BUSINESS

AXA Asia Pacific Holdings says it expects first-half operating earnings to rise 5.7% as it continues discussions with th...

Facebook announced on its official blog that the number of people using the social-networking site had reached 500 million. The figures mean one in every 14 people on the planet has now signed up to the online community.

Bernanke opened his mouth and Wall Street plunged in a heartbeat last night. Dow down 109. (Locked for subscribers until 10:00 AEST)

The Australian stock market is forecast to open lower, after major indices on Wall Street shed more than 1 per cent and the benchmark crude oil contract plunged below $US77 a barrel on the US Federal Reserve's dull outlook for the American economy.

The Australian dollar opened lower, after the US Federal Reserve confirmed fears that the US economy has weakened.

Coles has announced a plan to phase out the use of sow stalls by its producers by the end of 2014, with the first shipments of cage-free pork in the Coles Butcher line beginning next year. Coles already offers sow stall-free pork in the Otway, Linley Valley, and KR branded Outdoor Reared ranges.The ...

Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has awarded Michel's Patisserie top honours in a review of ten of Australia's coffee chain stores.CHOICE brewed and reviewed espressos made from the standard beans used at ten of Australia's top coffee chains.Michel’s Espresso beans came out 'a clear winner', with a ...

Brokers are sticking to 24% upside targets for BHP.

Australian investment banking major Macquarie is seeking offers valued at approximately US$3.5 billion for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Sprint Finance Corp. If a deal is successful, it would be the largest sale of a U.S. based REIT in over three years.The Bloomberg news service which cited un...

EBay, the online auction site and owner of PayPal has reported second quarter profits which were better than expected, but threw a note of caution saying it expects adverse currency movements to have a negative impact on overseas sales.According to the Bloomberg news service, Ebay’s Second-quarter...

Chief executive Cameron Clyne's strategy to make National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) the people's bank are paying off with the firm showing the best gains of the banking cartel.

The Australia 200 CFD Index added 0.2%, with material names leading the market higher.

The Australian share market closed higher on Wednesday, led by gains in the mining sector.

The Australian share market notched up a second session of wins today, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) rising 10pts or 0.2pct to 4428.7.

Australia's economy is likely to grow quickly in the coming months, according to a leading index of activity, which reflected an acceleration in growth in the recent quarter.

Woolworths Ltd (ASX:WOW) has reported a 1.8 per cent increase in same-store food and liquor sales for the fourth quarter, indicating a slower growth pace compared to the prior quarter.

Having emerged from the Macquarie stable, Citi suggests investors are not yet recognising the value in Southern Cross Media.

Commonwealth Bank researchers argue that Australian house prices are only overvalued by outdated measures.

Australia's mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) says it remains cautious on the short-term outlook for the global economy, even after achieving record annual production results for its petroleum and iron ore divisions.

Global investment and advisory firm Babcock & Brown Ltd considered acquiring rival Allco Finance Group Ltd while it was dealing with a cash crunch of its own that ultimately led to the $10 billion financial empire's demise.

The Australian Dollar has opened higher after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said the next rate movement was all but dependent on official inflation data due next week.

Wall Street turned a 157 point loss in the Dow into a 75 point gain with little impetus last night. Apple blew the market away after the bell. (Locked for subscribers until 10:00 AEST)

US housing starts fell by 5.0pct to a 549,000 annual rate in June, below forecasts centred on a result near 580,000. But permits actually rose 2.1pct to 586,000 - above expectations.

U.S. stocks staged a strong mid day rally Tuesday to finish in positive territory for the second day in a row, shaking off deep losses as optimism grew ahead of a fresh wave of bank earnings and guidance from the Federal Reserve.

As we said in Monday's Air, the outlook for interest rates will proceed according to a fixed timetable, with the first i...

Chevron continues to push towards getting a second huge WA LNG project on the rails and underway.The US-owned oil major ...

he Aussie sprung to life either side of the Reserve Bank release of the July board meeting minutes moving to an intraday high of 0.8745 before slipping back towards US87 cents.

Department store group, David Jones has pulled out of a major shopping centre in the second decision of its kind in the ...

Iluka Resources saw a sharp improvement in second quarter sales of its mineral sands products.The company, the world's ...