BUSINESS

The skill set to influence senior management is a key to success for any HR professional. There are a number of skills that make up the full range of tools that can be used to influence decisions. One the most valuable tools is building the business case for change.

Shares in magnetite iron ore pellet producer Grange Resources jumped more than 8% yesterday after the company revealed a maiden dividend and a $58.1 million first half profit.

After three months of decline, Australian consumers went out to dine and shop in July providing a boost to the country's retail and services industries.

Massive fixed rate discounts have not wooed borrowers as expected.

The housing market is at a "crucial inflexion point", an economist has claimed.

The MFAA and FBAA should merge to present a united voice for the mortgage and finance broking industry.

Sydney and Canberra have dodged the trend of falling house prices across Australia's capital cities.

NAB has outpaced its rivals in home loan growth, expanding at nearly twice system during July.

Shares in Cash Converters, the Australian pawn shop and short term lending business, fell 3% yesterday after a deal by its largest shareholder to take control collapsed.

Australian workers are crying out for inspiration and looking to their leaders to provide it, according to an annual investigation into the world of Australian workers by recruitment and HR specialists, Randstad.

Apple has lost a unit of the next generation iPhone in a bar in a repeat of the embarrassing incident that took place last year with the iPhone 4.

August is over, yippee!

New research has shown that Australian employers are making use of temporary and part-time workers in the face of the uncertain economy and staffing challenges.

Mining giant BHP Billiton has approved an investment of US$367 million (BHP Billiton share) for the third stage of development of the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group’s (NCIG) coal handling facility in Newcastle, Australia aimed at increasing total capacity at the coal terminal to 66 million tonnes per annum.

Westpac is aiming to lend $1 billion to Australian businesses by the end of September through its Business Boost campaign announced on Wednesday.

FNArena has added another video to its Investors Education section on the website. In this video, ATW's Jerry Simmons suggests the rally in US equities might find the going tougher as strong technical resistance is looming.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 53 points or 0.5% while the S&P gained 0.5% to 1218 and the Nasdaq added 0.2%.

Australia’s plantation estate in 2010 was marginally less than in 2009 but substantially more than five and 10 years ago, according to Australian plantation statistics 2011.

The ISM-Chicago purchasing managers index fell from 58.5 to 56.5 in August - the lowest levels since November 2009. The new orders sub component recorded modest weakness. US ADP private sector employment rose by 91,000 jobs in August.

U.S. stocks advanced Wednesday, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average back into positive territory for 2011 and capping a four-day winning streak that closed a volatile August.

Chevron Australia Pty Ltd announced that it received environmental approval of its Wheatstone LNG Project from the Western Australian Minister for the Environment and is now waiting for approval from the Federal Government.

By Kathleen Brooks, Research Director UK EMEA, FOREX.comThe ECB has been the most hawkish of the major central banks so far this year, but maybe not for much longer.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said Queensland will need additional investments for its power generation sector to meet the expected deficit by 2013 to 2014.

Suzlon Energy Australia has announced plans to invest $1.3 billion to put up a 600 megawatt wind project on the Yorke Peninsula, according to Premier Mike Rann.

The availability of rental homes in Melbourne continues to improve, the July rental vacancy rates from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria shows.

An increasing number of organisations are implementing workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives, largely driven by HR.

The Federal Government has announced plans to cap childcare subsidies after a 16-month political stall.

The cult of visionary leadership flatters those who have the chutzpah to reach out and pull success from the air, but failure eventually and inevitably follows for all but a very few.

Vacancy rates have remained tight in July, staying at 1.9% for the second consecutive month.