Aussie Stocks Down 2%
Australian share market finished 2% lower today, pulled down by banking stocks as next week’s Reserve Bank meeting looms closer with the possibility of an interest rate rise.
Read MoreAustralian share market finished 2% lower today, pulled down by banking stocks as next week’s Reserve Bank meeting looms closer with the possibility of an interest rate rise.
Read MoreConstruction company Lend Lease (LLC) delivered a 49% increase in half year profit on Thursday.
Read MoreOrigin Energy (ORG) said on Thursday it expects a strong second half after delivering a fall in underlying profit for first half results, propelling the shares in the gas and electricity retailer as much as 8.6% higher.
Read MoreAustralian gaming company Tatts Group (TTS) announced today that its first half net profit rose 23.5% to $133.02 million, boosted by an acquisition. Even so, gaming revenues performed poorly due to the outbreak of horse flu.
Read MoreSuncorp-Metway (SUN) has reported a 27.5% fall in first half profit due to increased payouts from bad weather and the fallout from the global credit crisis.
Read MoreCoal producer and explorer, Macarthur Coal (MCC) reported on Wednesday a 68% fall in half year net profit due to wet weather and coal logistics problems.
Read MoreNervy markets gave contractor and engineer, United Group a hammering yesterday, despite the company turning in a 40% rise in interim earnings to record levels.
Read MoreForget the headline from the December housing finance figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing an 0.1% (seasonally adjusted) rise in finance commitments for owner-occupied housing.
Read MorePrimary Health Care is on the verge of taking control of rival Symbion Health after the Symbion board all but threw in the towel yesterday.
Read MoreThe Australian stocksmarket will hopefully have a better day today after Wall Street shook off the blues from Europe and Asia to close quietly with small gains.
Read MoreNo relief on interest rates for at least two years and there's every indication we could get one or two more rises from the Reserve Bank if inflation doesn't behave.
Read MoreIt’s the end of a year-long battle.
Read MoreContractor and engineer United Group (UGL) soared 10.2% up to $12 on Tuesday, after hitting a 52-week low yesterday.
Read MoreJB Hi Fi today announced a record 60.23% rise in net profit for the six months ended December 31 2007, largely due to increased demand for flat-screen TVs, iPods and MP3 players.
Read MoreHearing implant company Cochlear (COH) reported a 17% increase in core earnings for the first half of fiscal 2008.
Read MoreThis year’s interim reporting season has further stirred an already volatile market.
Read MoreResource Pacific and Allegiance Nickel are maintaining their determined bids to remain free of bigger predators.
Read MoreIt won't be the most confident of starts today for markets, although rises Friday night in the prices of lead, copper, wheat, sugar and oil will help offset an easier tone from US and worries in Europe about corporate debt defaults.
Read MoreGood news for Australian wheat farmers as they start thinking about the 2008-09 plantings in a few months: world wheat prices are now at all time highs after the sharpest weekly rise last week in the history of trading the grain in the US.
Read MoreA hard week to work out the order of importance of announcements. In Australia we have the 2007 interim and full year reporting season well under way and in the US some vital figures will flesh out the picture of what seems to be a sliding economy.
Read MoreConsider this: the Reserve Bank lifts interest rates next week and leaves a very strong hint that they will rise even further this year.
Read MorePrimary Health Care reported a lower first-half net profit today, hit by the interest costs of buying a 20 percent stake in its takeover target Symbion Health.
Read MoreShares in gloves and condoms maker, Ansell (ANN) rose 4.8% to $12.05 after the company reported strong sales for first-half results and upgraded full-year guidance for fiscal year 2008.
Read MoreShares in Credit Corp (CCP) took a 70% nose-dive this morning after the debt collection agency announced an earnings downgrade of up to 50% and the resignation of its chairman Christopher Deane.
Read MoreOne of Australia's oldest retailers, David Jones (DJS) has posted encouraging sales results for the second quarter of financial year 2008, and projected an increased first half profit guidance.
Read MoreResource Pacific Holdings (RSP) announced today that it is in talks with a third party, which may result in a more attractive takeover offer than the $1.077 billion bid Xstrata has put on the table Friday.
Read MoreA fresh warning on more pain to come from higher interest rates put a dampener on the Australian market, with stocks falling by as much as 2.5% during intraday trading.
Read MoreDid the Reserve Bank tighten too late, or wasn't this week's rise enough, and at least one more increase to 7.25% will be needed to break the back of inflation.
Read MoreFor some reason analysts and investors baulked at the news late Wednesday afternoon from IOOF that funds under management had fallen and earnings would be hurt.
Read MoreSome wild trading in National Australian Bank shares yesterday's as shareholders met in Perth and heard warnings about the continuing impact of the volatile markets.
Read MoreWe in Australia must be doing something right.
Read MoreJust as the Reserve Bank and Federal Government are grappling with controlling inflation by lifting interest rates and cutting Federal Government spending, along comes news that would normally be seen as good, but in the current context, a bit mixed.
Read MoreShares in Atlas Iron (AGO) rose by as much as 6.88% today after the iron ore explorer announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the iron ore rights to ten tenements in Western Australia's Pilbara region from unlisted tantalum miner Talison Minerals Pty Ltd.
Read MoreNickel miner, Allegiance Mining (AGM) wants Zinifex to make its intentions clear about the $745 million hostile offer and whether it will close tonight or be extended.
Read MoreNew Zealand-based telecommunications group Telecom New Zealand (TEL) reported a 12.6% decrease in net earnings for the six months ended December 2007 due to a decline in calling revenue and increased competition.
Read MoreToday National Australia Bank (NAB) announced that it has purchased $1 billion worth of mortgages originated by RHG, formerly known as Rams Home Loans Group, therefore helping RHG repay its debt.
Read MoreTroubled gold producer View Resources announced today that it has gone into voluntary suspension, seeking to restructure the group and its financial position.
Read MoreWell, it's either going to be hostile, or it will be accepted: that's if the board of Rio Tinto can make up their mind about the devil they know in their great rival, and the unknown of rejecting the $164 billion ($US147.4 billion) offer and remaining with 9% held by an unstable Chinese-US group of Chinalco and master, Alcoa.
Read MoreUnfortunately for investors, the bears are having fun on Wall Street.
Read MoreNervous times for Macquarie Group, the bank that was once called Macquarie Bank, but which restructured only last year and in the process lost executive chairman, David Clarke and yesterday long time CEO, Allan Moss.
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