THE STORIES IN THE CURRENCY MARKET DOLLAR: WHEN WILL THE FED RAISE RATES ? EUR/USD: SLIPS AS THE WORRIES SPREAD GBP/USD: PRESSURED BY WEAK DATA AND COMMENTS FROM RATING AGENCIES AUD/USD: JOB ADS GREW AT RECORD

“This is not the time to take aggressive tightening action, either fiscally or monetary-wise,” said Volcker in an interview in Berlin March 6, pointing to “high” unemployment . “So I think we have to, as best as we can, maintain the expectation that it will be taken ca

At 17:00 AEDT, the dollar was trading at $US0.8976/78, up from Friday's close of $US0.8904/07. Since 07:00 AEDT local close, the unit traded between $US0.9007 and $US0.8957. Nomura Australia chief economist Stephen Roberts said the local unit gained throughout the day despite modest

AAP Company gross operating profits, in current prices, rose 2.2 per cent in the December quarter, seasonally adjusted, and were down 11.2 per cent over the year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Monday. At the same time, the ABS showed that the nation's current account was a

February 27, 2010 AMP Capital strategist Shane Oliver calculates that about 60 per cent of companies have posted profit gains in the six months to December compared with the same half in 2008, better than the 50 per cent ratio expected by analysts. And close to half the earnings

Europe's No.5 telecoms operator said it estimated virtually flat core profits, but had not approved the figures after authorities seized 300 million euros from Sparkle in the probe. It said Sparkle could not quickly approve its own books as it sifts a 1,600-page court order but that it was

IAG's net profit for the six months ended December 31 was $329 million, up from $4 million in the previous corresponding period. Its first half insurance profit increased to $488 million, from $227 million, representing an improved insurance margin of 13.4 per cent per cent, compared to

Wage growth eased to its slowest pace in a decade last quarter and should help pull inflation down in the very near term, though pay deals would likely pick up from here given employment had rebounded sharply. Indeed, other data out today showed the labour-intensive construction sector

Fifty-seven percent of 600 people polled last month expect prices will increase over the next year, up from 53 percent in an October survey, Auckland-based ASB said in an e-mailed report. Fifty percent said now is a good time to buy a house, down from 59 percent in the previous survey. House