BUSINESS

European shares ended slightly lower Monday after struggling for direction amid lingering worries about growth and with U.S. markets closed for a holiday, although oil giant BP managed to gain ground.

National Australia Bank and Leighton Holdings are suing the US distributor Warner Bros for $95m in a dispute over the rights to The Matrix.

While Wall Street enjoyed a public holiday the rest of the world took the opportunity to take a breather as well. European indices down 0.3% in thin trade.

The Australian bourse is expected to start flat this morning after taking mostly flat to negative leads from major Asian and European markets yesterday as Wall Street stayed closed for the US July 4 Holiday.

If you looked at yesterday's ANZ job ads figures for June, there's only one conclusion: the analogue world of newspapers...

If you looked at yesterday's ANZ job ads figures for June, there's only one conclusion: the analogue world of newspapers...

Multibillion-dollar offers from China, Singapore and Thailand for CSR's Sucrogen and Centennial Coal reflects a rise in Asian interest for a broad range of Australian assets.

CSR Limited has announced the sale of its newly spun-off sugar business, Sucrogen, to Singaporean agribusiness giant Wilmar International, for A$1.75 billion, rejecting previous offers from China's Bright Food Group, including a conditional offer at the same amount. The company has also rejected its...

Plans by the Australian Egg Corporation Ltd to review the standards of free range egg production have caused a schism in the industry, with free-range producers refusing to agree to changes that could see the maximum number of 'free range' birds per hectare increase from 1500 to as many as 20 000, a...

Swiss food giant Nestlé is to invest PHP 4.3 billion (A$110.5 million) in the construction of a Coffee-mate and Bear Brand factory in the Philippines.Construction on the 27-hectare site in Tanauan, Batangas will begin this month and is expected to be completed in March 2012, John Miller, chairman a...

UK frozen foods business Birds Eye Iglo is launching a company-wide sustainability plan called 'Forever Food'.The group has committed to sourcing 100% of wild and farmed fish from certified fisheries by 2012, reduce packaging by 15% by 2012, reducing water consumption used in manufacturing by 20% by...

Today's statement released by the RBA suggests the reserve bank is happy to sit on the sidelines and to stay there.

While investor fears have weighed on oil prices in recent months Barclays Capital notes the demand picture has continued to improve, supporting the group's view prices are headed higher.

The chief operating officer of regional lender Bank of Queensland Ram Kangatharan, says that Australian banks face deteriorating funding conditions which likely cause lenders to raise interest rates independently of the central bank.Mr. Kangatharan says that the deteriorating funding climate is addi...

According to the findings of a new report, housing in Australia has gotten increasingly unaffordable over the last year, with first time buyers needing stump up 10 per more for a deposit.The report which was released by Bankwest suggests that a couple in Australia now needs to raised $85,800 as a de...

The Australia 200 CFD Index closed 0.4% softer at 4222.1, with industrial and consumer staples names detracting most of the points.

Cardno Ltd said Monday that it is set to raise $49 million through capital raising, which the company intends to use on planned acquisitions of two leading US environmental consultancy group and balance sheet strengthening.

The Australian dollar moved up ending a five-day drop against other currencies, as Asian stocks advanced and signs the nation's labour market is improving enticed demand for higher-yielding assets.

A snapshot of economist responses to today's TD Securities inflation gauge and ANZ's job ads survey.

Private buyers armed with boosted confidence came back blazing on the market in June and pushed the month’s new car sales to a record high, according to the latest figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) on Monday.

Crude oil futures plunged for a fifth consecutive session today, recording the steepest weekly decline since early May.

The Australian share market is currently posting some modest gains with the S&P/ASX 200 index currently flat. Our miners are mostly stronger with the S&P/ASX 200 Materials index up just over 0.5pct or 59pts to 11316.6.

Asian stocks jumped at mid-day trading, lifting the MSCI Asia Pacific Index higher for the first time in five days, as takeover news of two Australian companies and a weaker yen boosted the outlook for Japan's exporters raised the appetite of investors.

Macquarie Telecom Group claims its preliminary full year results have come in above guidance.

Shares in Centennial Coal have opened 34 per cent stronger after the company agreed to a $2.5 billion acquisition offer from Thailand's Banpu Public Co Ltd.

There remain mixed views on the outlook for oil prices, with ANZ Bank identifying some short-term downside risks but Barclays and Commonwealth Bank remaining positive on medium-term prospects.

The rate of inflation soared for the eighth straight month in June, along with the prices of food, travel and insurance services while Australia moves closer to total employment.

Elders Ltd still enjoys the support of its banking partners and the company’s long-term outlook is very much encouraging, that according to chief executive Malcolm Jackman as Elders came out as one of the worst performing stocks on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in the 2009/10 financial year.

CSR shares rose 3.2 per cent this morning after the Australian conglomerate disclosed it had cut a deal to sell Sucrogen to Wilmar International for $1.75 billion, outdoing China's Bright Food Group offer of $1.65bn.