Austereo Group Limited

Wall Street posted a small gain on Friday despite the Labour Department report showed the US unemployment rate broke above 10 per cent in October, up from 9.8 per cent in September. But the number of jobs lost narrowed to the lowest level in more than a year.

Wall Street posted a fourth day on Friday rise as the US existing home sales data gave investors more confidence that it is the end of the recession. For the week The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained almost 2 per cent, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index added 2.2%.

Last Friday Australian shares ended higher, capping a winning week after reports that the US government was working on a program to help troubled US home owners. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 rose 44.8 points, or 1.27 per cent, at 3,559.1, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 38.2 points, or 1.1 per cent to 3,496.7. The Obama administration's seeking to lower expectations of a quick fix to the financial crisis and the coming earnings reports may send the market to a negative territory.

Yesterday the Australian shares ended lower as traders looked to make short-term gains, despite a positive start in the morning. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 share index yesterday lost 1.2%, or 42.7 points, to 3598, while the All Ordinaries index shed 1.1%, or 39.1 points, to 3534.2. But today resource stocks may gain after commodity prices advanced.

Yesterday, Australian shares slumped to their lowest close since October 8, 2004. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 share index plummeted 5.9% to 3697.3. The broader All Ordinaries index fell 211.2 points, or 5.44 per cent, to 3,672.4, its weakest close since October 1, 2004. Analysts said although local stocks may rebound after rise in US stocks and oil price, markets worldwide still have a significant unsettling economic outlook.