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Markets, Cryptos and Culture

April 3, 2026

Thank God It's Friday Edition

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York, and beyond the Blackstump and Internet Matrix Of Things!

Pop Culture themes

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (Cannonball Adderley)
"Gold" (Spandau Ballet)
"The Wall Street Hustle" (10cc)
"Bulls on Parade" (Rage Against the Machine)
"White Rabbit" (Jefferson Airplane)
"I've Got Friday On My Mind" (The Easybeats)

Markets

AUD -0.03% to US69.08¢
BTC $66,899.15 -1.79%
Dow -0.1%
S&P +0.1%
NAS +0.2%
VIX -0.67 to 23.87
Gold -1.7%: $US4676.76 an oz
Silver 73.002 -2.081
Brent oil +7.8% to $US109.13 a b
Iron ore -0.1% to $US106.25 a ton
10-year yield: US 4.30% Aust 5.03%

News

The Lead Up (Approx 12 Hours Ago)

ASX futures down 65 points/0.8%: 8487
USD flat: US68.84¢
BTC $66,233.27 -0.73%
Dow -1.7%
S&P -1.7%
NAS -2.2%
Gold +2.7% to $US4494.09 an oz
Silver 68.646 -0.869
Brent oil +4.2% at $US112.57 a barrel
Iron ore -0.1% at $US107.25 a ton

News

Numbers Double Check

April 2

The Lead Up

Australian Dollar: $0.6930 USD (up $0.0030 USD) Iron Ore: $106.30 USD (up $0.82 USD) Oil Price (WTI): $99.32 USD (down $2.54 USD) Gold Price: $4,756.87 USD (up $83.53 USD) Copper Price: $5.6225 USD (down $0.0175 USD) Dow Jones: 46,565.74 (up 224.23 points on yesterday's close)

News

April 2

Shares And Markets News

Iron ore giants BHP (down 2.5 per cent), Fortescue (down 4 per cent) and Rio Tinto (down 2.3 per cent) all declined, while gold miners Northern Star Resources (down 0.9 per cent) and Evolution Mining (down 4.6 per cent) also fell.

Tech stocks slumped after their surge on Wednesday, with software makers WiseTech, Xero and Technology One down 4.3 per cent, 3.8 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively, and data centre operator NextDC losing 3.8 per cent.

Oil prices rose back over the $US100-mark per barrel following Trump’s speech, with Brent Crude, the international benchmark, climbing 4.4 per cent to $US105.64 amid waning hopes for a swift resolution to the conflict. Energy stocks were mixed, with Woodside falling 0.6 and while Santos gained 1.4 per cent.

Surf and outdoor apparel retailer KMD’s shares tanked 54.8 per cent as it emerged from its trading halt after the owner of the struggling Rip Curl brand said it completed a $58.5 million emergency capital raising from institutional investors to shore up its balance sheet.

It was a mixed day of trading for the big four banks, with Commonwealth Bank rising 0.6 per cent and ANZ Bank adding 0.7 per cent, while Westpac lost 0.5 per cent and National Australia Bank shed 0.3 per cent.

News

Oil News

Oil is in no hurry to reverse course

March was a record-breaking month for Brent
Rumours of peace are easing tensions but have not yet reversed the trend. The oil market was swept up in euphoria following Donald Trump's comments that the conflict in the Middle East would end within 2–3 weeks. After a record 63% rally in March, Brent took a step back. Investors are ready to use TACO and sell what they bought earlier. However, complacency is the main risk for black gold. Firstly, the US continues to deploy troops to the region, and the past year has taught investors to watch the actions, rather than the rhetoric, of top American politicians following the dashed hopes surrounding the Iran–US negotiations. But even if this is true, the Americans' withdrawal from the Middle East does not mean the end of the conflict. The US President is calling on countries in the region to learn to defend themselves and on importers to come and take the oil they need by force. As a result, the UAE is prepared to get drawn into the conflict. According to estimates by FGE NexantECA, a closure of the Strait of Hormuz would result in losses of 100 million barrels per week and 400 million barrels per month. If it lasts another 6–8 weeks, Brent could reach the $150–200 range. This forecast is in line with Sociénéété Generale's estimate of $150 per barrel and Macquarie Group's estimate of $200. The Iranians are also warning the world of a rise to the upper end of this range, while the US presidential administration calls $100 the 'base' price and does not rule out $200. Even if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, it will take considerable time to restore pre-war infrastructure. The flow of tankers will not return immediately; supply issues will ease but will not disappear. It is unlikely that Brent will return to levels near $60 by the end of the year, as seen at the end of last year. Unlike in 2022, US drillers are in no hurry to come to consumers' aid, producing an average of 13.2 million bpd in January, down from 13.9 million bpd in October. The decline in production over the last three months is one of the largest in the last ten years. The US oil industry prefers paying dividends to shareholders rather than developing new fields and increasing production, despite Donald Trump's "drill, baby, drill" call. Consequently, without an end to the conflict in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, it is premature to expect prices to return to February levels. (FxPro)

News (Aust)

The Lead Up (48 Hours Ago)

Alphabet Inc Class A
$295.77 -0.54%
(-1.62) Today
Lead Up
$274.34 -6.63 -2.36%

TKO Group Holdings Inc
$203.76 +2.69 Today 1.34%
Lead Up
$189.20 -3.44 -1.79%

Netflix Inc
$98.66 +3.11 +3.25%
Lead Up
$93.43 +0.11 _0.12%

Wynn Resorts Ltd
$102.03 -0.57 0.56%
Lead Up
$96.59 -2.88 -2.90%

Caterpillar Inc
$717.22 -13.10 1.79%
Lead Up
$695.40 -7.79 -1.11%

News

24 Hours Ago

The crypto market has lost 3% but has not broken through support

Market Overview
The crypto market has lost approximately 3% of its market capitalisation, falling back to $2.29T and returning to the lower boundary of the trading range seen over the last seven days. Trump’s latest comments on the war with Iran triggered a sharp sell-off amid a lack of de-escalation signs. TRON (-0.2%), Toncoin (-0.9%) and Neo (-1.3%) appear relatively stable. Dash (-8.6%), Uniswap (-8.0%) and Solana (-5.9%) have been hit hardest.
The Fear and Greed Index rose by 4 points today to 12, partially recovering from yesterday’s drop to 8 — the lowest level in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the index remains deep in the extreme fear zone, where it has been virtually uninterrupted for the past month.

Bitcoin lost 2.8% over the day, returning to levels near $66.2K. Once again, the 50-day moving average acted as resistance, preventing the price from consolidating above it. The leading cryptocurrency quickly swung to the other extreme and is now testing the support of the uptrend. Key support ($66K) and resistance ($69K) levels are converging, bringing the moment of a definitive trend decision closer.

Ethereum looks slightly more confident, remaining above the $2K round figure, above the 50-day MA and the support line of the multi-year trend. Should pressure on the crypto market intensify, it will be worth monitoring whether the second-largest cryptocurrency can hold above $1.8K. A break below this level would be a significant bearish signal, potentially triggering sell-offs across a wider range of coins and bringing an end to the crypto market’s recent resilience to external threats.

News

Pop Culture

Danhausen Launches Official WWE Mask for WrestleMania Fans

The eccentric wrestler, who joined WWE from AEW in late February, released a $14.99 plastic mask on April 1 that lets fans channel his 'very nice, very evil' cursed persona. Timed for WrestleMania 42 on April 18-19 in Las Vegas, the merch follows hot-selling T-shirts and sold-out meet-and-greets since his surprise debut from a mystery crate at Elimination Chamber. Fans shared memes comparing it to 3 Ninjas while dreaming of masked takeovers, though some noted the plastic feels basic compared to custom versions. Media Man Peg On: WWE Unmasked vs KISS Unmasked!

News

WrestleMania X-Seven Marks 25 Years as Attitude Era Peak

The April 1, 2001, event grossed $3.5 million and featured classics like TLC II where the Dudley Boyz won the Tag Team Titles, The Undertaker's 9-0 streak over Triple H, and Kurt Angle submitting Chris Benoit. The main event saw Stone Cold Steve Austin shock everyone by aligning with Vince McMahon to beat The Rock for the WWF Championship in a bloody No DQ brawl. Attendees still recall the massive crowd pops and glass-shattering entrances, with fans today sharing iconic hype videos that capture the raw intensity of wrestling's golden peak. Media Man Peg-On: Is WWE currently approaching another "Golden Era"?!

News Lead Up/Flashback

March 27

Crypto has pulled back, but appears stronger than stocks

Market Overview

The crypto market’s capitalisation fell by 3.4% over the past 24 hours to $2.36 trillion, remaining close to the uptrend line. The downward momentum was once again driven by stock indices, which returned to their lows at the start of the week. However, whilst the Nasdaq 100 has shown a steady downward trend on weekly charts since late January, cryptocurrencies have been forming a sequence of higher local lows since early February, when the market touched the 200-week moving average – a key long-term trend line.

Bitcoin has fallen below $69K, testing the strength of the 50-day MA and the support of the upward trend of the last two months. The nervous mood in the financial markets makes cryptocurrencies, and Bitcoin in particular, vulnerable in the event of a large-scale sell-off. For BTC, the 200-week MA has historically been the most important long-term support level. It currently sits near $60K. However, it is worth remembering that in 2022–2023, the price fell more than 30% below this line before finding structural support for many weeks.

News Background

Bitcoin miner MARA has sold 15,133 BTC for $1.1 billion since the start of the month. The company intends to use the proceeds to buy back its own bonds. The miner’s remaining reserves are estimated at 38,689 BTC.

The cost of Bitcoin mining for public companies has reached $80K and, for some miners, exceeded $100K, according to CoinShares. The fourth quarter of 2025 has been the most challenging for Bitcoin miners since the last halving. The US (38%), Russia (17%), and China (12%) continue to dominate global Bitcoin mining, collectively accounting for around 68% of the world’s hash rate.

Adam Livingston, an analyst and author of the book ‘The Great Harvest: AI, Labor, and the Bitcoin Lifeline’, believes the risk of a Bitcoin crash, as seen in 2022, is minimal due to the market’s more mature structure. According to his calculations, BTC volatility has been steadily declining over the past 11 years.

US investment firm Franklin Templeton, in partnership with Ondo Finance, will launch tokenised versions of its ETFs, accessible directly via crypto wallets. (FxPro)

News

Media (Aust)

Top media bosses unite to fight AI giants over copyright law changes

Australian media industry executives have urged the federal government against watering down the nation's copright laws to accommodate AI platforms. News Corp Australasia's executive chairman Michael Miller contends that the existing copright system is not broken, and says it is instead a 'blueprint' for negotiations with AI platforms. Nine Entertainment CEO Matt Stanton says AI is a transformative technology that local companies are embracing, but he warns that relaxing copright laws would "rip off" Australian creatives. Guardian Australia MD Rebecca Costello in turn says the government's priority should be to ensure that the existing righs-based system functions effectively for AI use. (RMS)

News

Oil faces falling volatility, but unlikely prices

The US is offering Iran negotiations.

Without dialogue, we must be prepared for an escalation. The oil market is nearing a mutually agreed conclusion, but the lack of mutual trust between the parties is significantly complicating the situation. The US has provided Iran with a list of 15 points, the completion of which would resolve the conflict in the Middle East. Previously, there were reports that Iran had presented its own conditions.

These have not been officially confirmed, but we have heard on numerous occasions of demands for non-aggression guarantees and reparations for damage already inflicted. At stake is the reopening of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 15 million barrels of crude oil and 5 million barrels of refined fuel previously passed.

According to JP Morgan estimates, the current shortfall is approximately 16 million barrels per day. This figure will decrease as barrels from the strategic reserves of IEA member countries are released into the market and as Gulf states explore alternative routes, such as the Red Sea. Nonetheless, the global economy faces the threat of a long-term deficit of 10 million barrels per day, which increases the risk of stagflation and recession. According to estimates by Oxford Economics, without a deal between Washington and Tehran, the Strait of Hormuz will only regain 50% of its pre-war capacity by May. Iran is gradually softening its stance, permitting tankers from countries not involved in the conflict to pass through while charging them a $2 million fee.

According to Israeli television reports, the US is seeking a one-month ceasefire to discuss a plan that includes dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, ending support for terrorist groups, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Even in the most optimistic scenario, it will take months for Gulf countries to restore pre-war production levels. Coupled with difficulties in replenishing onshore stocks, this casts doubt on a quick fall in Brent prices.

Most likely, North Sea crude will remain above $65–70 per barrel by the end of 2026. The absence of constructive dialogue between the US and Iran could lead to further escalation, including other regional countries joining the US-Israeli coalition and possibly a ground operation by Washington. In such a scenario, Brent may rise to $160 a barrel. This is the price that some countries are already paying for oil from the Middle East that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. (FxPro)

News

AI News (Aust)

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has told an event hosted by the media and creative sectors at Parliament House that Australia's existing copyright regime has served it well for many years. She said the federal government had said for some time that it has no plans to weaken copyright protections when it comes to artificial intelligence, while Australia's creative and media sector have made it clear that they are prepared to do licence deals with AI firms, and that existing copyright laws enable them to do just that. (RMS)

News

The miners to own in diesel crisis

Bell Potter's survey of Australian-listed mining companies concluded that diesel fuel accounted for up to 15 per cent of their operating costs prior to the start of the Iran war. Stuart Howe from Bell Potter says the war and the surge in crude oil prices will result in higher costs for much of the mining sector, while production could be impacted by the availability of diesel. Bell Potter recommends that investors rotate into mining stocks that are less exposed to diesel prices. Analysts note that miners with large-scale open-cut operations are most at risk of a supply crisis due to their heavy reliance on diesel-powered truck fleets. (RMS)

News

Batteries, coal push out east coast LNG shortage to 2029

The Australian Energy Market Operator now expects any gas supply shortage in the south-eastern states to occur in 2029, compared with its previous forecast of 2028. AEMO says gas shortfalls in 2029 are now regarded as a risk only during "extreme peak day demand conditions". It has cited a number of factors for its revised forecast, including expectations of lower demand for gas for power generation, an extension of the Eraring coal-fired power station's operating life and the estimated 30 gigawatts of battery storage projects that are currently being developed. Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the improved outlook shows that the federal government's "balanced" energy plan is working. (RMS)

News

News Lead Up

Streaming News Watercooler

Netflix CEO allegedly won’t speak to Meghan Markle on phone without lawyer

Meghan Markle is caught in a fresh Netflix storm with rumors claiming CEO Ted Sarandos is refusing to take her calls without a lawyer. Netflix denies everything but whispers of canceled deals and rising tension have fans questioning the truth!

News

A.I News

Watchdog warns against 'dangerously' positive AI advice amid crypto trading spike

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has expressed concern about the growing tendency for young Australians to use artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT for financial advice. Its figures show young people are following 'dangerously' positive AI recommendations about investing in risky investments such as crypto, with their faith in what has been referred to as 'unverified, risk-averse digital advice' occurring as many Australians are struggling with major cost of living pressures; ASIC's figures also show that 23 per cent of Gen Z now hold crypto assets; up from just 9 per cent in 2023. (RMS)

News

Resources

Drill, baby, drill: Boom for mineral, petroleum explorers

Advisory firm BDO has calculated that ASX-listed mineral and petroleum explorers raised a record $5.63 billion in the final quarter of last year. It broke the previous record for fund raising of $3.75 billion that was set in the same period in 2021, with the $5.63 billion in fund raising leaving mineral and petroleum explorers with record cash reserves of $12 billion. It comes as the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that spending on mineral exploration hit a two-year high in the final quarter of 2025, while spending on petroleum exploration was at a decade high. (RMS)

News

A.I News

Global giants join Australia in fight to make AI companies pay for content

Both the US and the UK appear to be backing the stance of the federal government of wanting AI companies pay for their use of content that has been produced by artists, musicians and journalists. In a document released on Friday that was titled 'Respecting Intellectual Property Rights and Supporting Creators', the White House stated that US copyright laws - under which content theft for the training of AI models, or any other use, is illegal - will remain. For its part, the UK government stated last week that it no longer had a "preferred option" on copyright reform, which comes after it last year endorsed a proposal that would have allowed tech companies to use copyrighted work without permission unless rights holders 'opted out' of the process. Its change of stance follows a longrunning campaign – led by artists including Elton John and Thom Yorke from Radiohead – which warned that the unlicensed use of copyrighted material for training AI models was threatening the livelihoods of people working in the creative industries. (RMS)

News

Betting on Americas and keeping BHP whole

BHP has ended long-running speculation about succession planning after announcing that Brandon Craig will succeed CEO Mike Henry. The BHP veteran has ruled out demerging assets such as the resources group's copper mines during his tenure, which will start on 1 July. Craig says he believes that a diversified model is still superior, especially in the mining sector. He argues that BHP's ability to use its flagship iron ore division to fund projects such as copper and potash mines differentiates it from rivals. Craig says BHP may be open to mergers and acquisitions, although he says any such opportunities would need to be compelling to compete with its internal growth options. He has also indicated that BHP's focus will shift to the Americas, where many of its growth projects are located. (RMS)

News

X Newsfeed

WWE

Cody Rhodes and Matt Cardona Dish on Indie-to-WWE Return

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes hosted Matt Cardona on 'What Do You Wanna Talk About?', where Cardona detailed his path back to WWE after six years as the 'Indy God.' It started with his wife Chelsea Green nudging President Nick Khan during a TNA spot on NXT, leading to Cardona's direct text and a January 2026 SmackDown deal. They fantasy-booked a fun ladder match in WWE 2K26, and Cardona shouted out indie standouts Big Trouble Ben Bishop and Richard Holliday as future WWE stars, sparking excitement online about their friendship and the indie-WWE bridge. Media Man Peg-On: Cardona'a indi matches and feud with Killer Kross was excellent. Our Cardona indy highlight. Vs Holliday was great too, as was Kross vs Holliday.

News

Gold News

Gold is back in focus as markets react to geopolitics

The market is fixated on the threat of accelerating inflation driven by high energy prices. As a result, central banks are expected to adopt a tighter monetary policy, keeping rates at high levels or even raising them. This has a positive impact on fiat currencies and strips gold of its key feature as a store of value amid currency debasement. It is no surprise that the precious metal, which had got off to a strong start, has been losing out to Bitcoin and the US dollar since the start of the armed conflict in the Middle East. Although gold is generally regarded as a safe-haven asset, in the early stages of financial market turmoil, investors often choose to flee to liquidity. They favour fiat currencies and are far more willing to buy US dollar-nominated short-term treasuries.

Gold prices usually recover only if market shocks worsen, fears of recession or stagflation rise, and central banks start adding liquidity. Bank of America believes that the markets are still underestimating the scale of the potential consequences of geopolitical tension. They are fixated on the threat of accelerating inflation and are not considering a global economic downturn. Therefore, the longer the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran lasts, the better it is for the precious metal.

UBS Global Wealth Management notes that gold serves as a hedge against currency devaluation, rising budget deficits and recession. All of these could result from a geopolitical shock. The firm therefore maintains its bullish outlook on gold. In its view, the precious metal could rise to the $5,900-$6,200 range before the end of this year. However, gold must first weather the storm of numerous central bank meetings. The RBA has already raised its cash rate to 4.15%. Investors now expect ‘hawkish’ rhetoric from the rest. The ECB and the Bank of Japan are ready to tackle inflation, and the futures market expects them to tighten monetary policy. The Fed and the Bank of England are most likely to talk about prolonged pauses in their cycles.

Thus, gold appears to be a win-win option. It will gain if the conflict in the Middle East drags on, and will not lose if it ends. Investors just need to be patient for a little while. (FxPro)

News

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'Media Series Company Of The Month' award

The Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper Of The Month' award; Runner-up: The Australian

Google wins Media Man 'Search Engine Of The Month' award

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins 'Combat Sports Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: Most Valuable Promotions, Everlast, BKFC

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month' award

CAT wins Media Man 'Heavy Industry Brand Of The Month' award

Dynasty: The Murdochs wins 'Streaming Show Of The Month' award (Netflix)

Markets, Shares, Cryptos, Miners, Social Media and Culture

March 27, 2026

Friday Down Under

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York, and beyond the Blackstump and Internet Matrix Of Things!

Pop Culture themes

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (Cannonball Adderley)
"Gold" (Spandau Ballet)
"The Wall Street Hustle" (10cc)
"I've Got Friday On My Mind" (The Easybeats)
"Thursday’s Child" (David Bowie)
"Bulls on Parade" (Rage Against the Machine)

Markets

ASX 200 futures down 77 points/ 0.9 per cent: 8487

AUD -0.7% to US68.96¢

Bitcoin $68,576.84 -3.77%

Wall St:
Dow -1%
S&P -1.7%
Nasdaq -2.4%
VIX +2.97 to 28.30
Gold -2.1% to $US4412.99 an oz
Silver 68.078 0.043
Brent oil +3.1% to $US105.43 a barrel
Iron ore +2.2% to $US107.45 a ton
10-year yield: US 4.41% Australia 5.01%

News

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.6876 USD (down $0.0074 USD)
Iron Ore: $107.45 USD (up $1.85 USD)
Oil Price: $94.29 USD (up $3.02 USD)
Gold Price: $4,353.82 USD (down $172.16 USD)
Copper Price: $5.4540 USD (down $0.0635 USD)
Dow Jones: 45,960.11 (down 469.38 points)

News

Aust

Shares slip amid confusion on US-Iran talks

The Australian sharemarket edged lower on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 easing 0.1 per cent to close at 8,525.7 points. Karoon Energy rose 3.7 per cent to $1.98, Nufarm was up 7.1 per cent at $1.97 and DroneShield added 5.2 per cent to end the session at $4.48. However, Resolute Mining fell six per cent to $1.26, WiseTech Global finished 3.2 per cent lower at $38.33 and the ANZ Bank was down 0.7 per cent at $36.65. (RMS)

News

Big dividend payouts a $23b boon to ASX

Australian-listed companies announced some $33bn worth of dividends during the February reporting season. Listed companies will pay shareholders about $10.7bn worth of dividends next week, following a $12.5bn payout this week. Much of this money is expected to be reinvested in the sharemarket, and Richard Coppleson from Bell Potter says this will "turbocharge" a relief rally following the recent financial market turmoil. Meanwhile, Solaris portfolio manager Charles Casey says the rising price of crude oil is providing a one-off "sugar hit" for energy groups such as Ampol and Woodside Energy, which should boost their earnings and dividends. (RMS)

News

Oil faces falling volatility, but unlikely prices

The US is offering Iran negotiations.

Without dialogue, we must be prepared for an escalation.

The oil market is nearing a mutually agreed conclusion, but the lack of mutual trust between the parties is significantly complicating the situation. The US has provided Iran with a list of 15 points, the completion of which would resolve the conflict in the Middle East. Previously, there were reports that Iran had presented its own conditions. These have not been officially confirmed, but we have heard on numerous occasions of demands for non-aggression guarantees and reparations for damage already inflicted.

At stake is the reopening of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 15 million barrels of crude oil and 5 million barrels of refined fuel previously passed. According to JP Morgan estimates, the current shortfall is approximately 16 million barrels per day. This figure will decrease as barrels from the strategic reserves of IEA member countries are released into the market and as Gulf states explore alternative routes, such as the Red Sea. Nonetheless, the global economy faces the threat of a long-term deficit of 10 million barrels per day, which increases the risk of stagflation and recession.

