Australian Markets

Australian grocery retailer, Woolworths (ASX:WOW), have reported their first half results for 2012-2013.

• Woolworths reported $30.7 billion in sales for the first half, up 3.2 percent on the previous corresponding period. (27 weeks to December 30)
• "This solid first-half result is a reflection of the sharpened focus on our core businesses and better meeting our customers needs," said Woolworths Chief executive Grant O'Brien.

CommBank (ASX:CBA) owned broker, CommSec was fined $50,000 as reported by the ASIC.

• The Markets Disciplinary Panel (MDP) fined CommSec with a $50,00 penalty for a series of misleading trades executed in late 2010 to early 2011.

A superannuation advocacy group, Industry Super Network have called on Australian financial regulators to consider banning high frequency trading (HFT) in the Australian stock market.

• Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) is currently in consideration of altering rules on equity market structure, which include regulations on automated algorithms and high-frequency trading.

National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB) has announced plans to launch its own online share trading platform, Nabtrade, to compete with the existing market players which dominate up to 76 percent of the marketplace:

• CommSec - 49 percent of market and 1.7 million clients
• E*Trade - 18 percent of market

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced that up to 23 countries are holding the Australian Dollar.

• The RBA said that up to 23 national central banks are holding Australian dollar currency.

Australia Post has unveiled a Digital MailBox initiative earlier, such a service allowing customers to access all their confidential letters and bills and to make transactions, through a single trustworthy online location. The service comes as Australia Post seeks to generate new digital revenue streams as its traditional postal business comes under pressure from the rise of electronic media such as emails.

The Australian stock market, the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has been hit by a technical glitch and has imposed a trading halt an all trades. The suspension of trading comes at a time when many companies are holding AGMs, announcing full year results as well as a release of another European bailout deal. Sky News has reported that up to 6700 trades were completed before the halt. The last technical glitch was in February 28, 2011.

The nature of the problem is not known, leaving stock market investors unable to act on profit results and the latest economic developments in Europe.

Shares from National Australia Bank's (ASX:NAB), Westpac (ASX:WBC), ANZ Bank (ASX:ANZ), and Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) plummet as

According to ASX study, 43 percent of Australians own shares and a quarter more plans to buy next year. The number has risen in the past two years, along with direct ownership.

A research by the Australian Securities Exchange shows $7.3 million adults owned shares by the end of 2010, which constitutes 43 percent of the population. This is up by 41 percent since the study was conducted in 2008.

Regulatory delays are facing the entry of Chi-X Australia an upcoming rival to Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:ASX). An earlier announcement of operations commencement by March this year by Chi-X could see delay as they wait for a timetable of competition guidelines set to be released by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).