Gold investors have high hopes about price rises continuing in 2011.

Chinese agricultural company Agria Corp is aiming to lift its shareholding in PGG Wrightson from the current 19 per cent to a majority stake in a bid with New Hope Group, one of China's largest agricultural and food corporations.

The New Zealand dollar recovered yesterday from a fall triggered by weaker than expected growth data for the September quarter.

The New Zealand sharemarket posted modest gains in quiet trading yesterday ahead of the Christmas holiday break.

The Australian stock market ended the day yesterday on a high, as resource and financial stocks both rallied.

It's that time of year when the pundits are rolling out their forecasts for the year ahead in global sharemarkets.

Investors just can't seen to help themselves - and pay no attention to the barrage of bad news.

Economic growth in the September quarter, due to be reported this Thursday, is expected to do no more than match the previous quarter's feeble rate.

Raghupati Singhania says his country shouldn't be judged only by Games glitches, writes Karyn Scherer.

The day started badly when I saw that pseudo-farmer decked out in fashion swandri on the TV ad this morning explaining why he traded in gold bullion.