According to estimates by Oxford Economics, without a deal between Washington and Tehran, the Strait of Hormuz will only regain 50% of its pre-war capacity by May. Iran is gradually softening its stance, permitting tankers from countries not involved in the conflict to pass through while charging them a $2 million fee.

Even in the most optimistic scenario, it will take months for Gulf countries to restore pre-war production levels. Coupled with difficulties in replenishing onshore stocks, this casts doubt on a quick fall in Brent prices. Most likely, North Sea crude will remain above $65–70 per barrel by the end of 2026.

The absence of constructive dialogue between the US and Iran could lead to further escalation, including other regional countries joining the US-Israeli coalition and possibly a ground operation by Washington. In such a scenario, Brent may rise to $160 a barrel. This is the price that some countries are already paying for oil from the Middle East that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. (FxPro)

News

AI News (Aust)

News

The miners to own in diesel crisis

News

Batteries, coal push out east coast LNG shortage to 2029

News

WWE/Pop Culture/Pro Wrestling

Roman Reigns Spears CM Punk Through Table on Raw, Sets Mania Clash

On Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns and The Usos ambushed World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk after he mocked their family ties, ending with Reigns' devastating spear that demolished the announce table. The beatdown builds hype for their title match at WrestleMania 42 on April 18 in Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium. Elsewhere, Paul Heyman provoked Seth Rollins into a wild stomping, Penta retained his Intercontinental Title against Dominik Mysterio, and Oba Femi dominated Brock Lesnar again, filling out a stacked Night 1 card. Media Man Peg-On: Ultra Hot WWE RAW. Makes one think of wrestling and tables in a whole new light. WrestleMania Season is heating up in the best way. Oba, Oba, Oba ... struting ... Penta-Mania, and it appears a new chapter of The Bloodline with Roman Reigns and co. Odds could be stacked against CM Punk.

News Lead Up

Streaming News Watercooler

Netflix CEO allegedly won’t speak to Meghan Markle on phone without lawyer

News

The crypto market has pulled back, but hasn’t given up

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has declined by nearly 1% to $2.4T, once again approaching the 50-day moving average but still remaining above it (a bullish sign). Selling pressure is driven by renewed market fears arising from the situation in the Middle East. Technically, the market must make an early decision: either break through the uptrend line from early February or confirm the 50-day MA as support and break the downtrend.
Bitcoin fell below $70K on Thursday morning as investors exited risky assets in traditional markets. However, the leading cryptocurrency remains close to the psychologically significant round figure and is still above the 50-day moving average, maintaining hopes of a resumption of growth at the first signs of a shift.

News Background

Bitcoin ETFs have attracted $2.5 billion over the past month, offsetting nearly all of the outflows that had been ongoing since January, according to Bloomberg. BlackRock’s BTC ETF has ranked among the top 2% of ETFs by inflows since the beginning of the year.
The net outflow of the leading cryptocurrency from exchanges last month signalled a shift by investors towards an accumulation phase, notes analyst Darkfost. According to him, investors are buying coins and withdrawing them from platforms for self-custody.

Large investors are shunning a wide range of altcoins in favour of Bitcoin and Ethereum, while interest in the rest of the crypto market is waning, BlackRock notes. The investment firm considers most new projects to be ‘nonsense’ with no long-term value.

The Irish authorities have restored access to a wallet containing 500 confiscated bitcoins, which were previously considered inaccessible due to lost keys. The BTC wallet was successfully hacked thanks to cooperation with the European Cybercrime Centre.

The Ethereum Foundation has presented a roadmap for protecting the network against quantum computers. The plan includes four hard forks. According to the developers’ estimates, ‘cryptographically significant’ devices will not appear for at least eight or even 12 years. However, preparations for this must begin now. (FxPro)

News

A.I News

Australia

Watchdog warns against 'dangerously' positive AI advice amid crypto trading spike

News

Resources

Drill, baby, drill: Boom for mineral, petroleum explorers

News

A.I News

Global giants join Australia in fight to make AI companies pay for content

News

Bitcoin News Byte

Despite a 47% Price Drop, Bitcoin Traders Aren’t Selling:

A survey of U.S. Bitcoin holders and crypto subreddit posts found that despite anxiety and market turbulence, most investors (69%) held onto their Bitcoin, with only 8% panic selling.

Bitcoin faced a dramatic market correction in early 2026, plunging 46% from its $126,000 all-time high and briefly dipping below $61,000 on February 6.

The drop erased over $1 trillion in market value and prompted headlines warning of a defining crypto moment. Social media feeds filled with reactions, yet most holders remained on the sidelines.

A survey by Oobit of 1,006 American Bitcoin holders and sentiment analysis of 117,630 posts across 10 major crypto subreddits reveals that fear did not translate into widespread selling.

News

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World)

McEwan braces for exits as Craig takes BHP helm

Nearly 43 per cent of BHP's staff are female, and there were some who expected that Mike Henry would be replaced as CEO by an internal female candidate. Minerals Australia president Geraldine Slattery and chief development officer Catherine Raw were viewed as two such candidates, but BHP gave the job to mining engineer Brandon Craig. Asked if his appointment could mean the loss of skilled female executives who were overlooked for the job of CEO, BHP chairman Ross McEwan said he would not be surprised if unsuccessful candidates chose to leave the company. (RMS)

News

New coal mines at greenfield sites to be banned in NSW

NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee has described a decision by the state government to ban new coal mines on greenfield sites as "disappointing". The government announced the ban on Thursday as part of a new strategy aimed at managing the NSW coal sector until 2050, while it also announced new rules requiring major coal mines in NSW to reduce methane emissions caused by their operations; NSW coal mines produce around 30 per cent of the state's methane emissions and contribute around 11 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. (RMS)

News

Cryptos

Crypto: the bulls may have their horns broken

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has fallen to $2.42 trillion, under pressure from sellers alongside risk assets, as the Fed pushes the next rate cut further into the future, boosting the dollar’s appeal. The decline also coincided with the upper boundary of the corrective rebound being touched. It is possible that cryptocurrencies were simply unable to ignore the significant deterioration in external sentiment, but they may soon return to outperforming other assets. Overall, however, we maintain a more pessimistic view, anticipating the bear market will continue, with bulls likely to be beaten soon, not least due to macro factors.

Bitcoin has fallen by 8.4% from its latest peak on Tuesday morning and briefly dipped below 70 at the start of the day on Thursday. At these levels, BTC is testing the 50-day moving average from above. As we have repeatedly warned previously, the upward momentum will face significant resistance at the boundary of a typical correction from the latest downward impulse. The leading cryptocurrency has more room to move within the $65K–$75K range.

Breaking out of this range may require more momentum to determine the market’s direction for the coming days or weeks.

News Background

Investment bank Citigroup has lowered its 12-month price targets for Bitcoin and Ethereum amid delays in the adoption of US cryptocurrency legislation. The forecast for Bitcoin has been lowered from $143,000 to $112,000, and for Ethereum from $4,304 to $3,175. In a negative scenario, BTC risks falling to $58,000 and ETH to $1,198.

Bitcoin still has two-thirds of its bear cycle ahead, said Willy Wu, co-founder of the Bitcoin Vector project, urging investors to remain cautious. In his view, it is premature to expect sustained growth without an improvement in market liquidity.

Ethereum developers are testing the Fast Confirmation Rule (FCR), which will speed up transfers between the mainnet and the second layer from 13 minutes to 13 seconds. (FxPro).

Media Peg-On (as seen burning up the LinkedIn and X newsfeeds with web traffic spikes)

Media Man Peg-On: Having your horns broken is one step better than having your you know what broken. Ball breaking headlines that hit you right between the Eye Balls! BTC for the true believers, for better or worse. A labor of love and for those who keep the dream alive. Remember our saying, "Bullish is a mindset", right Mr Michael Saylor of Strategy. MC is always good fodder for the crypto and tech media fodder and website traffic generation. MC, the media darling you love to hate! So, when's the running of the bulls then? Red flag to a bull!

News

Betting on Americas and keeping BHP whole

News

March 27

Shares: NYSE

Alphabet Inc Class A
$280.96 -9.97 -3.43%

TKO Group Holdings Inc
$192.64 -1.30 -0.67%

Netflix Inc
$93.32 +1.04 +1.13%

Media Man Peg-On: Alpha and TKO down a bit from yesterday. Netflix holding strong and gaining.

News

X Newsfeed

WWE

Cody Rhodes and Matt Cardona Dish on Indie-to-WWE Return

News

Wrestling/WWE/Pop Culture

Jade Cargill Calls Out Rhea Ripley in Heated SmackDown Face-Off

On Friday's SmackDown, WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill challenged Rhea Ripley directly, boasting she doesn't need the title or fans to be 'that b*tch.' Ripley, fresh from her Elimination Chamber win for a title shot, stood ready to strike back amid a roaring crowd. The intense promo ramps up their WrestleMania 42 rivalry, with fans praising Cargill's star power while craving the first brawl. Both bring unmatched athleticism and attitude to the collision course. Media Man Peg-On: Ripley our Uncrowned Women's Champion, belt or not! She's Got IT! NXT's Zaria shares some of the same attributes, as does Z's rival, Sol Ruca.

25 Years Since WCW Nitro's Final Episode Ended Monday Night Wars

On March 26, 2001, WCW Monday Nitro aired its last show from Panama City Beach, Florida, capping five and a half years of intense competition with WWF Raw. Key moments included Booker T winning the world title, a dramatic simulcast announcement of WWF purchasing WCW's assets for $4.2 million, and Sting defeating Ric Flair in the main event that echoed the show's debut. Fans today share live memories of the surreal night, clips of the McMahon surprise, and thoughts on WCW stars like Booker T and Sting who later succeeded in WWE.

News

Gold News

Gold is back in focus as markets react to geopolitics

Thus, gold appears to be a win-win option. It will gain if the conflict in the Middle East drags on, and will not lose if it ends. Investors just need to be patient for a little while. (FxPro)

News

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'Media Series Company Of The Month' award

The Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper Of The Month' award; Runner-up: The Australian

Google wins Media Man 'Search Engine Of The Month' award

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins 'Combat Sports Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: Most Valuable Promotions, Everlast, BKFC

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month' award

CAT wins Media Man 'Heavy Industry Brand Of The Month' award

Dynasty: The Murdochs wins 'Streaming Show Of The Month' award (Netflix)

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

March 2, 2026

Australia and World

A.I Newsfeed

The fast-moving conflict across the Middle East is heightening investor anxiety and strengthening the case for safe-haven trades such as Treasuries, gold and the Swiss franc, while oil prices are set to soar.

Macro traders said all eyes will be on energy markets when trading fully re-opens on Monday, with early indications of volatility also expected when the US dollar and other currencies start to trade in Australia. The possibility of prolonged turmoil in the Middle East and the ripple effects of higher oil prices are giving money managers fresh reasons to sell equities and shift into safety.

Futures are pointing to a fall of 0.2 per cent at the open for the Australian sharemarket, but this was set before the US attack on Iran on Saturday (Australian time). The Australian dollar was trading at US70.65¢ at 5.26am AEDT.

Traders will be adopting the strategy of “haven first, ask questions later,” according to John Briggs, head of US rates strategy at Natixis. “The scale of the attacks and Iranian retaliation is larger than what the market expected,” he said.

Briggs said Treasuries are likely to extend moves from Friday, when short-term yields sank to levels last seen in 2022. Others are watching energy chokepoints. Roundhill Financial’s Dave Mazza said he’s closely tracking what happens to traffic at the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway handling about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade.

“This is about Hormuz risk, not retaliation. If shipping stays open, stocks can work through it,” he said. “If it doesn’t, all bets are off.”

Brent crude jumped 10 per cent to about $US80 a barrel over the counter on Sunday, oil traders said, while analysts predicted that prices could climb as high as $US100 after US and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the Middle East into a new war.

The global oil benchmark has rallied this year and reached $US73 a barrel on Friday for its highest since July, buoyed by growing concern over the potential attacks that arrived a day later. Futures trading is closed over the weekend.

“While the military attacks are themselves supportive for oil prices, the key factor here is the closing of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Ajay Parmar, director of energy and refining at ICIS.

More than 20 per cent of global oil is moved through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We expect prices to open (after the weekend) much closer to $US100 a barrel and perhaps exceed that level if we see a prolonged outage of the Strait,” Parmar said.

US stocks sank Friday as Wall Street kept punishing companies that could become losers in the artificial-intelligence revolution. A surprisingly discouraging update on inflation also hurt the market, while oil prices climbed with worries about tensions between the United States and Iran.

The S&P 500 fell 0.4 per cent and staggered to the finish of just its second losing month in the last 10. The Dow Jones dropped 521 points, or 1.1 per cent, the Nasdaq composite sank 0.9 per cent.

The losses came as investors returned to knocking down software companies and other businesses they suspect could get supplanted by AI-powered competitors.

Block, the company behind Cash App, Square and other businesses, gave a potential signal of what AI could do after Chair Jack Dorsey said it’s cutting its workforce by nearly half. That’s even though he said 2025 was a strong year for the company, which is sending more cash to shareholders through stock buybacks.

“Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” Dorsey said in a letter to investors while announcing Block’s latest profit results. “We’re already seeing it internally. A significantly smaller team, using the tools we’re building, can do more and do it better.”

The co-founder of Twitter also said, “I don’t think we’re early to this realisation. I think most companies are late. Within the next year, I believe the majority of companies will reach the same conclusion and make similar structural changes.”

Block is cutting more than 4000 jobs from its workforce of over 10,000. Its stock jumped 16.8 per cent after making the announcement, while announcing its latest quarterly results.

Capable AI tools that can replace humans could perhaps replace entire companies, or at least eat away at their profit margins. Fears about AI disruption have caused sudden and swift sell-offs for stocks seen as potentially under threat, and they’ve rolled through industries as different as trucking logistics and legal services.

Salesforce, whose platform helps customers manage their relationships with clients, fell 2.3 per cent. It gave back much of its 4 per cent gain from the day before after reporting a better profit than analysts expected.

The pain has also hit private-equity companies that have bought or lent money to software companies, which need to withstand the AI threat to keep repaying those loans. Apollo Global Management dropped 8.6 per cent for the one of the sharpest losses in the S&P 500. Blue Owl Capital, which has been a target for investors because of the loans to it’s made to the software industry, fell 6 per cent.

Even the companies currently seeing their revenue and profit soar because of AI-related demand are under pressure. Nvidia fell 4.2 per cent and was the heaviest weight on the US stock market. A day earlier, it dropped to its worst loss since last spring even though it reported a better profit than analysts expected and forecast more in revenue for the current quarter.

On the winning side of Wall Street was Netflix, which climbed 13.8 per cent after walking away from its bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business. That put Skydance-owned Paramount in a position to take over its Hollywood rival.

Paramount Skydance shares jumped 20.8 per cent, while Warner Bros. Discovery fell 2.2 per cent.

Also hurting the broad market was a report showing that inflation at the US wholesale level was at 2.9 per cent last month, much higher than the 1.6 per cent that economists expected. (A.I Newsfeed)

News

Numbers Double Check

Aust $: $0.7041 USD (down $0.0068 USD)
Iron Ore: $98.65 USD (down $0.50 USD)
Oil: $67.02 USD (up $1.64 USD)
Gold: $5,278.10 USD (up $86.25 USD)
Silver 93.817 +5.55
Copper: $6.0610 USD (up $0.0300 USD)
BTC: $65,629.97 -1.71%
Dow Jones: 48,977.92 (down 521.28 points)

News

A.I News

Firmus in $600m tech giant deal, with eyes on Facebook owner Meta

Firmus Technologies has entered into a deal with US technology firm Nvidia and Australian data centre operator CDC Data Centres to deploy 18,400 Nvidia chips on behalf of an unnamed tech company at a facility in Melbourne. The facility is part of Project Southgate, which was announced last year and which will see the three companies construct 'AI factories' across Australia over a number of years at a forecast cost of more than $70 billion. The new deal is valued at around $660 million and comes as Firmus Technologies gets ready for an IPO this year. (RMS)

News

A.I News (Australia)

Canva to draw line through AI unit

Tech company Canva has announced a major restructure of its artificial-intelligence video unit, Leonardo AI, with a large number of staff there expected to loose their jobs. The restructure comes only 18 months after Canva purchased Leonardo in a deal thought to be worth $370 million, and is in contrast to Canva's 'upbeat' announcement last week of its purchase of two new AI ventures, marketing algorithm start-up MangoAI and animation software business Cavalry. (RMS)

News

Most workers unaware of AI surveillance by employers

A report from the UTS Human Technology Institute has found that 91 per cent of employers surveyed state that they use software to monitor the location of remote workers. However, only nine per cent of workers believe such technology is deployed in their own roles, and Professor Edward Santow from UTS says "that gap is alarming". Meanwhile, researchers claim that tools used explicitly for surveillance are not the only risk to employee privacy, with wellness and mental health services and products potentially another privacy risk.

News

News Media (Australia)

News Corp leader's call to arms: 'it's make or break'

News Corp Australasia's executive chairman Michael Miller is optimistic about the future of public interest journalism. However, he contends that factors such as AI and the regulation of large technology companies means that 2026 is set to be a "make or break" year for Australia's media sector. Miller has called for the federal government to prioritise investment in the "infrastructure of public discourse", arguing that a commitment to Australian journalism is a commitment to a "stronger Australia". He adds that while media companies should strike deals with AI companies, Australia's copyright laws should not be watered down. He has also urged the government to legislate the much-delayed news bargaining incentive, noting that many local media groups are struggling at present. (RMS)

News

The Lead Up

Feb 27

Branding stoush: Why Sky's new name is already under fire

Sky News Australia revealed on Friday that it will be rebranded as News24. Sources at the ABC have indicated that the announcement "raised eyebrows" among senior executives of the public broadcaster, given that its 24-hour news channel was originally called ABC News 24 and it owns the trademark rights to this branding. Intellectual property lawyer Jane Rawlings says it would be difficult for Sky News Australia to trademark its new name because it uses generic terms and is similar to the ABC's trademark. A South Africa-based news website also uses the News24 branding, and its logo also has the same colours as Sky News Australia's proposed new logo. (RMS)

News

Search/News Media

Google, Meta take aim at Australian plan for tech giants to pay for journalism

The US National Foreign Trade Council has labelled the federal government's News Bargaining Incentive a tax, and something that possibly breaches Australia's free trade agreement with the US. The News Bargaining Incentive aims to force big tech companies like Google and Meta to financially support Australian media by what the government refers to as a "charge and offset scheme", with the Council's complaints about the proposal contained in a submission was made to Treasury in December. News of the submission comes as the federal government tries to secure exemptions from US President Donald Trump's tariffs on imports, which are set to rise for Australia from 10 to 15 per cent. (RMS)

News

Sports Business

V'landys forecasts $1b revenue soon for NRL

The National Rugby League has reported that it had total revenue of $845.6 million for the year ending 30 September, an increase of $100.7 million over the previous year. The NRL's net profit rose from $62.3 million to $64.9 million, while net assets were up 20 per cent to $387.3 million. The release of its latest results comes as NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys prepare for talks with television networks and streaming services about a new broadcast deal, while V'landys says he expects the NRL to surpass $1 billion in revenue in the next few years. (RMS)

News

Biz/Markets

Reporting season delivers strongest profit results since 2021, lifting sharemarket

The Australian sharemarket has enjoyed its best reporting season since 2021, which has helped to lift what is still viewed as an expensive bourse. With 80 per cent of scheduled companies by market capitalisation having reported as of last week, aggregate earnings per share for the 2026 financial year is forecast to rise around 12 per cent after low single-digit falls in the past three years. Companies that have performed well on the release of their results have included BHP and JB Hi-Fi, while those that have been punished include Wesfarmers and Reliance Worldwide. (RMS)

News

MinRes turnaround in full swing as flagship iron ore project performs

West Australian mining company Mineral Resources released its results for the first half of the financial year on Friday, with MinRes reporting an after-tax profit of $573 million. It represented a big turnaround on the $807 million loss posted a year ago, which was announced at a time when MinRes MD and founder Chris Ellison was under scrutiny over the disclosure of a decade-long tax evasion scheme and his misuse of company resources. Ellison says its latest result was the "the strongest in the company's history", while it reaffirmed its full-year volume and cost guidance. (RMS)

News

Simon Trott awarded Rio Tinto bonus as execs lose out to Magnificent Seven on TSR award

The base pay of Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott will rise from from Stg1.34m ($2.55m) to Stg1.41m from 1 March after the mining company's board awarded him a five per cent pay rise. Trott also received Stg600,000 in relocation expenses to cover the cost from moving from his home in Perth to London, along with receiving short term incentive payments in cash and shares of $1.34m for his four months as CEO and $1.25m for the eight months he spent as head of Rio's WA iron ore operations. (RMS)

News

Rio Tinto boss lobbied Chalmers to save $11b fuel tax rebate

The federal government is under pressure to scrap the $11 billion fuel tax rebate scheme that is used by mining companies such as Rio Tinto and BHP. Unions and environment groups argue that removing the rebate scheme would force the resources sector to decarbonise at a faster rate, along with saving taxpayer's money. However, a letter released under freedom of information rules has revealed that Rio's then-chief executive of Australia, Kellie Parker, lobbied Treasurer Jim Chalmers to maintain the rebate scheme in the May budget, with Parker claiming Rio would not be in a position to deploy an electric haul truck fleet until the early 2030s. (RMS)

News

Landmark deal commits South Australian gas to home market

Oil and gas producer Santos has done a deal with the South Australian government that will see all the gas it currently exports from that state instead retained in SA in what Premier Peter Malinauskas has labelled a "state strategic reserve". Announcing the deal ahead of his government going into caretaker mode in the lead-up to the SA state election on 21 March, Malinauskas said the gas that would normally go to Japan or South Korea to advance their economies, will now be used to advance the SA economy. The deal between Santos and the SA government comes amid growing pressure on Santos's GLNG export venture in Queensland to end purchases of gas from the domestic market to meet its export contracts. (RMS)

News

Social Media/Media

X Launches Disclosure Tools to Fight Hidden Paid Promotions

Next week, X rolls out new features to make it easier to label paid promotions, with account suspensions for those who skip disclosure. Bier announced this while warning posters promoting Kalshi to add labels or face bans, targeting spam in crypto, prediction markets, and clipping agencies. Reactions range from crypto users celebrating a spammer purge with memes to concerns about clear rules, all while creators like Cynthia joke they're safe since they skip the paychecks.

Pop Culture/Gaming/Wrestling

WWE 2K26 Reveals Retro Entrances of CM Punk and Randy Savage

WWE Games shared first looks at WWE 2K26, recreating classic entrances like CM Punk's 2003 indie debut and Macho Man Randy Savage's 1998 WCW Nitro gear with Queen Sherri by his side. Iyo Sky's feathered entrance drew a thrilled 'Oh yeah! So cool!' from the champion herself. The game launches March 13 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, with Punk on the cover, over 400 stars, and new modes like thumbtack Hell in a Cell. Fans praised the nostalgic details while hoping for era-specific animations.

News

Pop Culture/Sports/Boxing

Conor Benn Signs $15 Million Deal with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing

Rising boxer Conor Benn, 29, inked a one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, the January 2026 venture from UFC president Dana White and Saudi backer Turki Alalshikh, backed by Riyadh Season and streaming on Paramount+. Fresh off avenging his loss to Chris Eubank Jr., Benn thanked Eddie Hearn for a decade of support—including loans and defense during his 2022 drug test suspension—but called Zuffa's offer impossible to refuse. Hearn expressed devastation, saying he misjudged Benn's loyalty after providing title shots and financial help, while Eubank Jr. mocked both and White insulted Hearn directly.

