Alex Gluyas

Spodumene prices closed above $US1000 a tonne for the first time in more than a year as investors turn increasingly bullish on the sector.

More than $US2 billion has been pulled from US bitcoin ETFs since October 29 as the scars from last month’s collapse deter traders from buying the dip.

The large number of promotions at the Wall Street investment bank’s local division reflected the strong performance of the business.

Traders remain spooked by the crypto market’s historic liquidation event which has intensified bitcoin’s 20 per cent decline from its record.

A 20 per cent rally in lithium prices over the past fortnight has forced reluctant hedge funds to cover their short positions, which could be “explosive” for the sector.

Analysts have upgraded the earnings outlook for Australia’s mining sector, placing the ASX 200 on track to break three years of shrinking earnings.

Contrarian investor Simon Mawhinney is avoiding stocks caught up in the AI-mania – a bold move that has hit his $2.5 billion fund’s performance.

Fund managers are betting a rally in critical minerals producers is only getting started, despite having lifted some stocks more than 200 per cent this year.

Heavily invested local traders are licking their wounds after the biggest one-day sell-off in digital currencies. But some are already buying the dip.

Futures point to a 0.9 per cent drop when the ASX opens on Monday, but the pullback is expected to be short-lived as bullish investors buy the dip.

The seasonal surge in the cryptocurrency is being turbocharged by the US government shutdown, which is fuelling a rotation away from the greenback.

While gold may have dominated headlines this year, a new crop of metals have quietly surpassed it as investors hunt for even bigger returns.

The local sharemarket has surged nearly 23 per cent from its April lows in an unprecedented move which has shocked fund managers.

The advisory firm has disclosed a long-held bet against the embattled market operator, which is also being targeted by hedge funds.

Around $5 billion worth of buybacks were announced by ASX companies already this reporting season. MST Marquee predicts more stocks will join the bandwagon.

ANZ is confident that the raw material will remain above the key psychological level for the rest of this year, defying more bearish forecasts by CBA and Westpac.

Blake Henricks was underweight Commonwealth Bank, which cost him performance. But his fund still beat the market by backing some of the ASX’s recent debuts.

Australian shares are set retreat from record levels on Monday as investors ponder the outlook for corporate profits and interest rate cuts.

A group of ambitious fund managers started buying beaten-up lithium stocks in June. The bold bet paid off this week as prices surged.

Some of the largest US companies expect bumper earnings, driven by tax changes and a weaker currency. In Australia, analysts fret the outlook is very different.