s 10 best areas for an affordable home that also has good access to amenities will increasingly be on the radar for young buyers interstate after Melbourne surpassed Brisbane on another key affordability measure. RELATED: Broadmeadows home auction stuns crowd as it smashes price expectations Victoria housing crisis: Social housing left beind in state government’s 800,000 home goal Melbourne rents labelled ‘critically unaffordable’, pushing tenants away from the city PRD’s data shows that 34.5 per cent of all Melbourne suburbs now have typical house prices below the city’s wider $1.1m median, drawn from all home sales within 20km of the CBD. Within the same band, Brisbane has just 29.7 per cent of its suburbs with a lower median house price, while in Sydney it is just 12.1 per cent. It’s the first time Melbourne has slipped below Brisbane on the metric since the firm began the report in 2015. It also follows separate figures from PropTrack and CoreLogic earlier in the year showing that Melbourne’s wider median house price, including for homes beyond 20km from the CBD, is now lower than the Queensland capital’s. Broadmeadows — $568,000 Albanvale — $625,000 St Albans — $650,000 Lalor — $700,000 Braybrook — $721,000 Mill Park — $766,750 23 South Crescent, Heidelberg West, is for sale with an $800,000-$880,000 asking price. Heidelberg West — $770,000 Glenroy —$815,000 Greenvale — $873,750 Reservoir — $890,000 Features median house prices Source: PRD Affordable and Liveable Property Guide “So I would say Melbourne will be a target for homebuyers from interstate,” Dr Mardiasmo said. “Brisbane is neck and neck with Melbourne, but there are way more chances to score a house in Melbourne for an affordable price than in Brisbane. “Melbourne is a clear winner from the perspective of prices.” With a $670,000-$710,000 asking price, it’s easy to see how 5 Gardner Court, Albanvale, ticks the box for affordability. The researcher added that with a stronger pipeline of new homes being built, Melbourne was also less likely to see prices surge rapidly, and offered diverse employment opportunities that could help convince people to relocate interstate. The report assesses suburbs as affordable if they are below the wider city’s median house price, and liveable if they meet a range of criteria — including recent investment in local community infrastructure, as well as good access to transport and schools and with consideration of local unemployment rates. The report noted that Broadmeadows’ 14.9 per cent unemployment rate was higher than most of those typically considered, with Mill Park recording a more modest 4.7 per cent figure. Our Agent Real Estate David Taylor said Broadmeadows was winning a growing number of white-collar workers over with its location 17km from the city, with almost no options in the same price bracket without going half an hour further up the road. Cute and coming complete with a four-bedroom floorplan, 2 Lyall St, St Albans, has a just $640,000-$680,000 asking price. “The suburb’s colour is still there, but it is changing,” Mr Taylor said. While most younger buyers were looking at affordable townhouses, he said there was interest coming from Sydney — though that was currently stronger in nearby Dallas. “And we do see people coming back in from Craigieburn for a better commute,” he said. Ray White’s Vince Carnevale said while Broadmeadows houses had attracted significant interest from developers interstate in the past year or so, that demand had largely dried up. However, Mr Carnevale said it was only a matter of time, and a boost in confidence for the Victorian housing market, until it resumed. In Mill Park, Barry Plant’s Jay Moxon said the suburb absolutely deserved its position on the list of suburbs offering the best blend of affordability and liveability. A double-storey home like 4 Pulford Cres, Mill Park, could be yours for as little as $795,000-$845,000. Noting that it offered exceptional bank for your buck compared to eastern suburbs a similar distance from Melbourne’s CBD, Mr Moxon said it was becoming increasingly popular with buyers who saw it as an extension of the lifestyle on offer in neighbouring Bundoora. “It’s very family driven and there’s a lot of diversity in the size of home,” he said. “And we are getting quite a few phone calls from Sydney buyers at the moment. “And I think that has picked up in the last couple of months. There are a lot of virtual inspections.” Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: The Block judge Marty Fox and wife Charlotte sell Mornington Peninsula getaway Melbourne rental vacancy rate rises 30 per cent in a year as tenants ditch landlords Paynesville, Melbourne and Maryborough among Victorian postcodes where buyers pay cash