BUSINESS

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 59 points or 0.5% while the S&P came back to 0.3% down at 1283 and the Nasdaq managed to close up 0.

- Fund managers more uncertain about market outlook- Defensive assets favoured over growth assets- Managers still relatively bullish on Australian equities- Australian dollar expected to fall in coming yearsBy Chris ShawGlobal equity markets weakened in the June quarter, Russell Investments attribut...

The Australian stock market is seen receiving a little shove from the negative leads over volatile overnight sessions in the US and European stock markets. The ASX is seen performing modestly on Friday.

U.S. stocks were mostly lower Thursday in volatile trading, as a toxic mix of weak economic data and a surprise oil-market intervention competed for investors' attention with reports of a new Greek austerity plan.

The AMP's chief economist and strategist, Dr Shane Oliver updates his Wall of Worry report from may, which was pushed a little higher yesterday with the US Federal Reserve cutting its 2011 and 2012 growth forecast for the US and lifting its estimates for inflation and unemployment.

Now we have the US and Chinese economies definitely slowing.

The Credit Ombudsman has encouraged lenders and credit providers to improve their internal dispute resolution schemes to avoid the "reputational implications" of having a complaint taken to an EDR.

The Australian share market closed weaker, in line with a global sell-off following a downbeat assessment of US growth by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.

US new home sales fell 2.1pct to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 319,000 in May.

The arguing, or rather debating, over the value of Foster's is now underway in the wake of the $4.90 a share offer from SABMiller.

The Australian government finally sealed its hard-fought agreements with two of the country’s leading telcos that hopefully will roll out the implementation of the National Broadband Network, pending the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The Aussie moved right back to the top of the trading range at 1.0640 overnight before the sellers came back into the market sending the pair back to support at 1.0500. From here, traders will be looking to ride the move back to 1.0640, with the expectation that the trading range will remain in place until we see a clear break in either direction.

Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) has drawn down US$85M under a Project Finance Facility for the completion of the company's Company's Central Ashanti Gold Project ("CAGP") in Ghana, Africa.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s legal battles with his Harvard contemporaries Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss may see an end soon with the twins informing the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday that they are intending not to appeal its earlier decision.

National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) has again stoke Australian banking competition, urging its rivals to either act, or explain to their customers why they refuse to give them the best possible deal.

Company software developer AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, has warned Australians of the persisting personal identity theft as more scams might develop and are being created for the tax return season starting on 1 July.

Property developer Stockland is continuing with its reweighting of its assets, selling some non-housing investments and moving deeper into residential and retail.

FBAA president Peter White has weighed into the debate surrounding educational requirements for mortgage brokers, saying industry associations should not require higher educational standards than those dictated by ASIC.

QED Risk Services has repackaged its existing broker compliance offering as an online service, that will see brokers generate their own compliance reports by answering questions via the web.

Household financial conditions have fallen to their lowest level in more than a decade, according to the Melbourne Institute.

One underperforming team member can drag down the performance of the entire team, according to new research.

Australia’s ongoing skills shortage isn’t only a problem for employers – it’s also having a serious effect on employee stress levels, according to a new survey.

U.S. stocks snapped a four-day winning streak, stumbling in late trading after the Federal Reserve issued a cautious economic outlook just days before it ends its asset-buying program.

ExxonMobil Australia subsidiary Mobil Oil Australia plans to increase fuel storage capacity at its Adelaide terminal with the construction of new 9 million litre diesel tank.

Workplace bullying can affect not just the victims, but any colleagues who witness it, according to a New Zealand study.

- SABMIller makes initial approach to Foster's- Brokers expect the offer will need to be increased- Ratings and targets unchanged given uncertain situationBy Chris ShawAfter spinning off its wine assets Foster's Group ((FGL)) has only been a separate entity for a short time, but global bre...

The Australian dollar may be set for a test of USD1.05000 in the short term following indications from Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke overnight that we are unlikely to see another round of quantitative easing from the Fed.

A broken arm requires a doctor to diagnose the break and set the arm in plaster. The problem is known and so is the solution.

Investors were left a bit surprised, and not that impressed, with Qantas's announcements yesterday.