BUSINESS

The Reserve Bank is back on centre stage in Australia this week with a series of public commentaries or speeches planned.

Shares in department store group David Jones are in a trading halt while the company hammers out the final make up of a new strategy to try and reinvigorate the group after the trading slump seen in 2011.

Brisbane-based mining and environmental testing group Campbell Brothers is back on the takeover trial in a new area of business.

The newly-released tablet from Apple dubbed as the "new iPad" has 4G LTE connectivity which makes it convenient to have Internet access everywhere. Aside from this feature, one of the highlights of the new iPad includes the Retina Display which Apple claims to be "game changer" in the tablet industry.

LUNCHTIME REPORT (12.20pm AEDT)It has been a subdued start to the trading day, following a lacklustre offshore lead. European shares slipped from eight month highs overnight while US shares only recorded modest gains. At lunchtime in the East, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is down 6.4pts or 0.1pct to 4374.8.

Apple reported on Monday that it has so far sold three million units of the new iPad, barely a week after the device was released.

The Australian economy is in generally healthy state, said Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Glenn Stevens downplaying some indicators that worry some investors.

FNArena is surveying investor sentiment in Australia in an effort to generate, over time, a similarly leading gauge as the AAII Investor Sentiment Survey in the US.

By Greg PeelFor weeks the global spot uranium market has been dogged by the geographical spread of UF6 on offer in the US and U3O8 sought in Europe leading to very little trading activity.

Another session of positive leads from overnight trades in the U.S. and partly from European markets will bode well for Tuesday's trading in Australia.The markets in the U.S. moved forward with Apple Inc. leading the way with shares selling $600 a piece in reaction to company announcements that cash dividends and a buy-back scheme will be the way to go forward spending its billions in cash coffers.

The Australian dollar managed to find some upside yesterday after Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens expressed confidence in China’s economic growth.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde has said that the global economy is showing signs of stabilisation, but warned that there is no room for policy mistakes at this critical point in recovery.

A quick preview of the key economic events for the upcoming week.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 6 points while the S&P added 0.4% to 1409 and the Nasdaq starred with a 0.

Apple's huge cash chest is no secret and most definitely that reserve keeps on adding up as new Apple products hit the market. Yet how much really has Apple been cashing on its incredible success lately?

China continues its foray on energy securing measures with its recent joint venture with French energy giant Total SA ((NYSE:TOT) to produce and refine shale gas.

The Australian share market has started the trading week on a positive note, after European and US share markets posted strong weekly gains. At lunchtime in the East, the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) is up 25.8pts or 0.6pct to 4390.5.

There were cracks around the cockpit windows of an Air New Zealand plane, the airline found on Sunday, resulting in the grounding of 11 planes on the same day. The cracks were spotted during routine maintenance check in Christchurch.

By Greg PeelIn 2011, central banks across the globe collectively bought more gold than they had previously over 40 years.

It seems our hopes of yet another brand joining the V8 Supercars championship next year has been short-lived, with Chrysler confirming to V8X magazine that it will not proceed with the move.

A firm and steady opening has set in the Australian stock market today and analysts are closely watching if it would break the barrier resistance of 4320, an indicator that a change in sentiment towards the positive amidst concerns of the economy's correlation to China's economic slowdown may take place.

Passenger car sales in the European Union plummeted almost 10 percent in February -- their biggest drop since 2010 -- as consumers tread warily through uncertain economic times.

Judging by recent speeches and comments, the RBA is clearly wondering why the value of the Australian dollar hasn't fallen after that 4.7% dip on our terms of trade in the final quarter of 2011.

After a brief flurry of optimism that saw the shares rise yesterday in the wake of the expected fall in interim earnings, Myer shares closed the day down 9c or 3.3% at $2.28.

On February 14, the Bank of Japan broke with tradition and announced an inflation target of 1%.

Property developer Stockland Group yesterday took another move to expand its share buyback by selling another asset to finance the expansion.

Debt: Fortescue Boosts Raising To $US2 Billion, Nexus Cuts Reserves

It wasn't a surprise that consumer sentiment fell in the latest survey from Westpac and the Melbourne Institute, nor was it a surprise that housing construction finished 2012 on a weak note.

Two of the country's most respected newspapers, The Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) have come together to jointly promote the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Auction Centre.