News Flashback

Pop Culture/Wrestling

Jey Uso, Bronson Reed, and Original El Grande Americano Set for Triple Threat Elimination Chamber Qualifier on WWE Raw

WWE announced a triple threat match on the next episode of Raw featuring Jey Uso, Bronson Reed, and Original El Grande Americano to qualify for the Elimination Chamber. The card also includes Brock Lesnar's return, a tribute to AJ Styles, World Champion CM Punk's appearance, and a women's qualifier with Raquel Rodriguez, Kairi Sane, and IYO SKY.

News

WWE Stars Clap Back at Tom Brady's 'Cute' Wrestling Jab

On Logan Paul's podcast earlier this month, seven-time NFL champ Tom Brady dismissed pro wrestling as 'cute' amid Paul's boasts about his WWE feats. Women's World Champion Liv Morgan, fresh off her 2026 Royal Rumble win, countered that WWE athletes could handle football but questioned if football stars could match wrestling's demands—no offseasons, global travel, and high-flying action. Randy Orton upped the ante, saying he'd love to hit Brady with an RKO, while CM Punk embraced the 'cute' label; the banter builds excitement ahead of Elimination Chamber this weekend and WrestleMania 42 in April.

News

Boxing

Ryan Garcia Dominates Barrios to Win WBC Welterweight Title

At T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the 27-year-old southpaw outlanded Barrios in every round, sweeping all 12 on media cards for a unanimous decision victory with scores of 119-108, 120-107, and 118-109. It was Garcia's first major world title, coming after ups and downs like his 2024 win over Devin Haney that turned into a no-contest due to a positive ostarine test. Post-fight, he posed backstage mimicking Kobe Bryant's iconic trophy photo, called out Shakur Stevenson, and drew shade from Haney over past PED issues despite passing pre-fight tests.

News

Wrestling/Gaming

Mr. Iguana's Custom Wrestler Becomes Official in WWE 2K26 with AAA Stars

WWE Games revealed AAA Lucha Libre stars like Mr. Iguana, La Yesca, Psycho Clown, and Lady Flammer for Ringside Pass Season 1 DLC, available with early access on March 6, 2026. Mr. Iguana, created as a custom persona back in 2007, joins partners in dynamic poses with glowing effects and props. The additions blend Mexico's wrestling heritage with WWE action, alongside staples like Charlotte Flair and DX-era Shawn Michaels, as the full game launches March 13 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Media Man

Cryptocurrency, Finance and World

"Volatility is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael Saylor

"Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme." — Naval Ravikant

"We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error." — Tyler Winklevoss

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." — John McAfee

"Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver

"Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn governments." — Charles Lee

"In the future, national currencies will become obsolete. Bitcoin will become the single global currency." — Jack Dorsey

News

Pop Culture

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking

Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Zuffa Boxing vs Golden Boy
Zuffa vs Matchroom
Netflix Sports vs The World
Beast vs Flakes
The Vision vs Mr Injury and The Masked Man aka Seth Rollins

Media Man

Markets, News, Biz, Mining, Energy, Politics: Australia and World

November 2025

Nov 28

Heavy Industry News

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

Jim's Mowing wins Media Man 'Franchise Of The Month' award

News

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6529 USD (up 0.0009 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.70 USD (up $0.10 USD)
Oil: $59.10 USD (up $0.40 USD)
Gold: $4,157.44 USD (down $8.15 USD)
Copper: $5.1625 USD (down $0.0410 USD)
Bitcoin: $91,056.34 -0.12%
Dow Jones: 47,427.12 (closed for Turkey Day)

News

Labor urged to bite the bullet on energy bills

Treasurer Jim Chalmers recently indicated that the federal government has yet to decide whether to extend its electricity bill rebates beyond December 2025. The rebate was introduced in 2023 and extended by six months in the March budget. The expiry of state energy rebates contributed to the higher-than-expected 3.8 per cent headline inflation rate in the year to October. Economists have urged the government to end the rebates, contending that they have a distortionary impact on inflation and have cost the federal budget about $6.8bn to date. Challenger's chief economist Jonathan Kearns notes that rebates also risk lifting expectations of higher inflation; indeed, ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations have risen to a two-year high. (RMS)

News

ASX up as tech stocks rally, WiseTech gains

The Australian sharemarket posted a modest gain on Thursday, with lower trading volumes ahead of Wall Street's closure for Thanksgiving Day; the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.1 per cent to close at 8,617.3 points. WiseTech Global was up 6.9 per cent at $69.72, Bellevue Gold rose 3.2 per cent to $1.29 and Reece advanced four per cent to $12.73. However, DroneShield was down 7.8 per cent at $2 and Santos fell 1.8 per cent to end the session at $6.44. (RMS)

News

What bubble? AI investors double down

Australian technology investors have used a slump on the US Nasdaq earlier in the month to boost their exposure to the artificial intelligence sector. Those investors included Munro Partners, which has topped up its exposure to Nvidia, Alphabet and Taiwan Semiconductor, while Loftus Peak's holdings of US tech stocks include Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor. For his part, Joseph Ziller from Ziller Funds Management says he avoids AI stocks that are not creating value today from their huge capital expenditure. (RMS)

News

Snowy Hydro signs renewable power deals

Snowy Hydro will announce today that it has signed a 15-year deal to purchase power from a wind farm in South Australia that is being developed by Aula Energy, and which Rystad Energy says could cost between $810 million and $945 million. In addition to the deal with Aula Energy, Snowy Hydro will also announce that it has entered into a 15-year contract with French-backed TagEnergy to access 105 megawatts of capacity at the Golden Plains storage battery, which will be located alongside a large wind farm site near Geelong in Victoria. (RMS)

News

Tech giants target roadblocks to AI spending

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures shows that investment in machinery and equipment by IT firms in the September quarter came in at $2.8 billion, which was double the previous record of $1.4 billion set in the previous quarter. The figure includes investment in routers, cooling towers and servers used to construct data centres, and technology companies such as Microsoft and TikTok, along with data centre operators such as NextDC and AirTrunk, have got together to form Data Centres Australia. It will lobby for reforms to energy, water and planning approval and copyright laws, so as to encourage investment in AI-linked investment. (RMS)

News

Atlassians resist Allan's crusade

Atlassian is expanding its operations in Victoria, where Premier Jacinta Allan wants to legislate the right to work from home two days a week for private and public sector employees. Although he is an advocate of hybrid work arrangements and once stated that his employees can work from anywhere, Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes is against the idea of work-from-home mandates, believing that flexible work arrangements should be up to business to decide. As to the future of the Australian tech sector, Cannon-Brooke is very optimistic, even though the federal government seems set to fail in its target for the nation to employ 1.2 million tech workers by the end of the decade. (RMS)

News

Online out to pasture as Tabcorp bets big on pub and club punters

Tabcorp CEO Gillon McLachlan announced a major shakeup of its retail wagering operations earlier in the yea with McLachlan ditching a strategy by his predecessor that was heavily focused on internet betting growth. McLachlan instead plans to focus on punters in clubs and pubs, where it has an advantage over rivals such as Sportsbet and Ladbrokes. Its new strategy will see it pay pubs and clubs hundreds of thousands of dollars to help entice punters to gamble in their venues, while it will allocate $50 million to pay for bonus bets and other inducements for gamblers in pubs and clubs. (RMS)

News

High Court challengers of teen social media ban want Musk, Google to fund case

A group called the Digital Freedom Project is challenging the federal government's under-16 social media ban in the High Court, with the plaintiffs in the challenge being teenage children of members of the group. The group's president is NSW Libertarian Party MP John Ruddick, who is encouraging the big tech companies to fund its challenge, while he says it should be the responsibility of parents to be aware of what their children are doing online and to educate them about the harms of social media. Minister for Communications Anika Wells told parliament on Wednesday the government was committed to the ban, and that it will not be intimidated by legal challenges. (RMS)

News

Cricket's shot at $1.2bn Big Bash prize

Cricket Australia is aiming to partially privatise the Big Bash League, although it will need the consent of the various state cricket bodies. There are currently eight teams in the BBL, with Cricket Australia hoping to expand it to 10 teams; it has placed a value of $1.2 billion on a 10-team BBL, meaning that it stands to make a $600 million windfall if its plans go ahead. Most potential bidders are likely to come from India, with Cricket Australia not optimistic that local buyers would be able to meet its asking price. (RMS)

News

Critical minerals rise from waste ashes

Latrobe Magnesium recently received a letter of interest from the US Export-Import Bank, which offered to provide up to $US122m ($187m) to help build a magnesium plant in Victoria. Latrobe CEO David Paterson says China accounts for about 90 per cent of the global supply of magnesium, which is vital to the manufacture of electric vehicles and military aircraft. Latrobe's technology can convert the fly ash produced by coal-fired power stations into magnesium oxide. It has built a demonstration plant near the site of the defunct Hazelwood power station, and the funding from the US export credit agency will be used to build a commercial plant. (RMS)

News

Mineral explorers bounce on 81pc funding surge

Data from advisory firm BDO shows that the 739 pre-revenue minerals exploration companies on the ASX raised more than $3.49bn in total during the September quarter. This is 81 per cent higher than the June quarter, and Sherif Andrawes from BDO expects this growth to continue. Meanwhile, total exploration expenditure by pre-revenue companies rose by 16 per cent to a two-year high of $843.6m in the September quarter, while the average cash balance of mineral explorers increased by 20 per cent to $11m. Andrawes anticipates strong IPO activity among pre-revenue explorers in the December quarter. (RMS)

News

Palmer's Covid drug donation behind tax dispute

Clive Palmer is in a dispute with the Australian Taxation Office over a purchase he made of a shipment of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is seeking a tax deduction of almost $13m for his purchase, which was made at a time when US President Donald Trump was promoting hydroxychloroquine as a way of combatting COVID-19, with Palmer claiming his deduction as a donation for defending Australia, although the drug was never distributed. (RMS)

News

'How far is it going to escalate?' Fear Santos gas plan in Beetaloo basin could be start of NT fracking rush

Gas and oil company Santos has announced plans to drill 12 fracking wells at Tanumbirini Station, which is a large cattle station in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo basin. Environment Centre NT executive director Dr Kirsty Howey is worried that if Santos's plans lead to to full-scale production, that over 6,000 wells could be drilled through "our precious aquifers, polluting our groundwater with toxic chemicals", with ninety percent of the NT's water supply coming from groundwater. Howey says Santos should be a "good corporate citizen" and refer its proposal to be assessed under federal environment laws.

News

LNG levy proposal scared producers

The federal government is reviewing Australia's east coast gas market, with it being understood that it was considering a levy on east coast LNG exporters at one stage. However, while that idea appears to have been shelved and the government looks set to have settled on a gas reservation-style scheme, the fact that the government was even considering a levy has sparked concern among the gas industry about the extent to which the government is prepared to intervene in the sector. (RMS)

News

Smelters become a test case for bailouts

Glencore and Nyrstar are among the companies that have received financial assistance from federal and state governments to keep their ageing Australian smelters operating. China's dominance of the critical minerals sector has underlined the importance of continuing to produce metals such as copper and zinc in Australia. Nyrstar's lead smelter at Port Pirie and its zinc smelter in Hobart can potentially be upgraded to produce critical minerals such as antimony, bismuth, tellurium, germanium and indium; these metals are crucial to Australia's economic and security equation, particularly in the wake of the recent critical minerals agreement with the US. (RMS)

News

Crisafulli denies favouritism amid mine deals

Harmony Gold's Eva Copper Mine has received an undislosed financial incentive from the Queensland government's Northwest Energy Fund. However, two coal projects in the state have received no financial assistance from the government. Premier David Crisafulli has rejected suggestions that the government is favouring critical minerals over coal, arguing that it is providing the coal industry with certainty with regard to regulation and taxation; the government has previously been criticised for retaining its Labor predecessor's controversial coal royalty regime. Crisafulli adds that the Eva Copper Mine will help ensure that Glencore's Mount Isa smelter remains viable. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

ASX rally tempers on CPI shock; miners rise

The Australian sharemarket posted a sold gain on Wednesday, despite a pullback in response to data showing that inflation rose to a higher-than-expected 3.8 per cent in the year to October. The S&P/ASX 200 added 0.8 per cent to close at 8,606.5 points, having risen by about 1.2 per cent before the monthly CPI data was released. BHP was up two per cent at $41.80, Pilbara Minerals rose 7.2 per cent to $4.04 and Ramsay Health Care advanced 3.8 per cent to $37.32. However, Temple & Webster shed 32.3 per cent to end the session at $13.83. (RMS)

News

Fortescue, former execs settle with each side to pay costs

The terms of a settlement between Fortescue and three former executives will remain confidential, after all parties to the legal dispute agreed to take no further action. Michael Masterman, Bart Kolodziejczyk and Bjorn Winther-Jensen had been accused of using Fortescue's proprietary information when they left to establish a rival 'green' iron company called Element Zero in 2022. Fortescue commenced legal action in April 2024, and attracted criticism for hiring private detectives to undertake surveillance on the three former employees and their families. Element Zero's green iron plant in Perth will be formally opened by Premier Roger Cook today. (RMS)

News

The rare earths race is on

China has spent unlimited money to develop the world's best technology to produce heavy rare earths, while the French have developed rival technology that is not as good and is far more expensive. Meanwhile, Sinosteel's $100m pilot plant in Western Australia to process ore from Northern Minerals' Browns Range rare earth project is likely to remain idle, as Northern Minerals intends to build a new plant at Browns Range with financial support from the US Export-Import Bank. Haoma Mining's Bamboo Creek heavy rare earths deposit is also a threat to China's dominance of the sector; its Elazac process is now being used to extract gold and platinum from the Bamboo Creek material, and it could become a rival to the Chinese and French technology for extracting heavy rare earths such as terbium. (RMS)

Nov 26

News

Haoma Mining: Chairman's Presentation to shareholders

Haoma Mining NL Announcements

Haoma Mining held its Annual General Meeting at Tonic House in Melbourne on 26 November. Chairman Gary Morgan updated shareholders on Haoma's major activities in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, including the use of the Elazac process to produce gold bullion at the Bamboo Creek Pilot Plant, as well as its Pilbara Heavy Rare Earth discovery. Shareholders were also updated on progress at the Pirra Lithium exploration joint venture between Haoma and SQM Australia, as well as activities at Haoma's Top Camp Roadhouse and Caravan Park at Ravenswood in Queensland. (Roy Morgan Summary)

Lead Up

Nov 25

Big super's $110m stake in 'blood oil'

Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations chair Kateryna Argyrou says Australia's superannuation funds should divest their stakes in companies such as India's Reliance Industries. Argyrou's comments follow the revelation that Reliance has profited from refining sanctioned Russian crude oil and exporting the resulting fuels into markets such as Australia. The nation's four largest super funds have invested nearly $110 million in Reliance; they include AustralianSuper and the Australian Retirement Trust. (RMS)

Nov 25

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6462 USD (up 0.0009 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.00 USD (up $0.75 USD)
Oil: $58.84 USD (up $0.78 USD)
Gold: $4,123.68 USD (up $58.41 USD)
Copper: $4.9890 USD (down $0.0070 USD)
Dow Jones: 46,478.79 (up 233.38 points)
Bitcoin: $88,103.67 +1.47%

News

Force miners to sell local: smelter owner

Nyrstar Australia's CEO Matt Howell says the federal government should consider implementing a domestic minerals reservation scheme. It would work in much the same way as the proposed domestic gas reservation scheme, and require mining companies to sell a portion of their mineral ore to Australian refinery operators. The future of facilities such as Nyrstar's Port Pirie lead smelter and its Hobart zinc smelter have been under scrutiny, prompting federal and state government assistance. However, Howell's proposal has been dismissed by Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable, who has cautioned against government intervention in the minerals market. (RMS)

News

'Our gas, our prices': Ed Husic breaks ranks with Labor to demand an end to 'profiteering' by exporters

Former Labor industry minister Ed Husic has backed a motion by independent MP Nicolette Boele regarding east coast gas prices. The motion calls on the federal government to "only allow uncontracted gas to be exported after it has been offered to the domestic market at a reasonable price", with Boele saying Australia does not have a gas supply problem, but rather a gas export problem. Calling for stronger action against what he labels 'profiteering' gas exporters, Husic contends that "our gas, our prices: that should be the bedrock of our thinking. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

ASX to rally in 2026 on mining bounce: UBS

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has retreated from the record high of 9,904 points in recent weeks, having closed at 8,525.1 yesterday. However, Richard Schellbach from UBS is upbeat about the outlook for the local bourse, forecasting that the ASX 200 will top 8,900 points again by the end of 2026. Schellbach says there are expectations that earning growth will exceed 10 per cent in 2026; he adds that although this will be driven by the resources sector, there will be earnings growth across the broader sharemarket. (RMS/AFR)

News

BHP drops second tilt at rival Anglo

BHP has advised that it has held preliminary discussions with Anglo American's board regarding a potential merger, but says it is no longer considering a bid for its London-based rival. BHP abandoned a previous takeover bid for Anglo American in 2024, and the company says it is still of the view that a merger would have "strong strategic merits" and create significant value for all stakeholders. BHP has indicated that it will instead focus on its organic growth strategy. Meanwhile, the latest aborted bid for Anglo has prompted speculation that Rio Tinto could pursue growth via acquisitions. (RMS)

News

Rinehart puts blowtorch on Rio Tinto, BHP over net zero spending

Hancock Prospecting's executive chair Gina Rinehart has criticised major resources groups for spending billions of dollars on reducing carbon emissions. Rinehart singled out BHP and Rio Tinto in her speech to mark National Mining Day; BHP is expected to spend up to $500m on reducing emissions over the next five years, while Rio Tinto has committed to halving its emissions by 2030 at a cost of $US5bn over 10 years. Rinehart contended that the dividends of BHP and Rio Tinto shareholders are being "sacrificed on the green altar". The speech was written by Rinehart but delivered by Hancock Iron Ore's CEO Gerhard Veldsman via a video message. (RMS)

News

Lithium prices slide on Chinese mine restart

The price of lithium fell sharply on Friday, in response to media reports that China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology could potentially resume production at its Jianxiawo mine in early December. Data from S&P Global Platts shows that the price of spodumene - the type of lithium that is mined in Australia - fell by 8.3 per cent to $US1,135 a tonne; the price of lithium carbonate in turn fell by nine per cent to 91,020 yuan on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange. The downturn prompted a fall in the share prices of Australian lithium producers on Monday. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Santos hit by delay on Narrabri gas ruling

Santos has received another setback in its long-running bid to proceed with the Narrabri gas project in NSW. A two-day hearing on the Gomeroi people's appeal against a Native Title Tribunal ruling on the project had been scheduled to begin in the Federal Court this week; however, Justice Natalie Charlesworth recused herself from the case because an associate had worked for Santos on secondment on two separate occasions. Another judge is not available to hear the case, so the traditional owners' appeal has been pushed back to March 2026. (RMS)

News

Nov 24

UK launches critical minerals strategy to reduce dependency on China

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a critical minerals and rare earths strategy, with the strategy aimed at reducing the UK's dependency on China. It includes a Stg50 million fund to boost production at tungsten and lithium mines in Cornwall. Europe's largest deposits of lithium are in Cornwall, while the EU has previously singled out the county's tungsten mine for potential financial support. The strategy follows a six-week standoff between China and the EU over the supply of chips used in the car sector, while it seeks to ensure no more than 60% of any one critical mineral comes from a single partner country by 2035; the British government also wants to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium in the UK by the same year. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Pop Culture

Gold Movie

Gold is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance the appeal of the film, character names and story details were changed.

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

Gold is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.

News

Citizen Kane (1941)

Directed by Orson Welles | Written by Orson Welles & Herman J. Mankiewicz | Cinematography by Gregg TolandWhy it’s considered one of the greatest films ever made:

Revolutionary storytelling: Non-linear structure jumping through multiple perspectives and timelines — decades before it became common.

Iconic moments/lines:

“Rosebud…”

The campaign speech with the giant Kane poster

The slow push-in on young Charlie playing in the snow as his future is decided

“Old age… it’s the only disease, Mr. Thompson, that you don’t look forward to being cured of.” (Bernstein)

News

Salt of the Earth (1954

Mexican workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and daughters, that they eventually triumph.

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Cryptos Struggle again, Medium Bull Update: Round 1! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes Cont! Red And Black Attack! All That Glitters. Bells To Be Rung! Aussie - US Connection

November 24, 2025

Sin City Sydney, Australia
Mad Monday Aussie

ASX futures up 92 points/1.1% to 8519

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +1%
Dow Jones: +1.1%
Nasdaq +0.9%
Europe: Stoxx 50 -1%
FTSE +0.1%
DAX -0.8%
CAC flat

Australian dollar at US64.59 cents

Bitcoin +3.3% to $US87,532

Gold -0.3% to $US4065.14
Oil -1.6% to $US58.06 a barrel
Brent crude oil -1.3% to $US62.56 a barrel
Iron ore +0.3% to $US104.25 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.06%
Australia 4.46%
Germany 2.70%

Bitcoin: (Near Live) $87,749.31 +3.95%

News Update: (Near Live)

News

New York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
The November Man!
23 Nov
NYC!

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Moody: Cryptos lost shine!

Bitcoin $87,749.31 +3.95%
Ethereum $2,833.20 +3.10%
Tether $1.0005 +0.06%
Binance Coin $853.96 +2.91%
XRP $2.0762 +6.95%
Solana $133.00 +4.96%
TRON $0.2755 +0.52%
Dogecoin $0.1470 +4.85%
Cardano $0.4158 +3.49%

Market scares! Mood: Medium:; Picking up for some in traditional sectors! Hardcores keep dream! Many bears selling out!

Media Man Favs:

(Near Live)

Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out. Comeback! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some! Santa gives little for miners, gamers, some tech heads and grapplers!

Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $178.17 +1.680.95%
NVIDIA Corp $178.88 -1.76 -0.97%
Formula One Group Series A $85.18 -0.72 -0.84%
Alphabet Inc Class A $299.66 +10.21 +3.53%
News Corp Class A $25.69 +0.89 +3.59%
Netflix Inc $104.31 -1.36 -1.29%
Caterpillar Inc $550.43 +4.30 +0.79%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $10.33
-0.020 -0.19%
Tesla Inc $391.09 -3.96 -1.00%
Walt Disney Co $104.28 +1.58 +1.54%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $119.60 +2.46 +2.10%
Meta Platforms Inc $594.25 +5.03 +0.85%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US) 53.08 +0.50 +0.95% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.45 +0.32 +1.98%
Elders ADR $19.73 (US)
Rio Tinto Ltd $84.00 -1.00 - 1.18% (US)
Paramount Skydance Corp $15.89 +0.21 +1.34%
Red Light Holland Corp $0.018 -0.0013 -6.84%

News

The Dollar's new edge: from shield to sword

• The dollar is losing its safe-haven status. • The scale of the Fed's rate cuts has been overestimated. • The yen is the main favourite for 2026. • BoJ may not raise rates until March. If the US dollar was previously a shield, it is now turning into a sword. (FxPro)

News

Crypto market accelerates decline

Market Overview

The crypto market is experiencing a sharp decline, losing another 4% over the past 24 hours and falling back to $3.07 trillion, its lowest level since early May. The decline is accelerating relative to the trend observed since 10 October. At this stage, the market is being dragged down by major coins — Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP — which are losing more than 5%, while some altcoins remain in the shadows. It is unlikely that this should be considered a sign of strength for coins such as Monero (+2.7%), Tron (-1.8%) or Bitcoin Cash (-2.4%). It would be more accurate to say that the bears have not yet reached them.

