New article on New Jersey Resources / South Jersey Industries merger speculation. Most likely outcome, if there is any deal at all, is a low premium merger-of-equals. A 30% premium, 50% stock / 50% cash deal is also possible but requires some transaction structuring and extensive merger due diligence
Read MoreWhy Has The Aussie Dollar Rallied? It Is Probably Not Why You Think
The Australian dollar has historically been highly correlated with the price of crude oil. Which might appear counterintuitive given the relatively small quantity of Australian crude oil production, and the market mantra that foreign exchange rates are all about interest rate differentials. If you understand how Australian LNG exports are priced, and how Australian LNG export contracts differ to North American LNG, then the relationship makes more sense from an empirical and theoretical basis. If this relationship between the Aussie dollar and crude oil prices continues into the future, it allows investors and speculators to reduce their emphasis on future Australian residential housing prices and/or RBA interest rate changes (provided, of course, that you have strong views on the future of crude oil prices)
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