Bad Best Credit Mortgage Rate

Increase should make investors choosy

SUPERFICIALLY, rising rates mean investors should avoid share market sectors including banks, discretionary retailers, consumer manufacturers and anything to do with construction or highly geared infrastructure plays. The shorthand version? Get out of equities and park your funds in a cash management account for the time being.

But, as with most so-called investment truisms, it's not as simple as that. In reality, Wednesday's official rise had long been anticipated and was factored into market valuations already.

Austock senior client adviser Michael Heffernan is one of many market watchers who suggest investors have overcompensated in expectation of a series of rate hikes.

"The chances of another rise are Buckley's and none, which means there's a lot of bargains out there," he says.

Intel takes aim at AMD with new Core 2 Duo chips

Intel launched its latest offensive today in the battle with archrival Advanced Micro Devices, introducing its new line of Core 2 Duo microprocessors.

The Santa Clara chip giant said 10 new Core 2 Duo chips will be available in new desktop and notebook computers over the next month, starting with an ``Extreme'' version for high-end gamer machines. Intel claims the new design delivers up to 40 percent better performance while using up to 40 percent less power than Intel's previous Pentium 4 processors.

``These are the best microprocessors we've ever designed, the best microprocessors we've ever built,'' Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini said, according to a Bloomberg News report. ``This is not just incremental change, it's a revolutionary leap.''

Some analysts say the Core 2 Duo chips will restore Intel's technological edge over Sunnyvale challenger AMD, which recently has gained market share against its bigger rival.

Japan's Average Land Price Rises

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's tax agency said Tuesday that the average price of land rose around the country for the first time in 14 years, lifted by gains in the country's three major metropolitan areas.

The National Tax Agency's survey found the average price of land along selected major streets across the country rose to 114,000 yen (US$994; euro779) per sq. meter (yard) as of Jan. 1, 2006, up 1,000 yen (US$8.72, euro6.83), or 0.9 percent, from the year before.

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