Bitcoin fell below $90K, trading at its lowest levels since the end of April. As expected, the dip below the 50-week moving average at the end of last week triggered sellers, confirming the breakdown of the bullish trend that had lasted for the previous two years. Now, the working scenario appears to be a chance for BTC to dip to its 200-week moving average. In 2022, this path took 9 weeks, and over 30 weeks to form the bottom.

Ethereum fell below $3,000, following Bitcoin, which rolled back below its 50-week moving average. In this case, the 200-week average (approximately $2,300) will deter sellers, and we are considering a decline to $1,700 as a working pessimistic scenario.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined by $2.036 billion last week, marking the third consecutive week of outflows. Investments in Bitcoin fell by $1.378 billion, in Ethereum by $689 million, in XRP by $16 million, and in Solana by $8 million. Investments in Sui rose by $6 million, in Litecoin by $3 million, and in ETFs with multiple crypto assets by $31 million.

The fall of Bitcoin from its record highs in October was triggered by the capitulation of short-term holders, rather than the distribution of coins by long-term investors, according to XWIN Research.

Ethereum is entering a Supercycle phase like the one that brought Bitcoin a hundredfold increase since 2017, said BitMine CEO Tom Lee. In his opinion, the market decline is attributed to issues with several large market makers attempting to provoke liquidations in Bitcoin.

The inflow of stablecoins to Binance reached $9 billion in 30 days. The indicator is close to historical peaks, which previously preceded strong market movements, notes CryptoOnchain analyst. In his opinion, capital in standby mode can quickly change the market dynamics in favour of the ‘bulls’.

Strategy's business model is entirely dependent on funds buying its shares and is built on ‘fraud,’ said Peter Schiff, a well-known cryptocurrency critic and gold advocate. Since July, Strategy's shares have fallen by more than 50%, and recently, its capitalisation has fallen below the value of its assets. (FxPro)

News

The crypto is set for a short-term rebound, not a full recovery

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has lost 9.5% over the past seven days. The decline took place on weekdays last week, with the level stabilising around $3.25 trillion over the weekend. Among altcoins, the standout is the unsinkable Zcash at $700, nearing its highs, and weak Solana and Ethereum, which have lost 45% and 40% from their August and September highs, respectively.

The crypto sentiment index recorded values of 10 on Saturday and Sunday, marking a return to the lows of late February this year. Although this was a good point to buy on the rebound in the following days, the downward trend continued for almost a month and a half. Market dynamics since the beginning of October have been reminiscent of those seen at the end of January. This is good news for short-term buyers but may cause medium-term buyers to stay on the sidelines for a while.

Bitcoin slipped below $93K during illiquid trading early in the day, but found impressive buyer interest there, rising to $95.6K. Whether this is a short-term rebound or the beginning of a recovery can only be determined after it consolidates above $100,000. There is a high chance that the strategy of selling on rebounds will remain prevalent.

News Background

Outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US continue for the third week in a row. According to SoSoValue, net outflows from spot BTC ETFs totalled $1.11 billion last week, slightly lower than the previous week's outflows, resulting in a total inflow of $58.85 billion into these products since January 2024.

Net outflows from spot Ethereum ETFs in the US continue for the second week in a row, amounting to $728.6 million. The cumulative net inflow since the launch of ETFs in July 2024 has fallen to $13.13 billion.

Inflows into the recently launched Solana spot ETFs in the US have continued for the third consecutive week, totalling $382.1 million. However, during this time, the price has fallen by a third, reinforcing the idea that entering traditional financial markets does not necessarily promise price growth.

Long-term Ethereum holders have increased their sales to 45,000 ETH per day, the highest level since February 2021, according to Glassnode. Long-term Bitcoin holders are also actively selling their holdings. According to CryptoQuant, they have dumped 815,000 BTC on the market over the past month.

Miner Bitfarms has announced a gradual phase-out of Bitcoin mining and a transition to developing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. The company reported a net loss of $46 million in its third-quarter report. (FxPro)

News

Gold stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already broken down Gold has stabilised around the $4,000 mark over the last ten days, ending the week at roughly the same level as it started. Attempts by sellers to push the price below $3,900 are meeting with impressive buying interest.

This is facilitated by the Supreme Court, which is considering the illegality of US tariffs. If Donald Trump is defeated, the money will have to be returned. As a result, the budget deficit and public debt will increase, leading to chaos in the financial markets. Concerns about this are prompting investors to seek refuge in safe-haven assets. However, this all appears to be an attempt to play the old card, which can only delay the inevitable.

According to estimates by the World Gold Council, central bank purchases of bullion in 2025 are expected to amount to 750-900 tonnes. In each of the previous three years, the figure exceeded 1,000 tonnes. China's cancellation of VAT credits for precious metal retailers will increase prices for the jewellery industry and lead to a decline in demand. ETF stocks are falling.

HSBC, Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is becoming relevant. (FxPro)

News

Crypto bulls fail to maintain momentum

Market Overview

The crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours, the first increase after four days of decline. The market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion, close to May's local highs. The situation currently resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar since the second half of September. Ironically, this reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also coincided with a market rebound. According to the creators of such an index, now is the right time for bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5% below the local low of 17 Oct, when sentiment last recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there is still a lot of time left until the end of the week, and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative again.

News Background

Cryptocurrencies are under pressure from general risk aversion in global markets. Among the factors are concerns about the Fed's interest rate and the situation in the credit sector, according to Hashdex. Wintermute attributes the worst performance of cryptocurrencies among all other asset classes to the redistribution of cash flows to other markets. Short-term Bitcoin holders continue to sell cryptocurrencies at a loss, using any rebound as an opportunity to sell, notes analyst Darkfost. However, accumulator addresses — wallets that only buy and never sell — have acquired a record 375,000 BTC over the past month. Amid the asset's decline, French company Sequans Communications, which accumulates Bitcoin, was forced to sell 970 BTC to partially repay its convertible debt. The company's reserves fell from 3,234 to 2,264 BTC. Japanese company Metaplanet, on the other hand, is raising funds to purchase bitcoins. On 31 October, the company received a $100 million loan secured by its reserves. Ripple announced that it had raised $500 million in strategic investments (with a valuation of $40 billion) from major institutional players. Zcash (ZEC) could become an alternative to Bitcoin among those who fear the centralisation of BTC due to Wall Street and are concerned about the tracking of on-chain transactions, according to Galaxy Digital. Supporters of the private coin refer to it as ‘encrypted Bitcoin’ and a return to the principles of the cypherpunks. (FxPro)

News Lead Up

Price Movements and Market Outlook

Spot Gold Dips Slightly: Gold traded at $4,068.70 per troy ounce on November 17, down 0.36% from the previous day. This extends a two-day losing streak amid fading bets for a December Fed rate cut, with the probability dropping below 50%. However, the metal remains up 55.75% year-over-year, supported by broader safe-haven demand.

Recent Rally: Prices surged nearly 3% earlier in the week to a two-week high, driven by soft U.S. economic indicators that bolstered rate-cut hopes and lifted non-yielding assets like gold.

Forecast: Analysts see potential upside if gold sustains above $4,100, targeting $4,140–$4,145, and possibly $4,200. A break below $4,000 could accelerate declines toward $3,900. A weaker USD and softer risk sentiment are keeping a floor under prices, amid concerns over the ongoing U.S. government shutdown impacting economic momentum.

Global Demand and Regional Updates

India and China Cooling: Physical demand in India stayed subdued due to volatile prices, leading to steep discounts for the first time in seven weeks post-festivals. In China, a state bank halted new retail gold accounts after tax exemptions were tweaked, likely curbing demand in the world's top consumer market. Premiums rose in other Asian hubs as global rates eased.

Investment Trends: First-time gold investing hit its strongest levels since the Global Financial Crisis, per recent surveys, signaling renewed interest amid uncertainty.

Buzz on X (Recent Posts) Social discussions highlight gold's role as a hedge against crypto volatility and inflation: Users are buying gold amid Bitcoin's dip into the $80Ks, viewing it as a tangible alternative to "digital tulips."

News

Gold: correction is not over yet

The strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.

Yellow metal is gradually losing its wild cards. It managed to reach a record high thanks to devaluation trading, expectations of aggressive monetary expansion by the Fed, Donald Trump's threats of 100% tariffs against China, geopolitics, pessimistic forecasts for the global economy, and active purchases of bullion by central banks.

However, the White House is no longer attacking the Fed as aggressively as before. The US and China have found common ground. The Middle East conflict has been resolved, and the global economy is proving resilient in the face of tariffs. The Fed is cautious about lowering rates, and central bank activity in the bullion market is declining.

The other two examples of similar velocity of gold rose were 1979 and 2011. The experience of those years shows that the surge and collapse were followed by long periods of consolidation. In other words, after a period of retreat from the top, the precious metal will find its trading range and settle within it. But for the weeks ahead, we continue to see more risks of further decline. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

Weekly data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record oil production rates last week, supplying an average of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased supply began in August, but producers have only now returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in US commercial inventories over the past two weeks, inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen over the past decade, leaving considerable room for growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve, which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies, while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis. This extremely bearish combination of factors did not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because of global trade in currency depreciation that caused precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks .. To be cont .. (FxPro)

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

The impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown, the political crisis in France, and the change of leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

The share of precious metals is growing both in speculators' assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital, if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs NYC and Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling (MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!
NXT Gold Rush: Page & Green vs Hendry & Hail
Baszler vs Itoh - HOG Superclash - Nov 15
MSG, NY winning with WWE and UFC in Nov
The Vision vs WWE Lockerroom
John Cena vs Dirty Dom
Miz vs Management
Jericho vs Internet Marks
Mr Gold vs Mr Fool's Gold
Neo vs Mr Smith
PBR vs Others. No Bull?!
Aus Gvt vs Big Tech
Banks vs Cryptos
NVIDIA vs World
White House vs Wokes
Packer vs Devil D
Lucha Bros vs AAA Heels

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Docos

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy. For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power.

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Super Bulls Running Show; Cryptos Still Hurting; Medium Bull Update: Round 5! Bloody Noses and Black Eyes! Red And Black Attack! Black Friday! All That Glitters ... Elon Smiles Again!

November 10, 2025

Sin City Sydney, Australia
Mad Monday!

ASX futures up 23 points or 0.3% to 8794
Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.1%
Dow Jones: +0.2%
Nasdaq -0.2%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.8%
FTSE -0.6%
DAX -0.7%
CAC -0.2%

Australian dollar at US64.88 cents

Bitcoin +3% to $US104,999

Gold +0.6% to $US4001.26 per ounce
Oil +0.5% to $US59.75 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.4% to $US63.63 a barrel
Iron ore -2.4% to $US101.45 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.10%
Australia 4.35%
Germany 2.66%

News Update: (Near Live)

Bitcoin: $104,464.32 +2.11%

New York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Moody: Part Corrective agub! Mainly uphill. Salt Into The Wound Again?! Or Salt Of The Earth. Red turns to green?

Bitcoin $104,464.32 +2.11%
Ethereum $3,577.97 +5.00%
Tether $0.9999 -0.01%
Binance Coin $996.71 -0.13%
XRP $2.3401 +2.08%
Solana $165.15 +4.40%
TRON $0.2914 -0.16%
Dogecoin $0.1799 +2.26%
Cardano $0.5800 +2.27%

Market part corrective! Mood: Still somber-like for many but picking up! Upswing again! Suspicious! Regaining smiles in selected cases! Hardcores keep the dream!

Media Man Favs:

(Near Live). Bells Rung by Mr Wolf! TKO kicks out and winning again today! Christmas Grinch Comes Early for some!

Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $182.56 +1.59 +0.88%
NVIDIA Corp $188.15 +0.070 +0.037%
Formula One Group Series A $92.25 -1.46 -1.56%
Alphabet Inc Class A $278.83 -5.92 -2.08%
News Corp Class A $26.72 +1.64 +6.54%
Netflix Inc $1,103.66 +6.64 +0.61%
Caterpillar Inc $563.10 -6.68 -1.17%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $13.10 -0.23 -1.73%
Tesla Inc $429.52 -16.39 -3.68%
Walt Disney Co $110.74 +0.25 +0.23%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $126.14 +3.60 +2.94%
Meta Platforms Inc $621.71 +2.77 +0.45%
BHP Group Ltd (NYSE) $55.16 -0.45 - 0.81% (NYSE)
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.92 +0.22 +1.32%
Elders Ltd $6.69 -0.100 -1.47%
Rio Tinto Ltd $82.03 -2.012.39% (US)

News

Gold stabilised at $4,000, but the upward trend has already broken down

Gold has stabilised around the $4,000 mark over the last ten days, ending the week at roughly the same level as it started. Attempts by sellers to push the price below $3,900 are meeting with impressive buying interest.

HSBC, Bank of America and Societe Generale continue to stick to their forecasts of $5,000 per ounce. However, the gold rally has broken down. Selling on the rise is becoming relevant. (FxPro)

News

Crypto bulls fail to maintain momentum

Market Overview

The crypto market has gained 1% over the past 24 hours, the first increase after four days of decline. The market is stabilising at levels just above $3.4 trillion, close to May's local highs. The situation currently resembles a pause in the decline rather than a serious reversal, due to somewhat cautious sentiment in the stock markets and the strengthening of the dollar since the second half of September. Ironically, this reversal coincides with the resumption of the easing cycle of monetary policy. The sentiment index has emerged from the zone of extreme fear, which also coincided with a market rebound. According to the creators of such an index, now is the right time for bulls. Still, traders should be cautious with such an interpretation, as the previous rebound from extreme fear was not long-lasting, and the market is now 5% below the local low of 17 October, when sentiment last recovered from extreme anxiety. Bitcoin is trading near $103,000, pausing its rebound but remaining far from its recent lows. The bulls managed to bring the coin back above the 50-week moving average, but there is still a lot of time left until the end of the week, and for now, time is on the bears' side. On intraday charts, it looks as if the rebound has run out of steam and sellers are ready to seize the initiative again.

News Background

Newsfeed

If the 4-year cycles are still alive, BTC faces a pullback to $70K

Market Overview

The crypto market continues its impressive decline, losing another 2.4% over the past 24 hours. Having fallen to a low of $3.3 trillion, the market is now at its lowest point since early July. A steady move below the 200-day moving average and a drop of more than 20% from its peak are sure signs of a bear market. Perhaps crypto enthusiasts are confident that this is a temporary decline, similar to the one seen in March and April.

However, we would prefer not to rule out the possibility of another bear market starting in the coming years. At a time when many have buried the 4-year cycles, we still see that they have only lost amplitude but have generally retained their influence. According to these patterns, the market is close to or has already passed its peak for the next couple of years, which explains the intense selling pressure since October.

Bitcoin fell to five-digit price levels overnight, touching lows just below $99,000 twice. BTC traded steadily below these levels from February to May. And then there was a psychologically significant consolidation period in December and January. The market is now undergoing a critical test. Another step down will open the way to the $60,000-$70,000 range. However, there is a theoretical chance that BTC will quickly rebound by the end of the week from the 50-week moving average, which has served as a global support since the first half of 2023.

News Background

Early investors continue to sell off cryptocurrency. Over the past 30 days, long-term holders have sold 400,000 BTC — about 2% of the total supply of the asset, according to WeRate. Additional pressure is coming from continued outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs.

The US government shutdown, now in its second month, is also putting pressure on Bitcoin. Another factor is the Coinbase premium, which remains in negative territory, according to CryptoQuant. This indicates sustained pressure from US sellers.

At the same time, there has been a record outflow of stablecoins from exchanges, indicating a shift of capital from risky assets to safe-haven dollar instruments. Demand for Bitcoin from institutional investors has declined, according to Capriole. For the first time in seven months, net purchases have fallen below the daily issuance of the asset.

Bitcoin has lost significant growth potential due to the influence of large financial institutions and government structures, according to Peter Thiel, the former PayPal CEO and billionaire.

Strategy intends to conduct its initial public offering on the European stock market, issuing 3.5 million preferred shares denominated in euros. The funds will be used to purchase bitcoins and replenish working capital. (FxPro)

News

Gold: correction is not over yet

The strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.

News

Crypto is on the verge of a bear market

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has fallen to $3.47 trillion. This is 4% lower than the previous day and 19% off from the global peak set just four weeks ago. Sellers are pushing cryptocurrencies into bear market territory (unofficially, this occurs when there is a 20% decline from the peak) in the hope that the sell-off will be self-sustaining near this point. However, we are also seeing signs of a similar accelerated sell-off at the start of the week, following a lull from Friday to Sunday.

The sentiment index has fallen to 21, the lowest level since 9 April, indicating extreme fear. Last month, entering this territory triggered a rebound, but the market has already fallen below those levels. As we previously suggested, the initial surge of extreme fear levels is only the beginning of a prolonged period of volatility in this territory. This period is also characterised by an even more substantial decline in altcoins compared to the first cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin plummeted below $ 105K, shedding nearly 3% in the past 24 hours. Excluding short-term slips last month, BTC has not traded lower since June. By and large, it is now testing levels that served as resistance last December and January.

News Background

According to CoinShares, global investment in crypto funds declined by $360 million last week, following inflows the week before. Only investments in Bitcoin declined, by $946 million. Investments in altcoins increased, with notable gains in Ethereum by $58 million, in Solana by $421 million, in XRP by $43 million, and in Sui by $9 million.

QCP Capital recorded large transfers of Bitcoin to the Kraken exchange by early investors. According to analysts, the current consolidation resembles the period before the breakthrough in 2024. Otherwise, it could signal the beginning of a crypto winter.

Bitcoin is not showing growth as early investors pass the baton to long-term holders. The recovery of the first cryptocurrency is only possible after the ETF and Strategy resume large-scale purchases, according to CryptoQuant.

Strategy bought 397 bitcoins last week at an average price of $114,771. Strategy now owns 641,205 BTC worth $47.49 billion at an average purchase price of $74,057 per coin. The company's weekly BTC purchase volumes remain close to record lows.

Another record was set in October by the Ethereum network, with stablecoin transactions reaching $2.8 trillion last month. Circle's USDC was the leader, accounting for $1.6 trillion of the total turnover. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
UFC Legal vs UFC Bad Egg Betting Disruptors
Bulls vs Bears
Logan Paul vs WWE babyfaces
Santa's Helper vs Grinch
John McAfee vs FBI + + +, Running .... Netflix Wins again!
Killer Kross vs Matt Riddle - Shoot Fight/Wrestling (MLW)!
VKM vs Numerous!
MLW vs The World
The Big Event vs US Promoters
Storm vs WWE Locker Room. Lash Legend on side!

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

News

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

World News, Markets: Australia and New York, Biz, Culture, News

October 2025

Freaky Friday Further Spooks Market, Investors Of All Nature; Did You Survive October?!

Numbers: (Near Live)

Sharemarket

Gold 4,002.93 +0.32 +0.01%

Bitcoin $109,675.25 +1.61%

Ethereum $3,861.37 +2.34%

Alphabet Inc Class A $281.19 -0.29 -0.10%

TKO Group Holdings Inc $188.40 +0.62 +0.33%

Netflix Inc $1,118.86 +29.86 +2.74%

Microsoft Corp $517.81 -7.95 -1.51%

BHP Group Ltd $43.45 -0.43 -0.98%

Rio Tinto Ltd $132.87 -0.56 - 0.42%

Oct 31

Gold: correction is not over yet

The strengthening of the US dollar and higher Treasury yields have brought the gold price back below $4000.

News

Verbal interventions do not help yen

The Fed will make things clear
The ECB may lower rates in the future.

• The truce between the US and China is fragile.
• The Bank of Japan has not given any signals.
• Interventions did not scare USDJPY.

The Bank of Japan's passivity and the ECB's reluctance to spring surprises weakened the yen and the euro, adding fuel to the USD index rally.

The market continues to reassess its views on the fate of the federal funds rate and is buying the US dollar. At the same time, growing uncertainty is boosting demand for the greenback as a safe-haven currency. The trade deal between the US and Beijing is being compared to a truce with hidden risks of escalation. The Supreme Court's cancellation of tariffs in November could even trigger chaos in the financial markets.

The ECB has no reason to complain about the eurozone economy. In the third quarter, it accelerated from 0.5% to 0.9% year-over-year, thanks to the gradual adjustment of exports to US tariffs, a strong labour market, solid household balance sheets, and a prolonged cycle of rate cuts.

However, risks remain. The Governing Council's doves warn of a slowdown in GDP and inflation under the influence of high US tariffs and a strong euro. The futures market gives a 40% probability of a deposit rate cut by mid-2026. This puts pressure on EURUSD. The euro could stumble at any moment and fall off the cliff near the 1.1550 mark.

On the contrary, the chances of a Fed rate cut in December fell from more than 90% at the start of the week to 67%. At the same time, Treasury bond yields are rising, which is supporting the US dollar.

USDJPY managed to restore its upward trend due to the Bank of Japan's reluctance to signal an increase in the overnight rate in the future. Kazuo Ueda cited uncertainty in the US economy and the need for new wage data, saying he was not afraid of a situation where sluggishness could trigger a surge in inflation.

The yen was not helped by the acceleration of consumer prices in Tokyo from 2.5% to 2.8% and verbal interventions. According to Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, the government is closely monitoring speculative movements on Forex and is ready to intervene. However, such statements only temporarily cooled the bulls' enthusiasm for USDJPY. Moreover, hedge funds are positioned for the US dollar to rise towards 160 yen. (FxPro)

News

With no help from Powell, Crypto is again hoping for technical support

Market Overview

The crypto market cap continues to fall, dropping to $3.58 at the end of the day on Thursday, but stabilising near $3.7 trillion at the beginning of the day on Friday. In other words, we are seeing a local rebound, but each time, lower local highs are being recorded. On the other hand, since July, there have been enough buyers on dips in the $3.5 trillion range.

Bitcoin fell to $106K at the end of the day on Thursday. Attempts to recover on Friday with a return to $110K now look like a rebound. The first cryptocurrency has clearly fallen under stronger gravity in recent days. Perhaps the start of a new month will give buyers a boost. However, the aura of a historically positive month, so-called Uptober, lasted only for the first few days, followed by an impressive decline.

News Background

In recent months, long-term investors have increased their sales of BTC, tripling them from June to October, according to Glassnode. The primary buyers of the asset were investors who purchased Bitcoin at an average price of $93K.

The inability to consolidate above $113K after six months of steady trading at high levels indicates a weakening of buying activity. If the trend continues, a pullback to the next significant support level around $88K is possible, Glassnode warns.

In October, the volume of spot trading in Bitcoin on the largest exchanges reached a record high, exceeding $300 billion, according to CryptoQuant. This indicates an increase in liquidity and market stability.

Strategy founder Michael Saylor said that Bitcoin will reach $150K by the end of the year. His long-term forecast for the next 20 years assumes an average annual growth rate of approximately 30% for BTC.

According to Nansen, on-chain activity on the Ethereum network has risen to a monthly high. Despite this, fees on the ETH network remain near historic lows. The surge in on-chain activity comes amid a deterioration in other indicators. For example, the number of active addresses has been steadily declining since May.

