Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (25429)	3/11/2005 12:15:41 PM
From: mishedlo	Respond to of 116555

OZ Housing figures add pressure for second rate rise Sydney Morning Herald -- March 11, 2005 smh.com.au. Australians continue to sink their dollars into property markets, with new figures today suggesting the Reserve Bank may be forced into a post-Easter interest rate rise. Housing finance figures showed the sixth increase in the past seven months in the total number of new loans - a sign home owners have yet to be put off bricks and mortar. Although the total value of loans fell slightly, with the average loan falling to $208,300, they were still 11 per cent up on a year earlier. The number of loans for the construction of homes increased 2.4 per cent, although loans for the purchase of a new building slipped 4.3 per cent. Housing finance commitments dropped in number by 3.5 per cent in NSW, 1.3 per cent in South Australia, 0.4 per cent in Western Australia and 3.3 per cent in the Northern Territory. But numbers were up in Victoria (2.6 per cent), Queensland (2.7 per cent), Tasmania (14.4 per cent) and the ACT (7.5 per cent). The building industry said the figures showed the market was still soft, especially as they were taken ahead of the Reserve Bank's increase in official interest rates. Master Builders' Association chief economist Peter Jones described the increase in January in loan numbers as a modest rise. He said a combination of the rate rise, plus a fall in first home buyer activity, meant there was still little momentum in the sector. "Anecdotal evidence from builders indicates work in the pipeline and forward orders are currently much lower than a year ago," he said. Housing Industry Association senior economist Harley Dale said even though construction lending was up 2.4 per cent for the month, it was still nine per cent down on last year. "Any signs of a mild improvement for leading indicators, such as total housing finance, will certainly have been snuffed out by the increase in interest rates and the general concern over the prospect of more to come," he said. One of those expecting another rate rise is Commsec chief equities economist Craig James. He said the figures showed housing finance remained healthy, particularly the loans to owner occupiers which hit a 13 month high. Although the average loan fell during January, it was still 10.9 per cent higher than in January 2004. Unless the housing sector fell off a cliff after the rate rise, Mr James said the Reserve would be unafraid of another hike at its meeting on April 5. "Any reservations the Reserve Bank had about lifting rates again would have been largely dispelled by the latest housing figures," he said. "The housing finance market was clearly the picture of health at the start of the year, reversing almost all the weakness exhibited in the first half of 2004." AAP

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (25429)	3/11/2005 12:56:41 PM
From: patron_anejo_por_favor	Respond to of 116555

Not a song....an album: amazon.com Pretty good, too, though I prefer Independant Worm Saloon or Rembrandt Pussyhorse......

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (25429)	3/11/2005 1:23:40 PM
From: mishedlo	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 116555

Top-four motherboard makers ship 6.69 million motherboards in February February motherboard shipments totaled 6.69 million units for the top-four Taiwan makers – Asustek Computer, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), Gigabyte Technology and Micro-Star International (MSI) – down 13.1% from the 7.70 million motherboards they shipped in January, according to sources at the makers. The on-month decline was greater than market expectations due to weaker demand from the clone markets in the US and Europe, the sources noted. digitimes.com

To: Knighty Tin who wrote (25429)	3/11/2005 1:25:57 PM
From: mishedlo	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 116555

Iran and U.S. moving eyeball to eyeball along Iraq border U.S. military commanders are warning Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that tensions between Iran and the United States are heading toward a breaking point and that there could be a major clash between the two militaries. The commanders said U.S. and Iranian troops are becoming closer along the Iranian-Iraqi border and that U.S. aircraft have been moving in and out of Iran while Teheran seeks to bolster its air defense forces. Some commanders are urging the Pentagon to prepare for the prospect of a brief but intense war with Iran. geostrategy-direct.com