The anonymous cryptocurrency Zcash has grown by 700% in a month due to a surge in ‘demand for privacy.’ The volume of secure transactions in Zcash reached a record 4.9 million ZEC. However, the ZEC price is still 89.2% below its historic high, reached in October 2016 at just under $3,200. (FxPro)

News Lead Up

Oct 28

The Fed will make things clear

Strong statistics are helping the dollar.

The Fed may spring a surprise.

The US asks the Bank of Japan to loosen its grip.

The Aussie becomes the favourite.

The de-escalation of the US-China trade conflict has shifted market attention to central bank monetary policy. Finance Minister Scott Bessent said that the negotiations had created a successful framework for the two countries' leaders to sign a deal. Beijing says a preliminary consensus has been reached. The risks of a trade war have receded, US stock indices have hit new highs, global risk appetite has increased, and the EURUSD has risen.

The futures market gives a 98% probability of a cut in the federal funds rate to 4% in October and a 95% chance of a cut to 3.75% in December. Derivatives expect a further cut in March. The ECB is expected to pause rate cuts until 2027. The deposit rate last fell to 2% in June. Since the summer, Christine Lagarde said the European Central Bank feels comfortable.

Some Bloomberg experts predict a rate hike in 2026. This would require an improvement in the European economy. Pleasant surprises from eurozone business activity and German business sentiment indicate positive GDP growth in the fourth quarter. In July-September, gross domestic product most likely grew by 0.1%.

The divergence in monetary policy between the ECB and the Fed, coupled with positive signals from the European economy, gives EURUSD bulls hope for a recovery in the uptrend. However, events in France continue to dampen the euro. The Socialists do not rule out a new vote of no confidence in the government if parliament do not accept their proposal to raise taxes on the rich to reduce the budget deficit.

While EURUSD awaits the results of the Fed and ECB meetings, the yen is strengthening thanks to verbal interventions. Government officials have stated that they will continue to closely monitor the dynamics of the yen on the international currency market. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama noted that monetary policy issues were not directly discussed at the meeting with Scott Bessent. If they were discussed indirectly, the risks of currency intervention may increase. Investors preferred to play it safe and close some of their long positions on USDJPY. (FxPro)

News

The Land Down Under including ...

Sin City, Sydney, Australia ... and

The Bush Telegraph including Outback Australia

Oct 31

ASX finishes flat after Wall Street losses; ANZ unveils $1.1b profit hit

The Australian sharemarket spent most of the session in the green but ultimately finished flat, after a negative lead from Wall Street as investors digested a raft of corporate news and the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed the session 3.6 points, or 0.04 per cent, lower to 8881.9, dragged down by consumer discretionary (-1.7 per cent) and utilities (-1.1 per cent).

“Australian shares are down over the week after high September quarter inflation data signalled no chance of a rate cut at next week’s RBA meeting and raised doubt about future cuts,” said AMP Capital deputy chief economist Diana Mousina.

“There were large falls in healthcare, tech, consumer discretionary and real estate. European equities are up over the week and Chinese shares have had another strong rally and are outperforming.”

The Reserve Bank will be meeting next Tuesday, on Melbourne Cup Day, and is widely expected to keep rates on hold. Hopes of a cut were dashed after higher than expected inflation figures were released earlier this week.

“The [RBA] board is likely to be unanimous in its decision to keep rates steady,” said Mousina.

“Financial markets are pricing in some chance of another rate cut and pricing is unlikely to change after the meeting.”

Finishing at the top of the bourse was Healius, gaining 6 per cent. Vault Minerals rose 5.8 per cent and Westgold Resources lifted 5.4 per cent.

Financial stocks were mixed. Commonwealth Bank and Westpac both closed 1 per cent higher, while National Australia Bank declined 0.1 per cent and ANZ lost 0.6 per cent after it revealed a $1.1 billion hit to its profits due to a range of significant items, including costs relating to job cuts.

Mining stocks are also mixed. Among iron ore heavyweights, Rio Tinto added 0.4 per cent, BHP shed 1 per cent and Fortescue slid 0.9 per cent. Gold miners jumped as the price of the safe haven climbed back over $US4000. Evolution Mining gained 3.5 per cent, Newmont rose 3.2 per cent and Northern Star rose 3.5 per cent.

At the bottom of the index was insurance broker Steadfast Group, shedding 9.7 per cent. Alcoa Corporation fell 4.9 per cent and Lovisa fell 4.8 per cent.

In the energy sector, Santos fell 0.9 per cent while Woodside Energy rose 1.2 per cent. Origin Energy slumped 2.8 per cent, while AGL closed 1.3 per cent higher. Late on Friday, AGL said it had begun consultations with its workforce about job cuts as it reviews costs and proposes changes to its organisational structure. No decisions on redundancies have been made yet, but it is expected that about 200 employees will be affected.

Endeavour Group, the operator of Dan Murphy’s and BWS finished unchanged after a first-quarter update that showed retail liquor sales had fallen by 1.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the group’s pubs, clubs and hotels business grew sales by 4.4 per cent, driven by strength across all four pillars of food sales, bars, gambling and accommodation. Overall, total sales declined 0.3 per cent for the quarter.

The Australian dollar was trading at US65.46¢ at 4:17pm AEDT.

Overnight, the US sharemarket sank from its record heights as Wall Street sifted through mixed developments on everything from the US-China trade war to profits for big tech behemoths.

The S&P 500 fell 1 per cent and pulled further from its all-time high set on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 109 points, or 0.2 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.6 per cent from its record set the day before.

Stocks were also mixed in Europe and Asia, coming off a much-anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. Trump hailed his talk with China’s Xi as a “12” on a scale of zero to 10, and Trump said he would cut tariffs on China. But while the talks may offer some stability for the near term, major tensions remain between the two countries.

Plus, stocks had already run to records earlier this week on expectations for potentially big improvements coming out of the Trump-Xi talks.

“The result was fine but fine isn’t good enough, given the expectations going in,” said Annex Wealth Management chief economist Brian Jacobsen. “The results were more like small gestures, instead of a grand bargain.”

Also feeling the burden of high expectations were some of Wall Street’s most influential stocks.

Meta Platforms dropped 11.3 per cent, cutting into what had been a 28.4 per cent jump for the year so far, and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Analysts said investors were likely perturbed by how much Facebook’s parent company said it’s planning to spend in 2026. Companies across the industry have been on an investment spree to build out their artificial-intelligence capabilities, and the concern is whether it will all pay off.

Microsoft sank 2.9 per cent, even though it reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Analysts pointed to how it also expects to spend more on investments in 2026 than in 2025, while growth for its Azure business may have fallen a bit short of some investors’ expectations.

On the winning side of big tech was Alphabet. Shares of Google’s parent company climbed 2.5 per cent after its profit and revenue for the latest quarter easily topped analysts’ expectations.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.08 per cent, where it was late Wednesday, up from 3.99 per cent the day before Fed Reserve chair Jerome Powell’s warning of a looming end to quantitative tightening.

In sharemarkets abroad, indexes dipped by 0.5 per cent in France and by less than 0.1 per cent in Germany after the European Central Bank decided not to move its main interest rate.

News

Media (Global)

ESPN, ABC and more than a dozen other Disney-owned channels have disappeared from YouTube TV after the two companies failed to renew their content deal before expiration.

The blackout cuts off major sports programming, including NFL games and college football, for more than 8 million subscribers.

Google contends that Disney is demanding "costly economic terms" that would drive up prices for YouTube TV subscribers.

Disney says YouTube is refusing to "pay fair rates" for its channels and is "using its market dominance to eliminate competition".

YouTube TV — which has become one of the largest TV providers in the country as linear cable fades — has increasingly found itself in carriage disputes as it tries to set new payment standards for the streaming era.

Because virtual pay-TV providers are not regulated in the same way as their traditional pay-TV peers, these disputes give companies like YouTube TV an opportunity to reshape agreements in the digital era in a way that better suits their objectives.

YouTube TV is reportedly looking for Disney to make its streaming content — like Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ — available to YouTube TV subscribers.

Disney, which is trying to build its own streaming services, has little incentive to do that!

News

Markets via Sydney, Australia

October 31, 2025

Roy Morgan Summary

Australian Dollar: $0.6549 USD (down $0.0021 USD)

Iron Ore: $106.95 USD (down $0.80 USD)

Oil Price (WTI): $60.22 USD (down $0.18 USD)

Gold Price: $4,022.53 USD (up $73.21 USD)

Copper Price: $5.1005 USD (down $0.1025 USD)

Bitcoin: $106,919.01 USD (down 3.29% in last 24 hours)

Dow Jones: 47,522.12 (down 109.88 points on yesterday's close)

News

Media (Australia/World)

'Irreplaceable' Murdoch confidante cuts News Corp ties after 20 years

News Corp Australia veteran Siobhan McKenna will step down as the media group's head of broadcasting at the end of this year. She was appointed to the role in 2017, and had responsibility for Foxtel and Sky News Australia; there has been speculation about her future at News Corp since the sale of Foxtel to sports streaming group DAZN earlier this year. McKenna will also retire as the chair of Lachlan Murdoch's Nova Entertainment and his private investment vehicle, Ilyria. She had been Murdoch's closest advisers, and media reports earlier in 2025 revealed that she had been the 'architect' of a plan to change the Murdoch family trust in favour of Lachlan. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Oct 31

Mining/Resources

MinRes downplays lithium firesale talk, hits iron ore record

Mineral Resources has advised that it shipped a record 11.4 million tonnes of iron ore in the September quarter; its average realised price was 14 per cent higher quarter-on-quarter at $US90 ($137) per tonne. The average realised price for its lithium was in turn up 31 per cent at $US849 per tonne. The company has hired JPMorgan to help sell parts of its lithium portfolio, but chief financial officer Mark Wilson says a stronger balance sheet means it does not need to divest lithium assets and will only consider deals that are good value. (RMS)

News

China will squeeze rare earths projects: Lynas MD

Lynas Rare Earths has posted revenue of $200.2m for the September quarter, which is 66 per cent higher than previously. Meanwhile, CEO Amanda Lacaze says the companymade a deliberate choice to buy equipment for its cracking and leaching plant near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia from non-Chinese suppliers, which has increased the cost of the refinery by about 30 per cent. She has warned that new rare earths projects in Australia and the US will also incur higher construction costs because Chinese suppliers will restrict access to equipment and consumables. Iluka will also source most of the equipment for its Eneabba rare earths refinery from non-Chinese suppliers. (RMS)

News

Industry push to end WA ban on uranium mining

An inquiry into Western Australia's role in assisting the global decarbonisation effort has prompted calls from many mining companies for the state to lift its ban on new uranium projects. The WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy contends permitting four proposed uranium projects to proceed would produce more than $1 billion in annual exports, create 9,000 jobs and generate $50 million in royalties, but Australian Manufacturing Workers Union WA general secretary Steve McCartney says it would run a campaign against the Cook Labor government if it moves to change its policy on uranium mining. (RMS)

News

Santos calls AFP over fake email

Santos has asked the Australian Federal Police and cyber authorities to investigate the use of a fake email address to seek confidential documents and other information about the company. A number of Santos employees had received an email purporting to have been sent by chief strategy officer Tracy Winters at various times, including during the recent failed merger talks between Santos and an Abu Dhabi-led consortium. The same email account had been used in October 2023, when Santos director Yasmin Allen received an email that was highly critical of Winters and CEO Kevin Gallagher. (RMS)

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Media/Marketing/Comms/Brands/News/Culture/
Streaming/Events: Australia and World

October 2025

Media/Entertainment Stocks

Oct 15

Netflix $1,203.29 -12.06 -0.99%
TKO Group $191.21 +1.24 +0.65%
Google Class A $251.03 +5.58 +2.27%
Apple $249.34 +1.57 +0.63%
Warner Bros. Discovery $18.45 +0.47 +2.61%
Paramount Skydance Corp $17.43 +0.14 +0.81%
Walt Disney Co $111.71 +0.54 +0.49%
News Corp Class A $26.57 -0.070 -0.26%
Meta Platforms $717.55 +8.90 +1.26%
Amazon $215.57 -0.82 -0.38%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $16.27
-0.010 -0.061%

News

SNL

Sabrina Carpenter channelled her inner Carrie Bradshaw on Wednesday in a promo for an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live.

Carpenter will both host and appear as musical guest on the show's Oct. 18 episode, marking her first time hosting and second time performing.

Sits down to a computer to type:

"The woman wondered what she'd gotten herself into. Having won over the cast and crew, the only thing left to do was ... ."

Brennan interrupts, asking what Carpenter is writing.

"No idea. The computer's not even on," Sherman responds.

News (Australia)

Oct 15

Bunnings, Kmart and Samsung are the Most Trusted Brands in Retail and Consumer Products for 2025
(Market Research Update)

Roy Morgan has presented the Roy Morgan Trusted Brand Awards for 2025 for Retail and Consumer Products industries. The broader Retail category (not including Supermarkets) was again topped by leading home hardware brand Bunnings, with a seventh consecutive victory as the 'Most Trusted Retail Brand' in Australia. Bunnings recorded a clean sweep at the awards, picking up the 'Best of the Best' Most Trusted Brand in Australia award for a second straight year. The 'Most Trusted Brand in Department & Discount Department Stores' award has been won by Kmart for the seventh year in a row. The winner of the 'Most Trusted Consumer Products Brand' was South Korea-based Samsung, also for a seventh straight year. Meanwhile, Apple is the 'Most Trusted Technology Brand' for a fifth consecutive year, and Aldi has retained the title of the 'Most Trusted Supermarket Brand' for 2025.

Sports News/Marketing

Sydney FC is again the most widely supported A-League club ahead of the new 2025-26 A-League season

Research from Roy Morgan shows Sydney FC topping the 2025 Roy Morgan A-League club supporter ladder with 686,000 fans; this is over 100,000 more fans than any other club in the league. Sydney FC has been the most successful club in the A-League Men, winning 5 Championships and 4 Premiers Plates since the league began in 2005. There is a close contest for second place between the Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory. The Roar has 556,000 supporters, just ahead of the Melbourne Victory with 531,000 supporters. In fourth place overall are Adelaide United with 404,000 supporters, followed by Perth Glory with 360,000 supporters and current A-League Men's Champions Melbourne City with 292,000 supporters. Meanwhile, 16.1% of Australians (3.7 million people), now support an A-League club, and 6.8% (almost 1.6 million) watch the A-League on TV. However, a much larger 5.6 million (24.5%) Australian have watched any soccer match on TV, which includes overseas leagues and international tournaments. (RMS)

News

Talkback revival a boost for Nine sale

GfK's latest radio ratings survey shows that Nine Entertainment's 2GB has increased its audience share across all timeslots. Its breakfast show's audience share rose to 16.8 per cent, overtaking KIIS FM's popular Kyle and Jackie O show; 2GB's morning show also reclaimed top spot in its timeslot, with audience share growth of 3.6 per cent compared with the previous survey. Nine's 3AW in 4BC talkback stations also performed well overall in the latest ratings, with the company seeking a buyer for its radio stations. Meanwhile, the ABC has increased its audience share in every timeslot in Sydney and Melbourne. (RMS)

News

Pro Wrestling

WWE: Oct 13

World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins proclaimed The Vision's dominance after he triumphed over Cody Rhodes to win the WWE Crown Jewel Championship and Bronson Reed posted a huge victory against Roman Reigns.

Vision Members Breakker and Reed Turn On Rollins!

News Flashback

October 9, 2025

Free-to-air TV ad slump deepens as digital media eats bigger share

Data from Guideline SMI shows that advertising revenue in Australia's free-to-air TV market fell nearly 10 per cent in the first eight months of 2025. Ad revenue also declined by 18 per cent year-on-year in August, and by 17 per cent over the last three months. The figures do not include ad revenue from the networks' increasingly popular broadcast video-on-demand platforms, such as 7plus and 9Now. However, the advertising market has grown by about one per cent overall since the start of the year. (RMS)

News

Why Australia needs to protect its identity

Data from the Public Interest Journalism Initiative shows that 161 news outlets across Australia closed in the five years to March 2023; this is a threefold increase compared with the previous decade. The future of the nation's media industry and content creators are at risk due to technology companies' use of copyrighted works to train their AI models. The federal government must rule out ever changing Australia's copyright laws to include a proposed 'text and data mining exception' for AI companies. Australian journalism, Australian creativity and Australian voices must be protected before it is too late. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

'AI is here to stay and change things': Mad Max director George Miller on why he is taking part in an AI film festival

Legendary Australian film director George Miller will head the judging panel for Australia's inaugural awards festival for films that have been generated entirely via artificial intelligence. Miller says he joined the judging panel for the Omni 1.0 AI film festival out of "intense curiosity" about the evolving role of AI in storytelling. Miller also contends that art has to evolve, and likens the impact of AI on the film industry to previous innovations in the arts sector such as the introduction the use of oil paint by artists and the advent of photography. Miller argues that AI will make film-making more egalitarian. (RMS)

News (Australia)

Supercheap Auto, Red Bull and Repco are the brands most firmly associated with the V8 Supercars and Bathurst 1000
(Roy Morgan Summary)

Research from Roy Morgan shows that three key brands -Supercheap Auto, Red Bull and Repco - stand out as associated most strongly with the V8 Supercars Championship, which includes the Bathurst 1000. Supercheap Auto, which was the naming rights sponsor for the Bathurst 1000 from 2005 to 2020, is still associated with V8 Supercars by 13% of Australians (3.1 million). Red Bull, the naming rights sponsor of the most successful V8 Supercars team since 2013, is associated with the V8 Supercars by 11% of Australians (2.6 million). Repco, which has been the naming rights sponsor of the Bathurst 1000 since 2021, is associated with the V8 Supercars by 9% of Australians (equivalent to 2.1 million people). Other brands associated with V8 Supercars include Ampol, Dunlop and Mobil (6% of Australians for each), Beaurepaires (5%), Boost Mobile (4%), and Armor All, BP, Coca Cola, Coates Hire and Jim Beam (all 3%). Meanwhile, almost 2.6 million Australians aged 14+ said they watched the Bathurst 1000 in the year to June 2025; this is equivalent to 11.3% of Australians. (RMS)

News

Free TV's dire state on show (Australia)

Free-to-air television has been both a dominating force in Australian media and one of the nation's great profit power houses for nearly 70 years. However, the terms of the proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group confirm that the days of free-to-air media dominance and its profit bonanza are over. Evans & Partners estimates that the Seven Network is priced in the merger at just four times forecast 2025-26 earnings, while the Southern Cross radio network is priced at more than twice that level at nine times. The decimation of free-to-air TV follows the same pattern to that of major newspapers, where the so called "rivers of gold" classified advertising were decimated by online classifieds. When an industry suffers the sort of fall that FTA is experiencing there is normally pressure from the major players to merge. Politicians in Canberra have very little understanding of the fundamental change taking place, so this is politically impossible. (RMS)

News

Commonwealth Bank, AustralianSuper, PayPal, HCF and NRMA Insurance are Australia's most trusted finance and insurance brands
(Roy Morgan Summary)

The Roy Morgan Trusted Brand Awards bring together outstanding companies and brands from across a range of industries to celebrate and recognise the unmatched levels of trust these organisations hold when compared to their competitors in their respective categories. All 22 winners for the 12 months to June 2025 have displayed market-leading levels of trust, and exceedingly low or negligible levels of distrust, to outstrip their rivals on the key metric of 'Net Trust'. The Commonwealth Bank has been rated as the 'Most Trusted Bank Brand' in Australia for the first time, while AustralianSuper has emerged as the 'Most Trusted Superannuation Brand' for a fifth straight year. The other winners in the key finance and insurance categories are PayPal (Most Trusted Brand for Payments, Cards & Loans), NRMA Insurance (Most Trusted Brand in Insurance) and HCF (Most Trusted Brand in Private Health Insurance). (RMS)

News (Australia)

ANZ, Seven West write down View Media

Roy Morgan Summary

Sources have indicated that the ANZ Bank has written down the value of its stake in View Media Group. The bank acquired an initial stake of 20 per cent in early 2023, at a cost of $50m; it subsequently invested a further $2m in the property listings group, which was founded by Antony Catalano and Alex Waislitz. ANZ is expected to disclose the extent of the writedown in its upcoming annual report. Meanwhile, Seven West's 2025 annual report showed that View Media Group accounted for the bulk of the $29.1m writedown in the value of its ventures portfolio. Catalano is also one of the biggest shareholders in Southern Cross Media Group, which has proposed merging with Seven West Media. (RMS)

News

October 7, 2025

LG and Ten plotting return of linear TV

The Ten Network's free-to-air channels will become accessible via LG's connected TVs via a new alliance with the South Korean electronics giant. Owners of LG smart TVs will be be able to watch live streams of Ten's linear channels without the need for a terrestrial antenna. Lachlan Roach from Ten's parent company Paramount Australia believes that free-to-air broadcasting still has a future, despite the growing shift to streaming video platforms. (RMS)

News

Australia

Oct 6

Seven weighs new bid for next NRL rights

There is speculation that Seven West Media could pursue new talks with US-based NBCUniversal regarding a joint venture streaming service if the proposed merger with Southern Cross Media Group proceeds. Industry sources have indicated that NBCUniversal's requirement for the Stokes family to reduce their stake in Seven West to just 20 per cent had been a 'deal breaker' when the talks were held in 2022. The Stokes family's stake will fall to 20 per cent if the merger with Southern Cross goes ahead. Seven insiders have also suggested that having its own streaming service could also Seven to bid for the NRL broadcasting rights; Seven has limited options at present given that its holds the AFL rights. (RMS)

News

ARN chief flags further local consolidation

ARN Media's CEO Ciaran Davis contends that more consolidation in Australia's media sector is inevitable. He notes that the sector must compete with global companies that are not subject to local content quotas and do not face the same regulatory constraints. Davis is also upbeat about the outlook for Australia's radio and digital audio sector, with ARN owning radio stations such as KIIS and the iHeart digital platform. Davis recently advised that he will step down in January after 16 years as CEO: Davis says his departure had been planned for nearly a year, and he believes that ARN is in better shape than it was when he took on the role. (RMS)

News

News boss slams AI copyright 'theft'

News Corp Australasia's executive chairman Michael Miller will use a Melbourne Press Club speech on Wednesday to caution against relaxing Australia's copyright laws. He will contend that technology companies must not be allowed to use Australian content to train their artificial intelligence platforms without adequately compensating the producers of that content. The Productivity Commission recently proposed adding a 'fair dealing exception' to the Copyright Act for AI platforms. (RMS)

News

'Future of journalism is bright'

Media industry veteran Campbell Reid says the digital age has been positive for news publishers because the rise of citizen journalism has resulted in greater scrutiny of traditional media; it has also provided the industry with more sources of information about things that happen in public, including video footage. Reid will step down as News Corp Australia's head of corporate affairs in November, after 11 years in the role. His five-decade career in the media industry began as a cadet journalist in New Zealand; he eventually moved into editorial, becoming the editor of The Australian in 2000 and later The Daily Telegraph. (RMS)

News

Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video extend lead over local streamers

Data from technology analyst firm Telsyte shows that Netflix now has 6.4 million subscribers in Australia, which is three per cent higher than a year ago. Amazon Prime Video has in turn recorded year-on-year growth of six per cent, and it now has 5.1 million local subscribers. In contrast, the subscriber base of home-grown streaming video platform Stan was steady at 2.6 million. Foad Fadaghi from Telsyte says factors such as strong population growth and the launch of more lower-cost advertising-supported plans have contributed to growth in streaming video subscriptions. (RMS)

News Flashback
(In Case You Missed It)

News

Lachlan's win means his mates Down Under can breathe easily

Andrew Bolt is perhaps the News Corp Australia employee most relieved that Lachlan Murdoch has won the succession battle regarding control of the Murdoch family media empire. Bolt had stated last year that he would quit if James Murdoch and the other siblings of Lachlan Murdoch involved in the battle had won control of the empire. Lachlan Murdoch is also a big supporter of News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller, who retains his role despite ongoing rumblings that Sky News boss Paul Whittaker is after his job, while Daily Telegraph editor Ben English is said to be Lachlan Murdoch's favourite editor. (RMS)

News

Paramount/Warner deal could buck merger trend (RMS)

Peter Supino from Wolfe Research estimates that a merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery would generate initial cost synergies of about $US3bn. He says it would create the world's biggest film and TV studio and one of the top five streaming video companies. Shares in both companies have rallied in response to media reports that Paramount is preparing an all-cash takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery. The merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media was completed in August. (RMS)

News

September 12, 2025

Fox's path now clear, says Lachlan

Fox Corporation's executive chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch says the deal to resolve a long-running family trust dispute will ensure clarity about the media company's future strategy. The $US3.3bn deal will give Lachlan Murdoch full control of the family's stakes in both Fox and News Corporation. Murdoch says the deal with his siblings will allow Fox to continue on the path that it set in 2019 when the Murdoch family sold its entertainment assets to Disney. He notes that Fox's revenue has increased by $US5bn since the sale to Disney. (RMS)

News Flashback

September 10

Siblings paid to exit Murdoch media empire

Sources have indicated that the Murdoch family has settled the long-running dispute over future control over its media empire in a deal worth $US3.3bn ($5bn). Rupert Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan is set to assume full control of the family's stakes in News Corp and Fox Corporation, ending the dispute with his siblings. Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch will each receive $US1.1bn, while they have also agreed to sell all of their shares in the two companies over the next six months. The family trust that was at the centre of the legal dispute between the Murdochs will be dissolved as part of the deal. (RMS)

News

Kayo, Binge remain key pillars of Foxtel

Foxtel Group executive Mark Frain has emphasised that the pay-TV company remains committed to the Binge streaming service under its new owner, the sports-focused DAZN. The CEO of Foxtel Media says the entertainment-focused Binge is a key part of the group's future plans; he argues that Binge provides DAZN with an opportunity to bolster and complement sport. Meanwhile, Frain expects demand for Kayo Sports to continue growing amongst both from advertisers and subscribers. Foxtel will hold its 2006 'upfronts' event ths week. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Antitrust suit against Fox News dismissed

US District Court judge Aileen Cannon has ruled in favour of Fox News in an antitrust case launched by cable news rival Newsmax. The latter had alleged that Fox News had used its market power to coerce distributors into unfair terms that bar them from carrying its competitors' broadcasts. Cannon essentially found that the complaint against Fox News had been poorly drafted, but she ruled that Newsmax can lodge a revised complaint by 11 September. (RMS)

News

Netflix: October 2025

Movies

A House of Dynamite (Oct 24): A political thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, and others. It centers on a nuclear threat to the U.S., touted as a potential Best Picture nominee.

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Oct 10): A psychological thriller starring Keira Knightley as a journalist uncovering a mystery on a luxury yacht, based on Ruth Ware’s novel.

Steve (Oct 3): Cillian Murphy stars as a headteacher at a reform school facing personal and professional struggles, based on Max Porter’s novella Shy.

About My Father (2023, Oct 1): A comedy with Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, focusing on a clash between an Italian father and his fiancée’s family.

Blue Crush (2002, Oct 1): A sports drama starring Kate Bosworth about a woman pursuing her dream of becoming a pro surfer.

Casper (1995, Oct 1): A family-friendly supernatural comedy with Christina Ricci about a kind-hearted ghost.

Elysium (2013, Oct 1): A sci-fi action film by Neill Blomkamp starring Matt Damon, exploring class struggles between Earth and a luxurious space station.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016, Oct 1): Mel Gibson’s WWII drama about medic Desmond Doss, starring Andrew Garfield.

Dirty Dancing (1987, Oct 1): The iconic romantic dance film with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Austin Powers Trilogy (Oct 1): All three films (International Man of Mystery, The Spy Who Shagged Me, Goldmember) bring Mike Myers’ comedic spy antics.

Series:

Nobody Wants This Season 2 (Oct 23): The rom-com starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody returns, following Joanne and Noah’s chaotic relationship.

The Diplomat Season 3 (Oct 16): Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell navigate political intrigue, with Bradley Whitford joining as the First Gentleman.

The Witcher Season 4 (Oct 30): Liam Hemsworth takes over as Geralt of Rivia, adapting the final novels of Andrzej Sapkowski’s series. A Rats special may accompany it.

Love Is Blind Season 9 (Oct 1): Set in Denver, this reality dating show explores love without physical attraction.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Oct 3): Ryan Murphy’s anthology series continues with Charlie Hunnam as the infamous serial killer Ed Gein, joined by Laurie Metcalf and Addison Rae.

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (TBD): An animated espionage series based on the video game, following Sam Fisher.

The Resurrected (TBD): A Taiwanese series about two mothers resurrecting a criminal to avenge their daughters.

Genie, Make a Wish Season 1 (Oct 1): A Korean rom-com starring Kim Woo Bin as a genie and Bae Suzy as a stoic woman.

Dudes Season 1 (Oct 1): A German comedy spinoff of Alpha Males.

The New Force Season 1 (Oct 1): A Swedish drama about Stockholm’s first female police officers.

Documentaries

Victoria Beckham (Oct 9): A three-part series tracing her journey from Spice Girls fame to fashion mogul.

The Perfect Neighbor (Oct 17): A Sundance award-winning documentary on the 2023 Ajike Owens murder and Florida’s stand-your-ground laws.

Starting 5 Season 2 (Oct 16): Follows NBA stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant during the 2024-2025 season.

Who Killed the Montreal Expos? (Oct 21): Explores the demise of the Canadian baseball team.

The White House Effect (Oct 1): Examines climate policy under George H.W. Bush and its lasting impact.

Rockstar: Duki From the End of the World (Oct 1): An Argentine documentary on trap star Duki.

Specials and Animation

Dr. Seuss’s Horton! (Oct 1): An animated adaptation from Brown Bag Films.

Ranma 1/2 Season 2 (Oct 1): Weekly anime episodes continue the classic series.

Rurouni Kenshin Season 2 (Oct 1): A Japanese anime about a samurai seeking redemption.

Six Kings Slam 2025 (Oct 15): A live tennis showcase featuring top players.

Matt McCusker: A Humble Offering (Oct 1): A stand-up comedy special.

News

Netflix: October 2025

Highlights include:

WWE RAW
Sacramento, CA
October 20
Golden 1 Center

WWE SmackDown (numerous international markets. Not US)
Friday Night SmackDown
San Jose, CA
October 17
Sap Center

WWE SmackDown
Tempe, AZ
October 24
Mullett Arena

WWE NXT
NXT Halloween Havoc
October 25
Prescott, AZ
Findlay Toyota Center

WWE RAW
October 27
Anaheim, CA
Honda Center

IP Man (complete series at time of publication)
Wingwomen

News

Netflix: November 2025

Boxing: Jake Paul vs Tank Davis - Nov 14

WWE: Survivor Series (Netflix for Aussies) - Nov 29
Petco Park
San Diego, California

Stranger Things S5 - Nov 27

News

Media Man

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award

Google Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The Month' award

Runner-ups: Yahoo! Finance, The Australian Financial Review, FOX Business and Sky News Australia

Yahoo! Finance Sports Report wins Media Man 'Sports Business Podcast Of The Month' award

News

Brand News via Media Man

Netflix wins Media Man 'Brand Of The Month'; Runner-up: MAX

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins Media Man 'MMA Promotion Of The Month' award

TKO Group wins Media Man 'Entertainment Promoter Of The Month' award

AEW wins Media Man 'Challenger Brand Of The Month' award

Prime wins Media Man 'Beverage Of The Month' award

Claudio's Cafe wins Media Man 'Coffee Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-up: Nespresso

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Mad Monday Into Terrifying Tuesday: Running Of The Bulls Weekend To Weak-ist Start; Bulls Downhill Climbing Back Up The Mountain Edition!

October 13/14, 2025
Sin City Sydney, Australia

ASX futures

News Update: (Near Live)

Bitcoin: $115,656.56 +0.27%

New York/Wall St Cryptos Today: (Near Live)
Mood: Corrective! Moody!

Bitcoin $115,656.56 +0.27%
Ethereum $4,276.84 +2.87%
Tether $1.0010 -0.01%
Binance Coin $1,293.57 -0.82%
XRP $2.6185 +3.45%
Solana $208.68 +5.80%
USDC $0.9999 -0.01%
TRON $0.3236 +0.17%
Dogecoin $0.2158 +4.05%
Cardano $0.7331 +4.59%

Market corrective. Mood: Somber-like for many! Suspicious! Regaining smiles! Hardcores keep the dream!

Media Man Favs:

October 13, 2025 (Near Live)

Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $188.60 +1.55 +0.83%

NVIDIA Corp $188.32 +5.28 +2.88%

Formula One Group Series C $104.03 +0.83 +0.80%

Alphabet Inc Class A $244.15 +7.58 +3.20%

News Corp Class A $26.09 +0.31 +1.20%

Netflix Inc $1,219.03 -1.05 -0.086%

Caterpillar Inc $504.76 +13.41 +2.73%

Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $16.56 +0.59 +3.69%

Tesla Inc $435.90 +22.41 +5.42%

Walt Disney Co $110.27 +1.06 +0.97%

Wynn Resorts Ltd $112.52 -7.37 -6.15%

Meta Platforms Inc $715.70 +10.40 +1.47%

BHP Group Ltd $55.71 +2.09 +3.91%

Mercedes Benz Group ADR $15.39 +0.10 +0.65%

Elders Ltd $7.38

Rio Tinto Ltd $125.21

News

The US stock market rebound may falter

US stock index futures are rising after a disastrous Friday, when Trump's aggressive response to China's tariffs shook the markets. The US president's announcements were carefully timed, with the most aggressive measures (additional 100% tariffs on Chinese goods) announced after the market closed. Over the weekend, US and Chinese leaders appeared to reach out to each other, offering opportunities for further discussion and a deal.

Market sentiment was close to extreme fear, with the Fear and Greed Index falling to 29 on Friday and recovering to 30 on Monday. These are the lowest values since the end of April, when the market was recovering from the “liberation day” effect on Trump's tariffs.

In the last couple of years, this index has entered the extreme fear zone before we saw a reversal in the indices. This means that bears may exert another round of pressure on the markets. It is easy to link this to further toughening of mutual rhetoric between China and the US, albeit with the possibility of dialogue remaining open. In other words, in this case, it is worth talking about a decrease in the intensity of mutual recriminations, but not about a reversal in relations. From this, we can conclude that the risks that caused the markets to collapse on Friday remain.

We also note that the S&P 500 is trading at a significant distance from its 200-week moving average, near which the market has ended its declines over the past 14 years since 2011, touching it or turning around within 2-5% of it. This contrasts sharply with the current situation, where the S&P 500 is almost 25% above this line.

If we talk about a correction within a bull market, then the target for bears seems to be the 6100–6150 range, where the 50-week moving average and last winter's highs are concentrated. Movement in this direction looks like a viable strategy for the final quarter of the year, unless there is a real reversal in the rapprochement between China and the US, which we highly doubt.

In addition, seasonal factors are also temporarily on the side of the bears, given the more than 40% growth from the lows of the year in early April, the suppressed volatility of the last month and a half, and the tendency to look for new patterns in the markets in the final months of the year. If that's not enough, add to this the fact that the economy is beginning to feel the effects of tariff wars and a deteriorating labour market, and AI is no longer a novelty. In these conditions, it will be increasingly difficult for traders to find reasons for local purchases. (FxPro)

News

Crypto market recovers from tariff shock
Market Overview
The crypto market capitalisation stood at $3.9 trillion on Monday, up 4.4% from the previous day but down 6% from pre-Friday crash levels. On Friday, the US stock market saw its biggest drop since April but recovered some of its losses on Monday. Since Sunday, the crypto market has been attempting to rebound after a sell-off that began as an emotional reaction to tariff initiatives by China and the US but escalated into massive margin calls and stop orders being triggered.

The sentiment index stood at 38 (fear) on Monday morning, down from 24 (extreme fear) the day before. The level of sentiment we saw over the weekend was last seen in April under similar circumstances — when tough trade tariffs were announced.

Bitcoin approached $115K on Monday, while Ethereum exceeded $4,200. Cryptocurrencies are recovering after Friday's sharp decline. The movement on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday swept the ‘weak hands’ out of the market, taking the price of BTC below the 50—and 200-day moving averages and below the August and September lows.

Such sweeping liquidations often set the bottom of the market, but it may take time for the wounds to heal. In 2020, 2021 and 2024, it took a couple of weeks for the rally to start, although the market did not rewrite the lows. But in 2022, the turnaround to growth after the crash began after about six months. Relying on these statistics is encouraging for bargain hunters in crypto. Still, it would be too hasty to say that the recovery will be just as quick and will begin immediately.

News Background
Wall Street crashed on Friday after US President Donald Trump escalated the trade conflict with China following Beijing's tightening of restrictions on trade in rare earth metals, Reuters reports.
Cryptocurrencies and stock indices fell sharply on Friday.

Some softening of tone from Trump and Xi has led to the probability of 100% tariffs against China by 1 November being estimated at 8% on Polymarket, down from 26% at the end of Friday.
Santiment notes that bitcoin remains extremely sensitive to risk appetite and behaves more like a risky asset than a safe haven.

The Kobeissi Letter notes that the collapse of cryptocurrencies on 11 October will not have long-term fundamental consequences and was caused by a combination of technical factors. The market crash triggered a record cascade of liquidations worth $19.3 billion.

Analyst Frank Fetter, citing technical indicators, said the cryptocurrency market is still far from overbought, which means there is still potential for the rally to continue.

News

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

News Politics remains the main driver of FX The US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact on the dollar's performance last week. However, it did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening expectations of monetary policy easing. However, these events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime minister less than a day after the formation of the government in terms of their impact on the currency market. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and is on track to become the country's first female prime minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to 150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80 at the time of writing. Takaichi is considered a supporter of aggressive government spending, structural reforms, and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing approach to national policy and is also a supporter of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. The market reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi to be the new prime minister. If she does not change her political views (and she has softened them recently to win the party elections), we should be prepared for a further weakening of the yen, which reached its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding 176. However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from both left-wing and right-wing allies. The EURUSD fell to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a full cent against Friday's levels. Unlike Japan, where a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than 2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the end of the trading day in Europe. The EURUSD stopped its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700 all this time, not least because of the political crisis in France. Without it, the single currency would have had a much better chance of exploiting political divisions in the US to its advantage. It would be an exaggeration to call the situation in Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne begin

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018)
Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Deep Web (2015)
Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024)
Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films
Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015)
A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014):
Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016):
A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes

Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

News

Wall Street (Movie)

Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power.

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience. Key Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox). Runtime: 2h 6m. Genre: Drama/Crime. Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).
Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:
Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.
A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):

Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).

Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver:

How metals are moving this year

Metal futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper because this is where we have the most zig and zags over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning of the century and we can see right now, we're at $5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we go back to the beginning of the century, guess what? Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003, we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but also from the United States government, QE was in force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play. That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016, we found the footing. And that was actually the year that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation, that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off to the races again. And especially with the Trump tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well. And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper, but we did see the same pattern of China joining the WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800, almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there. But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold is kind of unique among the precious metals and also the industrial metals, and this is because central banks have been a huge determining force in their buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010. And what you notice here is the last three years, 2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons. And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also a host of other countries, even some in western and eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver, and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again, very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global financial crisis was getting underway. And then the QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that $50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly. To round out the conversation, I want to just put on a table here. I have all three medals and just kind of grouping them together. I want to display how they are moving with their specific patterns with a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity. And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare, and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts, you're going to see gold and silver outperforming the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar surges when global global industrials tend to drag, and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all three medals, but especially copper and gold here. Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt, and we've seen both of those contribute to silver rising. So we could put all three in that basket as well. But when you put it all together, we have the perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals, including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there. So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)

News

Best Quotes An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Trending News on October 12, 2025

Here's a roundup of the top trending news stories based on current web and social media buzz. These reflect major developments in politics, global events, and more, with a focus on what's gaining traction today.1. U.S. Government Shutdown Enters Second Week: Airports Chaos and Federal LayoffsWidespread flight delays hit major U.S. airports like Denver, Newark, and Burbank due to severe air traffic controller shortages, exacerbated by the ongoing shutdown. 92q.com

Average delays reached 2.5 hours in some areas, with no controllers on duty at Burbank late into the night/

President Trump announced mass layoffs of federal workers to pressure Democrats, just days before active-duty military would miss paychecks. Smithsonian facilities, including the National Zoo, are closing as impacts deepen. npr.orgTrending on X: Discussions around Spirit Airlines passenger brawl over delays, highlighting public frustration.

2. Nobel Prizes 2025 Announcements Spark Global DebateThe Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for pioneering metal-organic frameworks, advancing materials science. economictimes.indiatimes.comControversy erupted over the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuelan activist Maria Corina Machado, with backlash in political circles. ndtv.com

Supporters hail it as a win for democracy, while critics question timing amid U.S. elections.
Other nods include advancements in AI ethics and climate tech, fueling online trends on innovation.

3. International Tensions: Sudan Crisis Worsens, Azerbaijan-Russia StandoffIn Sudan, Rapid Support Forces advanced on El Fasher, deepening a humanitarian catastrophe with reports of besieged units and civilian evacuations. en.wikipedia.org

BBC coverage has gone viral, amplifying calls for aid.
The Azerbaijan-Russia diplomatic crisis escalates following Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 incident; U.S. delayed sanctions on a Russian-linked Serbian oil firm until October 8. en.wikipedia.orgTrending: Typhoon Halong hits Japan, killing one and forcing hundreds to evacuate in Kanagawa Prefecture. en.wikipedia.org4. India Headlines: Aviation Boost and Crime ProbesIndiGo Airlines announced direct flights from Delhi to key Chinese cities, signaling thawing bilateral ties and boosting tourism/trade buzz.
Probe underway in Durgapur gang rape case; heavy rains flood Tamil Nadu, while Prashant Kishor kicks off Bihar election campaigning.
Viral: A Canadian manager's advice to an "exhausted" Indian employee sparks debate on workplace bullying and work-life balance in India.

5. Crypto and Tech Buzz: Trump Pardon Rumors, Major USDT TransferReports swirl that Trump is considering pardoning Binance founder CZ amid crypto regulatory shifts.
Over $100M in USDT transferred to OKX exchange, raising alarms about potential market volatility.
Other trends: AI self-regulation calls in India, with CCI pushing for audits to curb collusion.

Politics
Cameroon President Paul Biya, 92, seeks 8th term amid unrest
Aging African leaders under fire for clinging to power. npr.orgCrime
Orleans Parish escapee captured after 5 months; Palisades Fire arson arrest
High-profile chases and fire tragedies dominate U.S. feeds. en.wikipedia.orgElections
Czech populist ANO party wins but no majority; Japan LDP presidential race
Coalition talks and leadership shifts spark Europe-Asia chatter. en.wikipedia.orgCulture/Sports
Navi Mumbai Airport inauguration; NBA trade rumors (Warriors eyeing Thunder star)
Infrastructure wins and offseason hype

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Friday Hits Running Of The Weekend Bulls Downhill Continue Edition!

October 10, 2025

Sydney, Australia

ASX futures down 38 points, or 0.4%, at 8957

Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.3%
Dow Jones -0.5%
Nasdaq -0.1%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 -0.4%
FTSE -0.4%
DAX +0.1%
CAC -0.2%

Australian dollar down 0.5% to US65.54¢

Bitcoin -1.9% to $US121,072

Gold -1.7% to $US3974.24 per ounce

US oil -1.8% to $US61.44 a barrel

Brent crude oil -1.7% to $US65.12 a barrel

Iron ore +0.9% to $US105.10 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.14%
Australia 4.34%
Germany 2.70%

News Update: (Near Live)
October 11

Bitcoin: $110,833.67 8.40%

New York/Wall St
Saturday 11, October

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Mood: Corrective! Moody!

Bitcoin $111,039.86 8.23%
Ethereum $3,765.34 -12.97%
Tether $1.0012 +0.10%
Binance Coin $1,088.17 -13.92%
XRP $2.4214 -13.80%
Solana $182.94 -16.23%
USDC $0.9999 +0.02%
TRON $0.3182 -5.06%
Dogecoin $0.1934 -21.97%
Cardano $0.6552 -19.26%

Market corrective. Mood: Somber-like for many!

Media Man Favs:

October 10, 2025 (Near Live)

Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $187.05 +0.58 +0.31%
NVIDIA Corp $183.05 -9.46 -4.91%
Formula One Group Series C $103.20 -1.69 -1.61%
Alphabet Inc Class A $236.57 -4.96 -2.05%
News Corp Class A $25.78 -0.68 -2.57%
Netflix Inc $1,220.08 -10.99 -0.89%
Caterpillar Inc $491.30 -9.06 -1.81%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $15.97 -1.10 -6.44%
Tesla Inc $413.49 -22.05 -5.06%
Walt Disney Co $109.19 -1.80 -1.62%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $119.89 -3.66 -2.96%
Meta Platforms Inc $705.30 -28.21 -3.85%
BHP Group Ltd $42.22 -0.89 -2.06%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $15.29 -0.18 -1.16%
Elders Ltd $7.53 +0.27 +3.72%
Rio Tinto Ltd $125.15 -2.12 -1.67%

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil
Gold is outside the realm of politics. While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets. The impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown, the political crisis in France, and the change of leadership in Japan.

The rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

News

Politics remains the main driver of FX

The US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact on the dollar's performance last week. However, it did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening expectations of monetary policy easing.

However, these events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime minister less than a day after the formation of the government in terms of their impact on the currency market.

In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and is on track to become the country's first female prime minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to 150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80 at the time of writing.

Takaichi is considered a supporter of aggressive government spending, structural reforms, and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing approach to national policy and is also a supporter of revising Japan's pacifist constitution.

The market reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi to be the new prime minister. If she does not change her political views (and she has softened them recently to win the party elections), we should be prepared for a further weakening of the yen, which reached its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding 176.

However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from both left-wing and right-wing allies.

The EURUSD fell to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a full cent against Friday's levels.

Unlike Japan, where a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than 2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the end of the trading day in Europe.

The EURUSD stopped its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700 all this time, not least because of the political crisis in France. Without it, the single currency would have had a much better chance of exploiting political divisions in the US to its advantage. It would be an exaggeration to call the situation in Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne begins to shake, the ground beneath other currencies begins to tremble. (FxPro)

News

Miners offset ASX retreat from record high

The Australian sharemarket fell slightly on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 easing 0.1 per cent to close at 8,981.4 points after briefly reaching a new intra-day high. Rio Tinto was down 1.2 per cent at $123.58, WiseTech Global fell 2.2 per cent to end the session at $88.30 and the Commonwealth Bank finished 0.3 per cent lower at $169.96. However, Evolution Mining rose 2.6 per cent to $11.26 and Woodside Energy was up 0.2 per cent at $23.15. (RMS)

News Flashback

Oct 3

The US government shutdown is pressing dollar

The shutdown came as a bolt from the blue for the US dollar. The greenback was confident that Democrats and Republicans would reach a last-minute agreement. That did not happen. During previous government shutdowns, the dollar index typically fell on expectations of slowing GDP and mass layoffs. In 2025, the situation will worsen because the labour market is already cooling down. Due to the shutdown, the publication of important data will be postponed.

Therefore, the importance of the ADP report increases.

Over the last two months, there has been a decline in private sector employment. This increased the chances of a federal funds rate cut in October to 99% and in December to 87%. Treasury bond yields and the US dollar fell. There is increased demand for safe-haven assets in the markets. Gold continues to break records, Treasury yields are falling, and the yen has moved away from the political crisis in Japan and is growing steadily.

In contrast, European currencies are not yet able to take full advantage of the weakness of the US dollar. The euro is hampered by geopolitics and events in France.
S&P 500 shrugged off the shutdown

The S&P 500 shrugged off the shutdown and marked its 29th record high since the beginning of the year. Pharmaceutical and technology companies, which received a tariff deferral, led the rally. The market was pleased by the news that OpenAI had become the largest startup in history, with a valuation of over 500 billion dollars.

Jerome Powell's comments about the high valuation of US stocks led only to a temporary pullback in the S&P 500. Investors immediately bought up the dip. History shows that since 1996, similar rhetoric from the Fed chairman has led to an average 13% increase in the broad stock index over the next 12 months. There is a view in the market that high Price-to-Earnings ratios are the new reality. Corporate reporting is improving, the US economy has shifted its focus from manufacturing to technology, and artificial intelligence makes the US stock market unique and attractive. The ADP report on private sector employment did not deter the S&P 500. It finally convinced investors that the Fed would cut the federal funds rate twice more in 2025. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Crypto

October 2

The cryptocurrency market soared to extremes

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market capitalisation soared by 4% over the past day to $4.07 trillion. The capitalisation has soared into the extreme zone, above which it was only briefly in mid-August and mid-September.

Cryptocurrency investors are convinced that the US government shutdown is not dampening risk appetite, and macroeconomic data is pushing the Fed to ease its policy further.

The sentiment index rose to 64 (greed), reaching its highest level in the last six weeks. However, the index is far from extreme greed, leaving significant potential for further strengthening.

On Thursday morning, Bitcoin exceeded $118K, surpassing the previous highs, which indicates an important technical breakthrough of the established range. The next step could well be an attempt to update historical highs approaching $125K. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the activity of long-term sellers, who have been actively selling near these levels since July: we may see a new episode of selling on the rise.

News Background

The total supply of stablecoins grew by a record $45 billion in the third quarter, according to CEX.io. At the same time, 69% of the ‘printed’ volume was issued on the main Ethereum network.

According to CryptoQuant, the growth in the supply of stablecoins creates a powerful foundation for a bull market. Historically, Bitcoin has rallied not only in October but throughout the last quarter of the year.

The main factors that could trigger a crypto market rally in the fourth quarter could be changes in digital asset regulation in the US and expanded access to the crypto market through products on stock exchanges, according to Grayscale.

The total Bitcoin reserves of Japanese company Metaplanet reached 30,823 coins, placing it in fourth place among all corporate BTC holders.

According to Onchain Lens, Tether, the issuer of USDT, has replenished its Bitcoin reserve with 8,889 BTC worth $1 billion. Since May 2023, the company has been allocating 15% of its net profit to the purchase of BTC as part of its long-term asset diversification strategy.

Stani Kulechov, founder of leading lending platform Aave, said lower interest rates by global central banks will create favourable conditions for yield growth in the DeFi sector and may drive renewed interest in decentralised finance. (FxPro)

News

Oct 3

ASX rallies 1.1pc as miners and CBA jump

The Australian sharemarket posted a strong gain on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 1.1 per cent to close at 8,945.9 points. BHP rose 1.1 per cent to $41.94, Westgold Resources was up 8.3 per cent at $5.37 and the Commonwealth Bank finished 1.7 per cent higher at $169.82. However, profit-taking saw DroneShield fall 9.8 per cent to $5.18 following a rally in recent days, while REA Group was down 1.9 per cent at $224.99. (RMS)

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)

Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015) Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019) A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021) A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes

Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.

For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)

Key Details:

Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox). Runtime: 2h 6m. Genre: Drama/Crime. Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess.

Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):

Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability). Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man

"Bullish is a mindset"

Cryptos, Markets and Culture

Friday Into The Weekend Edition!

October 3/4, 2025

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $122,667.92 +2.23%
Ethereum $4,506.29 +0.60%
Tether $1.0005 flat
Binance Coin $1,177.34 +7.54%
XRP $3.0270 +0.11%
Solana $230.17 -0.54%
USDC $0.9996 flat
TRON $0.3408 -0.88%
Dogecoin $0.2542 - 1.31%
Cardano $0.8572 -0.14%

Market bullish! Mood joyful

News

October 3, 2025

Markets (Sydney to New York)

Australian Dollar: $0.6590 USD (down $0.0020 USD)
Iron Ore: $103.40 USD (down $0.20 USD)
Oil: $60.68 USD (down $1.12 USD)
Gold: $3,856.37 USD (down $9.29 USD)
Copper: $4.9540 USD (up 0.0595 USD)
Bitcoin: $120,564.31 USD (up 2.56%)
Dow Jones: 46,519.72 (up 78.62 points)

Stocks

Media Man Favs:

TKO Group $197.35 -0.65 -0.33%
Formula One Group Series C $104.83 +0.68 +0.65%
NVIDIA Corp $187.62 -1.32 -0.70%
Alphabet Inc Class A $245.35 -0.34 -0.14%
News Corp Class A $28.38 -0.17 -0.60%
Netflix Inc $1,153.32 -9.21 -0.79%
Caterpillar Inc $497.85 +7.28 +1.48%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $17.34 +0.14 +0.81%
Tesla Inc $429.83 -6.17 -1.42%
Walt Disney Co $112.47 +0.33 +0.29%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $123.66 -9.68 -7.26%
Meta Platforms Inc $710.56 -16.49 -2.27%
BHP Group Ltd $42.08 +0.14 +0.33%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $16.24 +0.18 +1.11%

News

Crypto

October 2

The cryptocurrency market soared to extremes

Market Overview

Cryptocurrency investors are convinced that the US government shutdown is not dampening risk appetite, and macroeconomic data is pushing the Fed to ease its policy further.

The sentiment index rose to 64 (greed), reaching its highest level in the last six weeks. However, the index is far from extreme greed, leaving significant potential for further strengthening.

News Background

The total supply of stablecoins grew by a record $45 billion in the third quarter, according to http://CEX.io. At the same time, 69% of the ‘printed’ volume was issued on the main Ethereum network.

The total Bitcoin reserves of Japanese company Metaplanet reached 30,823 coins, placing it in fourth place among all corporate BTC holders.

News

Oct 3

ASX rallies 1.1pc as miners and CBA jump

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015) Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019) A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021) A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes

Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.

For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)

Key Details:

Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox). Runtime: 2h 6m. Genre: Drama/Crime. Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess.

Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):

Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability). Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man

"Bullish is a mindset"

Markets, Crypto and Culture

Mad Monday Edition!

October 6, 2025

Sydney, Australia

ASX futures up 29 points/0.3% to 9045

Wall Street:
S&P 500 flat
Dow Jones +0.5%
Nasdaq -0.3%

Europe:
Stoxx 50 +0.1%
FTSE +0.7%
DAX -0.2%
CAC +0.3%

Bitcoin +0.6% to $US122,744

Gold +0.8% to $US3886.54 per ounce
Oil +0.7% to $US60.88 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.7% to $US64.53 a barrel
Iron ore +0.2% to $US104.00 per ton

10-year yield:
US 4.12%
Australia 4.33%
Germany 2.70%

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $122,719.44 +0.41%
Ethereum $4,503.65 +0.40%
Tether $1.0001 -0.01%
Binance Coin $1,160.20 +0.67%
XRP $2.9813 +0.66%
Solana $228.76 +0.62%
USDC $0.9996 flat
TRON $0.3418 +0.26%
Dogecoin $0.2530 +1.15%
Cardano $0.8371 +0.40%

Market bullish! Mood joyful

Stocks (After Hours); Countdown to Wall St opening!

Media Man Favs:

News

Oct 3

The US government shutdown is pressing dollar

Due to the shutdown, the publication of important data will be postponed. Therefore, the importance of the ADP report increases. Over the last two months, there has been a decline in private sector employment. This increased the chances of a federal funds rate cut in October to 99% and in December to 87%. Treasury bond yields and the US dollar fell.

There is increased demand for safe-haven assets in the markets. Gold continues to break records, Treasury yields are falling, and the yen has moved away from the political crisis in Japan and is growing steadily. In contrast, European currencies are not yet able to take full advantage of the weakness of the US dollar. The euro is hampered by geopolitics and events in France.
S&P 500 shrugged off the shutdown

The ADP report on private sector employment did not deter the S&P 500. It finally convinced investors that the Fed would cut the federal funds rate twice more in 2025. (FxPro)

News

Crypto

October 2

The cryptocurrency market soared to extremes

Market Overview

Cryptocurrency investors are convinced that the US government shutdown is not dampening risk appetite, and macroeconomic data is pushing the Fed to ease its policy further.

The sentiment index rose to 64 (greed), reaching its highest level in the last six weeks. However, the index is far from extreme greed, leaving significant potential for further strengthening.

News Background

The total Bitcoin reserves of Japanese company Metaplanet reached 30,823 coins, placing it in fourth place among all corporate BTC holders.

News

Oct 3

ASX rallies 1.1pc as miners and CBA jump

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

News

Cryptocurrency Movies

Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014) Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016) Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015) Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019) A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021) A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes

Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy.

For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)

Key Details:

Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox). Runtime: 2h 6m. Genre: Drama/Crime. Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess.

Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):

Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability). Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver: How metals are moving this year

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man

"Bullish is a mindset"

Media Man Int

Markets, Crypto and Culture

September 15, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

ASX futures down 59 points/0.7% to 8804
Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.1%
Dow Jones -0.6%
Nasdaq +0.4%
Europe:
Stoxx 50 +0.1%
FTSE -0.2%
DAX flat
CAC flat

Bitcoin -0.1% to $US115,849

Gold +0.3% to $US3643.14 per ounce
Oil +0.5% to $US62.69 a barrel
Brent crude oil +0.9% to $US66.99 a barrel
Iron ore +0.4% to $US105.90 per ton
10-year yield:
US 4.06%
Australia 4.21%
Germany 2.71%

News

Cryptos Today: (Near Live)

Bitcoin $116,036.73 USD +0.28%
Ethereum $4,624.75 USD -0.60%
Tether $0.9998 USD +0.14%
XRP $3.04 USD -2.20%
BNB $933.05 USD +0.18%
Solana $243.15 USD +1.40%
TRON $0.3491 USD +0.06%
Dogecoin $0.2799 USD -3.15%

Market Cautious, Mood/vibe rising!

Markets, Business News, Biz Culture, Pop Culture awards

Australian Edition

June 10, 2025

ASX futures down 4 points/0.1% to 8555

Australian dollar +0.4% to 65.16 US cents

Wall Street:
S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow Jones flat, Nasdaq +0.3%

Europe: Stoxx 50 -0.2%, FTSE -0.1%, DAX -0.5%, CAC -0.2%

Bitcoin +2.4% to $US108,792

Spot gold +0.5% to $US3325.27 per ounce

US oil +1.3% to $US65.39 a barrel

Brent crude oil +1% to $US67.12 a barrel

Iron ore -0.9% to $US94.65 per tonne

10-year yield: US 4.47% Australia 4.26% Germany 2.56%

News

Australia

Power costs could doom Rio smelter

Located north of Newcastle in NSW, the Tomago aluminium smelter is the biggest producer of aluminium in Australia, along with being the largest user of electricity in the nation. It is majority owned by Rio Tinto, which is said to be seeking billion of dollars in support from the NSW and federal government to prevent it from collapsing because of high electricity prices. The discussions between Rio and the two governments are understood be focusing on the structure of the federal government's production tax credits and Tomago's electricity contract for 2026 to 2029. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

High-price hydrogen bombshell

The federal government wants to develop a green hydrogen export industry, but the current high cost of producing green hydrogen represents a challenge to its goal. InterContinental Energy, which is the co-owner of two large green hydrogen projects in Western Australia, has stated initial costs for delivering green hydrogen from the two projects was estimated at between $8 and $11 a kilogram, but MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic states the cost of green hydrogen needs to be below $2 a kilogram for it to be competitive with other energy sources. (RMS)

Battery subsidies to spark power struggle

The federal government has set a target of sourcing 82 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, with its new household battery installations subsidy scheme aimed at helping it meet that target. The government will subsidise household battery installations by up to 30 per cent from 1 July, with Jon Briskin from Origin Energy noting that battery inquiries in May were up 400 per cent on the previous month. The scheme could also present a challenge for energy retailers, which have traditionally operated household batteries through what are known as virtual power plants. Critics of the VPP model contend that VPP participants are undercompensated and have little knowledge as to how and when their battery is being used, but retailers claim that participants are adequately rewarded. (RMS)

News

Advanced AI suffers 'complete accuracy collapse' in face of complex problems, study finds

Apple researchers have concluded in a paper released over the weekend that large reasoning models suffer 'complete accuracy collapse' when faced with complex problems, with LRMs being an advanced form of artificial intelligence. US academic Gary Marcus, who has become a noted voice of caution on the capabilities of AI systems, has described the Apple paper as "pretty devastating", while Andrew Rogoyski, of the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, said the paper shows the industry was "still feeling its way" on artificial general intelligence (AGI), with AGI being a theoretical stage of AI at which a system is able to "match a human at carrying out any intellectual task".

News

V'Landys backs Tabcorp's McLachlan

Racing NSW CEO Peter V'Landys says he supports Tabcorp's plans to change how its pays pubs to host its betting terminals, although the Australian Hotels Association is against what Tabcorp and CEO Gillon McLachlan is seeking to do. Tabcorp's plans would see thousands of pubs no longer get paid for hosting its terminals, while in return, it will commit to refurbishing hotel facilities, investing in promotions and waiving subscription fees to Sky Racing: Tabcorp's plans are set to take effect from 1 July

News

Stars to face big pay cuts in purge

The big salaries of some high-profile Australian television personalities are under scrutiny as networks seek to offset a downturn in advertising revenue. The Seven and Nine networks are believed to be planning to make significant 'efficiencies' across their national newsrooms in coming months. In some cases, popular TV personalities are being paid six-figure salaries despite rarely being seen on screen. A senior source at Nine has indicated that networks will no longer keep people on their books with nothing to do just so they will not be poached by a rival network. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Media

Failing Project officially gets axe

The Ten Network has confirmed that long-running current affairs panel show The Project will cease production amid a decline in its ratings. The last edition of the program will be broadcast on 27 June, nearly 16 years after it debuted as The 7pm Project in July 2009. Ten has advised that it will be replaced by an hour-long national news, current affairs and insights program in the 6pm timeslot; it will complement Ten's evening news bulletin at 5pm and compete with the news bulletins of Nine and Seven. The Project's current hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Hamish Macdonald will leave Ten. (RMS)

News

Gen Z lead shift to ad-backed 'free' streamers

Tubi is a free ad-supported video-on-demand service, with international MD David Salmon saying that younger audiences are showing an increased preference for such services over paid subscription services. Salmon contends that Gen Z is increasingly favouring streaming platforms that "help them find their next fandom", and that Tubi has gone from 25 million to 97 million monthly users over the past five years. Owned by Fox Corporation, Tubi is currently available in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Latin America. (RMS)

News

Mining

Rio ready to settle Mongolian lawsuit

Rio Tinto is understood to be ready to settle a lawsuit that has been led by Florida-based hedge fund Pentwater Capital Management and was launched in 2022 by investors in a company called Turquoise Hill. The lawsuit relates to allegations that Rio withheld information about cost blowouts and delays with its Oyu Tolgoi copper mine project in Mongolia; Rio gained control of the project and became its operator in 2012 by acquiring a 50.7 per cent stake in a company later renamed Turquoise Hill, with Rio acquiring the remainder of Turquoise Hill for $US3.1bn in December 2022. News that Rio is prepared to settle the lawsuit comes as it is looking to appoint a successor to Jakob Stausholm as its CEO. (RMS)

News

Rio Tinto's departing CEO rejects talk of rift with chair

It was announced on 22 May that Jakob Stausholm would be stepping down as CEO of Rio Tinto, with the fact that no successor was announced at the time prompting talk that the decision was rushed and was due to tensions between Stausholm and chairman Dominic Barton. However, speaking on Friday at the official opening of Rio's $2.4 billion Western Range iron ore joint venture with Chinese firm Baowu in the Pilbara region, Stausholm denied talk of any rift with Barton, while he said it was possible that his successor could come from within Rio's ranks. (RMS)

News

Fortescue pushes for tax credit overhaul

Fortescue intends to lobby the federal government to reform the diesel fuel tax rebate scheme that sees the mining sector claim back millions each year for diesel when it is used on their private roads. Fortescue contends the scheme serves as a disincentive for large mining companies to switch from using diesel in their truck fleets in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto claiming the scheme undermines the federal government's safeguard mechanism; it wants a $50 million cap placed on the amount that mining companies can claim back under the scheme. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Pop Culture News

Media Man

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award

The Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper Of The Month' award

Roy Morgan Research wins Media Man 'News Services Company Of The Month'

WWE wins 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month' award

UFC wins Media Man 'MMA Promotion Of The Month' award

Karrion Kross wins Media Man 'Wrestler Of The Month' award (Men's Division)

Stephanie Vaquer wins Media Man 'Wrestler Of The Month' award (Women's Division)

El Grande Americano wins Media Man 'Luchador Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: Dirty Dom and Vikingo

Porsche wins Media Man 'Auto Brand Of The Month' award

Google Pixel wins Media Man 'Tech Brand Of The Month' award

News

June 10, 2025

Media News

On the losing side of Wall Street was Warner Bros. Discovery, which flipped from a big early gain to a loss of 3 per cent after saying it would split into two companies. One will get Warner Bros. Television, HBO Max and other studio brands, while the other will hold onto CNN, TNT Sports and other entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world, along with some digital products.

World News, Biz, Markets, Resources, Politics, Media

April 4, 2025

Tariff wars made the dollar a risky asset

Gold

Movements in metals have been monumental. A 3% rise deep into the region of all-time highs for Gold was followed by a collapse of more than $100 from $3,170 to $3,050 an ounce. On Friday, trading stabilised near $3100, minimally adding to levels at the opening of the week.

Tactically, this is a good time for the bulls to exhale and lock in profits. This is confirmed by the fulfilment of an important growth target and the entry into extreme overbought on weekly timeframes on RSI. Multi-week corrections started in similar conditions in 2024.

Oil

Oil took a double hit in the week in less than 24 hours when it came under pressure from the macroeconomy due to tariffs and OPEC+ actions. Tired of waiting for the global economy to accelerate, the Cartel switched gears in the battle for market share, pledging to ramp up production faster than the previously announced plan.

Similar moments occurred in March 2020 and December 2014. On both occasions, oil dipped below $30 a barrel before finding support in the form of coordinated action by global producers. In theory, coordination is now at a higher level, but that doesn't negate the powerful pressures expected due to the trade shock and supply expansion.

Technically, oil is breaking through the bottom of the three-year range, and the 50-week moving average worked as resistance for the third time since September. (FxPro)

News

Cryptos Today

BTC. $83,789.09. 0.70%
ETH. $1,812.44. 0.36.
USDT. $0.9997. 0.00%
XRP. $2.1330. 2.61%
BNB. $596.22. 0.09%
SOL. $120.95. 3.74%
USDC. $1.0000. 0.01%
DOGE. $0.1696. 3.20%

News

Markets

ASX 200 futures are pointing down 93 points/1.2 per cent to 7786

AUD +0.4% to US63.22¢

Bitcoin -4.7% to $US82,018

Wall St:
Dow -4%
S&P -4.8%
Nasdaq -6%
VIX +8.26 to 29.77
Gold -0.9% to $US3108.38 an ounce
Brent oil -6.7% to $US69.91 a barrel
Iron ore -1.5% to $US101.25 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.04% Australia 4.26%

News

Germany Considers Gold Withdrawal from U.S. Vault

Germany is contemplating the withdrawal of approximately 1,200 tons of gold, valued at around $124 billion, from a U.S. Federal Reserve vault in New York. This consideration comes in the context of recent U.S. tariffs imposed by President Trump. The decision-making process involves senior officials from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Party, who are set to lead the next German government in the Bundestag. The potential repatriation of gold has not occurred since World War II, highlighting the significance of the current deliberations. (Grok)

News

Bitcoin Holds Steady Amid Stock Market Turmoil

On April 4, 2025, the US stock market experienced a significant drop, with over $1.5 trillion in value being erased. Amidst this turmoil, Bitcoin has shown resilience, maintaining its value around $80,000. Some observers and investors view this as a sign of Bitcoin decoupling from traditional financial markets and emerging as a potential safe haven asset, similar to gold. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has publicly stated that 'Bitcoin is becoming a store of value,' reflecting a viewpoint that is gaining traction among some in the financial community. (Grok)

News

Coffee Tariffs Prompt Debate on U.S. Production

The United States is currently facing a discussion around proposed tariffs on imported coffee, which could impact consumer prices. While coffee is grown in the U.S., primarily in Hawaii, the production volume is significantly less than the national demand. Increasing domestic production to meet this demand presents logistical and time-related challenges, as coffee plants require several years to mature and produce a full crop. Opinions vary on the feasibility and desirability of relying more heavily on American-grown coffee to circumvent the potential tariff-induced price increases.

Markets

April 4, 2025

ASX futures down 74 points or 0.9% to 7805

AUD +0.6% to US63.35¢

Bitcoin -4.6% to $US82,296

Wall St:

Dow -3.3%
S&P -4.1%
Nasdaq -5.2%
VIX +6.02 to 27.53
Gold -0.7% to $US3112.12 an ounce
Brent oil -6.5% to $US70.09 a barrel
Iron ore -1.5% to $US101.25 a tonne
10-year yield: US 4.05% Australia 4.26%

Cryptos Today:

BTC. $81,846.87. 5.49%
ETH. $1,774.30. 6.24.
USDT. $0.9997. 0.02%
XRP. $2.0101. 6.23%
BNB. $587.77. 2.64%
USDC. $1.0000. 0.01%
SOL. $113.95. 12.19%
DOGE. $0.1581. 8.06%

Australian mining and exploration sector embracing living statues and bodypainting for special events and VIP functions

Human Statue Bodyart does bodypaint, bodyart and makeup for Diamond VIP event at The Star, Sydney

Markets and Commodities

July 17, 2024

Australian Dollar: $0.6730 USD (down $0.0029 USD)

Iron Ore Aug Spot Price (SGX): $107.15 USD (down $1.55 USD)

Oil Price (WTI): $80.82 USD (down $1.11 USD)

Gold Price: $2,468.84 USD (up $46.81 USD)

Copper Price (CME): $4.4570 USD (down $0.0550 USD)

Bitcoin: $64,783.65 USD (up 1.82% in last 24 hours)

Dow Jones: 40,954.48 at 4.20pm NY time (up 742.76 points on yesterday's close)

All changes compared to 7am yesterday.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

Market, Commodities and Financial News

Snapshot via Media Man

July 15, 2024

ASX futures up 51 points or 0.6% to 7992 near 6am AEST

AUD -0.2% to US67.72¢

Bitcoin +2.2% to $US59,960

Dow +0.6%

S&P +0.6%

Nasdaq +0.6%

FTSE +0.4%

DAX +1.2%

CAC +1.3%

Gold -0.2% to $US2411.43 an ounce

Brent oil -0.4% to $US85.03 a barrel

Iron ore -0.2% to $US107.80 a tonne

News Trends Bitcoin News Cryptocurrency News

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News.com.au - Finance - Business

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Valuetainment - Business

Financial Times

In economics, a commodity is an economic good or service that has full or substantial fungibility: that is, the market treats instances of the good as equivalent or nearly so with no regard to who produced them.

The price of a commodity good is typically determined as a function of its market as a whole: well-established physical commodities have actively traded spot and derivative markets. The wide availability of commodities typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the importance of factors (such as brand name) other than price.

Most commodities are raw materials, basic resources, agricultural, or mining products, such as iron ore, sugar, or grains like rice and wheat. Commodities can also be mass-produced unspecialized products such as chemicals and computer memory.

Hard and soft commodities

Soft commodities are goods that are grown, such as wheat, or rice.

Hard commodities are mined. Examples include gold ,silver, helium, and oil.

Energy commodities include electricity, gas, coal and oil. Electricity has the particular characteristic that it is usually uneconomical to store, and must therefore be consumed as soon as it is produced.

(Wikipedia)

Oil

Commodities News: Oil via Media Man and FxPro

June 3, 2024

Oil is probably setting up for a repeat of 2020 or 2014

Oil has lost 1.7% since the start of the day on Tuesday, in addition to a more than 3% drop the day before, clearly showing the market's reaction to the OPEC+ meeting over the weekend. The technical picture in oil has turned very bearish. OPEC+ agreed to an impressive extension of low production quotas, but markets are paying more attention to the short-term supply-demand balance and viewed the move as underwhelming.

In the middle of last week, WTI crude bounced off resistance in the form of the 200-day moving average and moved closer towards the lower end of the May trading range. Oil is also trading below its 50-day average, which is pointing downwards. All of this is evidence of an intensifying bearish medium and long-term trend.

Earlier, we also pointed out that the cartel, especially Saudi Arabia and Russia, is becoming hawkish, preferring to give active signals or cut production when the price gets close to the 200-week average. This curve reflects ultra-long-term trends, averaging the price over almost four years. Oil has been receiving impressive support after touching this line in 2019 and 2023. Since the beginning of this year, there have been new attempts to break below, which have so far resulted in strong upside momentum.

It very much looks like that situation has now changed. Oil is already more than 3% below its 200-week average, having been under sustained pressure since the start of the week. In addition, the intensified daily selling of oil in US trading since last Wednesday has contributed to this.

In 2020, the breakdown of this long-term support culminated in a hike in some oil contracts into negative territory. We saw just as much market drama in 2014 after a similar signal. It was perhaps only in 2018 that oil managed to turn to the upside, falling just 18% below its 200-week average.

Thus, we may be seeing the beginning of the formation of one of the significant downtrends in oil, capable of being on par with the 2014-2016 or 2020 sell-offs. In this case, the price may roll back to the $30 area—the price area where most oil production projects lose profitability.

However, the bulls still have a significant support area of around $65-$70 per barrel. This was the resistance area in 2019 and the support area in the last three years.

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Euro, Gold, Crypto and more via Media Man and FX Pro

A strong current account surplus may not help euro

The eurozone's current account surplus climbed to a six-month high of 31.9bn in December. Analysts, on average, had expected a decline to 20.3 bn from 22.5 bn the previous month. The current level was seen in the eurozone during the relatively benign pre-Covid period and sometime before Natural Gas prices spiked in the second half of 2021.

The normalisation of the surplus is good news for the single currency, as it means more net capital inflows into the region. But this growth has been fuelled by falling imports, which can be the result of lower commodity and energy prices (which is a very good thing), but also partly indicative of a slowdown in domestic demand. This threatens to translate into economic contraction in the coming months.

The euro area experienced periods of severe import contraction in late 2008 and early 2010, and in both cases, the economy experienced a severe downturn. Back in 2008, all this was accompanied by the collapse of the euro.

Gold

Gold rises but within a downward channel

Gold rallied for the fourth consecutive session to reach $2023, recovering almost all the losses suffered the week before on the back of the inflation report. Gold's ability to rally suggests continued domestic demand, as some investors are clearly rushing to buy back any losses.

At the same time, however, we note that since the beginning of the year, gold has been characterised by solid selloffs on the news, forming a smooth downtrend. In the context of this downtrend, a rise to $2040-2045, which is the upper boundary of the bearish range, looks quite acceptable.

The area around $2035 - the highs of two weeks ago - also appears to be a crucial intermediate level. Confident buying from this level would be the first important signal that the recent correction is over and that gold is ready to make a fresh assault on the highs.

Much more important, however, will be the behaviour of gold as it approaches the $2050 level, where the reversal of the decline in late January took place.

Consolidation at this level would confirm the breakdown of the downtrend and set the stage for a move towards $2100 and the subsequent renewal of historic highs.

However, as long as gold is trading within the downtrend, there is a greater chance of a breakdown or even an acceleration of the downtrend.

Among the fundamental factors, the potential for growth could be provided by the fall in the dollar if Fed officials show a softening of their position, bringing the start of interest rate cuts closer.

On the bearish side, equities could come under pressure following the optimistic rally in the tech giants and the news of a sharp slowdown in economic activity. We also do not rule out the possibility that the recent support measures for the Chinese stock market and property sector will cool demand for gold as a safe-haven for investors from that part of the world.

Cryptocurrency

Crypto market growth halted amid capital inflows

Market picture

The crypto market has corrected 0.46% in the last 24 hours, fluctuating within a narrow range without a clear direction. Bitcoin is down 1% but up 3.7% over seven days, Ethereum is flat for the day but up 10.6% over the week. The top coins are mixed with BNB +2% and Solana -2.5%.

Bitcoin is currently drawing its fourth daily candle with opening and closing levels close to each other. Such sideways consolidations are characteristic of strong bull markets, as opposed to corrective pullbacks on smoother rallies.

Ethereum hit local highs on rumours of a positive regulatory decision before the end of March. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffarth bet 4 ETH that the SEC will not approve a spot Ethereum ETF next month.

According to data from CoinShares, investment in crypto funds rose by a record $2.452 billion last week, following inflows of $1.116 billion the previous week.
Bitcoin investments increased by $2.424 billion, Ethereum by $21 million, Cardano lost $6 million, and Solana lost $1.6 million.

Since the beginning of the year, crypto funds have seen inflows of an impressive $5.2 billion, with total AUM rising to $67 billion, the highest since December 2021.

News background

Bitcoin will see institutional support in the next three to six months, according to Coinbase. Bitcoin ETFs could eventually become a major competitor to gold funds.
According to IntoTheBlock, there is an 85% chance that Bitcoin will reach a new all-time high within the next six months. Five factors could contribute to this: the halving of the price, ETFs, monetary easing, the US election, and companies accumulating BTC as part of their treasuries.

Former CIA contractor Edward Snowden, who has been living in Russia since 2013, called bitcoin the most significant achievement of the financial system in the entire existence of money and means of exchange.

Amberdata admitted that Ethereum will outpace Bitcoin in terms of growth due to more constructive deflationary policies. The supply of ETH has been decreasing since September 2022, thanks to the update of The Merge, as well as the implementation of a mechanism to burn part of the commissions. During this time, around 0.36 million ETH, or 0.3% of the total supply of 120 million coins, have been removed from circulation.

Via Roy Morgan Research and Media Man social media

Copper, gold, and Bitcoin rise; Iron ore and oil fall; ASX to fall in response to selling on Wall Street; US vetoes Arab-backed UN resolution demanding ceasefire in Gaza; Assange's lawyers warn that he risks 'flagrant denial of justice' if he is tried in US

Latest updates on Key Economic Indicators

21 February 2024

Roy Morgan Summary

Australian Dollar: $0.6550 USD (up 0.0011 USD)
Iron Ore Mar Spot Price (SGX): $120.85 USD (down $6.40 USD)

Oil Price (WTI): $78.27 USD (down $1.02 USD)

Gold Price: $2,024.37 USD (up $6.43 USD)

Copper Price (CME): $3.8595 (up $0.0465 USD)

Bitcoin: $52,059.35 (up 0.35% in last 24 hours)

New report reveals Roy Morgan is one of Australia's leading data companies - with in-depth information on millions of Australians based on their Helix Personas

Market Research Update

20 February 2024

Roy Morgan Summary

Roy Morgan leads the way as one of Australia's leading data companies. A special in-depth report into Australia's leading data companies interviewed Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine and Executive Chairman Gary Morgan about the role the company plays in compiling data and building profiles of different Australians. One of Roy Morgan's key products is 'Helix Personas' which profiles people under headings such as "young and platinum", "smart money", "cautious conservatives", "fair go", "working hard" and nearly 50 other personas. For example, the "young and platinum" group love their mobile devices and are "always on the hunt for the shiny, new and cool" and "making the rent". Their income is around the $64,000 a year mark and they can often be found "living a conventional life centred around family".

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine confirmed that the Helix Personas market segments are based on statistical information, not data from individual people. "It's totally ethical. Unlike Facebook or any of these things, it's not any particular individual", Roy Morgan's chief executive Michele Levine, said.: 38,582.12 at 3.22pm NY time (down 45.87 points on Friday's close)

Roy Morgan wins three-year contract to deliver domestic tourism statistics for Austrade

21 February 2024

Roy Morgan Summary

From 2025, Roy Morgan will provide Austrade with the world's best practice survey methodology, big data integration and modelling techniques to deliver accurate domestic tourism statistics. Roy Morgan has reimagined the future of domestic tourism statistics to move Austrade and its stakeholders to the forefront of tourism intelligence with a new platform that will drive the future of Australia's tourism industry, which is estimated to be worth in excess of $160 billion. Portia Morgan, the Head of Client Services at Roy Morgan, says that using face-to-face interviewing, which is the gold-standard for surveying the population, enhanced with big data and cutting-edge data science techniques, Roy Morgan will be delivering a future-proofed system that will be cost effective, reliable, and accurate. She adds that Roy Morgan has been delivering survey-based tourism insights via its Holiday Tracking Survey for 20+ years and the company is thrilled to be working with Austrade and the broader industry to provide a deeper of understanding of how many people are travelling, where they go, what they do and how they spend their valuable tourism dollars.

Anti-mining PM pushes BHP's cash offshore

Roy Morgan Summary

It is somewhat hypocritical of the federal government to flag possible support for Australia's nickel industry, given that Labor's anti-mining legislation may jeopardise the expansion of BHP's copper operations in South Australia. BHP is still likely to proceed with an expansion, but the previously touted investment of between $10bn and $15bn is now only a 50 per cent chance. The new labour laws in the government's industrial relations reforms mean that BHP is now more likely to redirect much of this capital investment to its criticals minerals projects in other countries; rival miner Rio Tinto is already doing this.

More than 2.7 million New Zealanders now read newspapers and magazine audiences surge to over 1.7 million

21 February 2024

Roy Morgan has released its readership results for New Zealand's newspapers and magazines for the 12 months to December 2023. The data shows that 2.73 million New Zealanders aged 14+ (64.4%) now read or access newspapers in an average 7-day period via print or online (website or app) platforms. In addition, 1.71 million New Zealanders aged 14+ (40.3%) read magazines, whether in print or online either via the web or an app. The New Zealand Herald is still the nation's most widely-read publication, with a total cross-platform audience of 1,720,000 in the 12 months to June 2023 - almost five times as many as the second placed Dominion Post with a readership of 341,000. Meanwhile, New Zealand's most widely read magazine is still the driving magazine AA Directions, which had an average issue readership of 379,000 during the year to December (an increase of 63,000 on a year ago).

These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan New Zealand Single Source survey of 6,254 New Zealanders aged 14+ over the 12 months to December 2023.

New report reveals Roy Morgan is one of Australia's leading data companies - with in-depth information on millions of Australians based on their Helix Personas

Market Research Update

20 February 2024

Roy Morgan Summary

(Credit: Roy Morgan Research)

Roy Morgan Summary

One of Roy Morgan's key products is 'Helix Personas' which profiles people under headings such as "young and platinum", "smart money", "cautious conservatives", "fair go", "working hard" and nearly 50 other personas. For example, the "young and platinum" group love their mobile devices and are "always on the hunt for the shiny, new and cool" and "making the rent". Their income is around the $64,000 a year mark and they can often be found "living a conventional life centred around family". Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine confirmed that the Helix Personas market segments are based on statistical information, not data from individual people. "It's totally ethical. Unlike Facebook or any of these things, it's not any particular individual", Roy Morgan's chief executive Michele Levine, said.

(Credit: Roy Morgan Research)

Media Man

Warrner Bros

Profile

In 2010, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group broke the all-time industry worldwide box office record with receipts of $4.814 billion, which surpassed the prior record of $4.010 billion (set by the Studio in 2009). Warner Bros. also established a new industry benchmark for the international box office with a total of $2.93 billion (marking a record third time of crossing the $2 billion threshold) and retained its leading domestic box office ranking with receipts of $1.884 billion. 2010 also marked the 10th consecutive year Warner Bros. Pictures passed the billion dollar mark at both the domestic and international box offices. Warner Home Video was, once again, the industry’s leader, with an overall 20.6 percent marketshare in total DVD and Blu-ray sales. The companies comprising the Warner Bros. Television Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group remain category leaders, working across all platforms and outlets, and are trendsetters in the digital realm with video-on-demand (transaction and ad-supported), branded channels, original content, anti-piracy technology and broadband and wireless destinations.

The Warner Bros. Pictures Group brings together the Studio’s motion picture production, marketing and distribution operations into a single entity. The Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures International, was formed to streamline the Studio’s film production process and bring those businesses’ organizational structures in line with Warner Bros.’ television and home entertainment operations.

Warner Bros. Pictures produces and distributes a wide-ranging slate of some 18-22 films each year, employing a business paradigm that mitigates risk while maximizing productivity and capital. Warner Bros. Pictures either fully finances or co-finances the films it produces and maintains worldwide distribution rights. It also monetizes its distribution and marketing operations by distributing films that are totally financed and produced by third-parties. The Studio’s 2011 slate includes “Sucker Punch,” “The Hangover Part II,” “Green Lantern,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” “Happy Feet 2” and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

Warner Bros. Pictures International is a global leader in the marketing and distribution of feature films, operating offices in more than 30 countries and releasing films in over 120 international territories, either directly to theaters or in conjunction with partner companies and co-ventures.

New Line Cinema, part of Warner Bros. Entertainment since 2008, coordinates its development, production, marketing, distribution and business affairs activities with Warner Bros. Pictures to maximize film performance and operating efficiencies. Highlights of New Line’s 2011 release slate, distributed by Warner Bros., include “Horrible Bosses,” “Final Destination 5,” “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” and “New Year’s Eve.”

The Warner Bros. Television Group oversees and grows the entire portfolio of Warner Bros.’ television businesses, including worldwide production, traditional and digital distribution, and broadcasting. In the traditional television arena, WBTVG produces primetime and cable (Warner Bros. Television and Warner Horizon Television), first-run syndication (Telepictures Productions) and animated (Warner Bros. Animation) programming, which is distributed worldwide by two category-leading distribution arms/operations (Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution).

Among the primetime series produced by divisions of the Warner Bros. Television Group are “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Mentalist,” “Mike & Molly,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Nikita,” “The Middle,” “Southland,” “The Closer,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Supernatural,” “The Bachelor,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew” and many more. Also produced by the company are first-run syndicated programs such as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “TMZ” and “Extra,” among others, as well as animated shows “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated” and “Young Justice.”

WBTVG is an innovative leader in developing new business models for the evolving television landscape, including ad-supported video-on-demand, broadband and wireless, and has digital distribution agreements in place with all of the broadcast networks. Internationally, the Studio is one of the world’s largest distributors of feature films, television programs and animation to the worldwide television marketplace, licensing some 50,000 hours of television programming, including more than 6,000 feature films and 50 current series, dubbed or subtitled in more than 40 languages, to telecasters and cablecasters in more than 175 countries.

WBTVG provides original shortform programming for the broadband and wireless marketplace through its Studio 2.0 digital venture, and its digital media sales unit is devoted specifically to multiplatform domestic advertiser sales for both broadband and wireless. WBTVG continues its strategic expansion into digital production and distribution with the launch of several advertiser-supported entertainment destinations, including TheWB.com, a premium, video-on-demand interactive and personalized network and KidsWB.com, a premium destination built around youth-oriented immersive entertainment.

The final component of WBTVG is broadcasting: The CW Television Network, launched (in partnership with CBS) in September 2006 with quality, diverse programming, is targeted to the 18–34 audience.

Warner Bros. Animation’s combined classic and contemporary library currently boasts 14,000 animated episodes and shorts which air on domestic broadcast networks, as well as cable networks and in direct-to-video releases around the world. The classic library includes such brands as Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears as well as such beloved characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety, Taz, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, Batman, Superman, the Flintstones, the Jetsons and Scooby-Doo.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video (Warner Home Video), digital distribution (Warner Bros. Digital Distribution), interactive entertainment/videogames (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), direct-to-consumer production (Warner Premiere), technical operations (Warner Bros. Technical Operations) and anti-piracy (Warner Bros. Anti-Piracy Operations) businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and transactional VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels. It is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles.

In 2010, Warner Home Video dominated the U.S. market as the number one company in total sell-through video (DVD and Blu-ray combined) with 20.6% marketshare, theatrical catalog, TV on DVD, non-theatrical family and animation, Blu-ray and VOD. WHV has been the number one studio in overall DVD sales 14 consecutive years, and is also the leading studio in the international home video space.

With more than 3,700 active licensees worldwide, Warner Bros. Consumer Products licenses the rights to names, likenesses and logos for all of the intellectual properties in Warner Bros. Entertainment’s vast film and television library. With a global network of offices and agents in key regions throughout the world, including North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe, WBCP maintains an ongoing commitment to expand and build the power of its core brands’ recognition in the international marketplace through strong and creative merchandising, promotional marketing and retail programs.

DC Entertainment’s DC Comics has been in continuous publication for more than 60 years, and is the leading comic book publisher in the industry and the creator of some of the world’s most recognized icons. DC’s characters continue to headline blockbuster feature films, live-action and animated television series, direct-to-video releases, collectors’ books, online entertainment, digital publishing, countless licensing and marketing arrangements and, most recently, graphic novels. DC continues to attract new readers and fans all over the world with its signature characters Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Justice League leading the way.

Warner Bros. International Cinemas provides a true state-of-the-art movie experience to audiences in Japan with more than 60 multiplex cinemas and more than 600 screens internationally. One of the pioneers in multiplex development for the international marketplace, WBIC is continually exploring new markets for expansion. (Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment)

Press Release

09 August 2010

MICROGAMING SET TO LAUNCH THE LORD OF THE RINGS™: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING ONLINE VIDEO SLOT GAME

First Title to Utilize Proprietary Cinematic Spins™ Technology Allowing Players to Experience the Film with Every Spin

ISLE OF MAN – Microgaming today announced the imminent launch of a new flagship game, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Online Video Slot Game. This slot game is the first to utilise Microgaming’s new Cinematic Spins™ technology, allowing gamers to see clips from the films with every spin.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a new online slot game that is part of a multi-year licensing agreement Microgaming signed with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution in 2009. The company is developing a series of cutting-edge, graphic rich video slots based on this popular movie trilogy and will use animation material, themes, and characters, from the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings™ motion pictures that include The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. These online slot games will be available to adults only in countries where online gaming is permitted.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first online video slot to use Microgaming’s Cinematic Spins™ state-of-the-art gaming technology. This allows movie clips to act as moving backgrounds behind the reels during spins providing players an unprecedented level of excitement and immersion.

Win sequences and expanding wilds also use cinematic clips, instead of traditional animated graphics. The slots feature famous scenes from the film including Ringwraiths during the attack at Weathertop, Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and Uruk-hai in the woods of Middle-earth. Players will also enjoy seeing characters from the films that include Frodo, Aragorn, Saruman and the deadly Black Riders.

Roger Raatgever, CEO Microgaming comments: “Microgaming has always been ahead of the curve with innovative offerings, but this game really does push the boundaries of what an online slot can do. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring looks and feels like an extension of the big screen film experience and we’re confident that our operators will see a great deal of demand from their players, when the game is released. This is an important deal for Microgaming and highlights our commitment to partner with the right brands, at the right time. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful and well loved brands on the planet and we are excited about combining this widespread appeal with Microgaming’s groundbreaking software.”

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy generated $3 billion in worldwide box office receipts and was nominated for a total of 30 Academy Awards®; of which they won 17, including Best Picture.

- Ends -
Notes to editors:
*Cinematic Spins is a trademark held by Microgaming

© 2010 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.

For further information please contact:
Duncan Skehens / Laura Moss/ Lyndsay Haywood
Lansons Communications
020 7490 8828
DuncanS@lansons.com / LauraM@lansons.com / LyndsayH@lansons.com
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

Peter Binazeski
818-977-5701
peter.binazeski@warnerbros.com
About Microgaming (www.microgaming.com)
Since the company developed the first true online Casino software over a decade ago, it has led the industry in providing innovative, reliable gaming solutions. Thanks to an unrivalled R&D programme, that averages 60 games per year and a unique ‘partnership’ approach to working with operators; Microgaming software powers over 160 market-leading online gaming sites.
The company’s front and back-end software supports multi-player, multi-language games - over 500 of them, all uniquely branded and provides platforms for land-based and wireless gaming. Microgaming powers the world’s largest Progressive Jackpot Network and has paid out over €265million. In May 2009 it created the biggest ever online jackpot winner with a single payment win of €6.37m.

As a founding member of eCOGRA, Microgaming is at the forefront of an initiative focused on setting the highest standards in the gaming industry, and leads in the areas of fair gaming, responsible operator conduct and player protection. Microgaming has been awarded eCOGRA’s Certified Software Seal following a rigorous onsite assessment to ensure that the development, implementation and maintenance of the software is representative of industry best practice standards Microgaming licensees are therefore eligible to apply for the eCOGRA Safe & Fair Seal.

About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) manages Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group's (WBHEG) electronic distribution over existing, new and emerging digital platforms, including pay-per-view, electronic sell-through, video-on-demand, wireless and more. WBDD also oversees the WBHEG's worldwide digital strategy, partnerships in digital services and emerging new clients and business activities in the digital space.

News

2009

With Time Warner sitting on $7 billion in cash, the Marvel deal has ignited rumours of a second wave of consolidation in the media industry. Dream Works Animation, home of Shrek, is seen as a potential takeover candidate, as is MGM with its huge library of classic films. The games firms Electronic Arts and Take Two Interactive, with its Grand Theft Auto franchise, are also being touted as potential buys.

Profile

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Warner Bros. Pictures, or simply Warner Bros.) is one of the world's largest producers of film and television entertainment.

It is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California and New York City. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, TheWB.com and DC Comics. Warner owns half of The CW Television Network.

Founded in 1918 by Jewish immigrants from Poland, Warner Bros. is the third-oldest American movie studio in continuous operation, after Paramount Pictures, founded in 1912 as Famous Players, and Universal Studios, also founded in 1912.