BUSINESS

Downer EDI Ltd announced it has secured new orders totalling more than $300 million across its engineering, rail and road divisions.

Majority of the miners have expressed dismay over the resource super tax profits – except for one.

Healthscope Limited confirmed on Thursday it has received a revised takeover offer from a private equity group at $5.75 per share, originally priced at $5.50 per share.

The West Australian-based miner Fortescue Metals Group reiterates on Thursday its plans to suspend two projects due to the threatening resource super profits tax proposed by the Federal Government.

Plans for a joint venture mining project in Western Australia will continue despite concerns and issues on the proposed Super Profits Tax.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh vows to continue her fight against the resource super profits tax that would force mining companies to pay 40 per cent on its profit earnings.

Electrical goods retailer Clive Peeters has no choice but to call it quits.

Australia's consumer sentiments were down on the back of the latest interest rates hike introduced by the Reserve Bank of Australia a week ago.

Construction materials supplier Adelaide Brighton Ltd has admitted Wednesday that it is facing numerous challenges on multiple fronts which include the volatile foreign exchange issues, high cost pressures and brewing stiff competition from imported limes.

The latest Westpac – Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index showed declines by up to seven percent to 108 points in May, coming from 116.1 index points in the previous month and apparently reeling from the effects of interest rates increases and drops on global share markets.

AWB Ltd reported a net loss of $64.8 million for the half and a profit before tax and significant items of $32.8 million for continuing businesses for the half year to end of March.

The Reserve Bank yesterday predicts that there is a possibility that interest rates may not rise for the next months or so.

Fortescue Metals Group announced today that two of the mining company's three expansion projects have been placed on hold due to the financial impact of the government's proposed Resource Super Profits Tax (RSPT).

Real estate developer Stockland claimed it's on the right track as it posts a 5,000 net deposits on homes at the end of April for the fiscal 2010.

Minerals tester Ammtec Ltd announced it is considering a $123 million takeover offer from laboratory services and chemicals producer Campbell Brothers Ltd.

David Jones posted its stronger sales growth from its rival Myer to 1.4 per cent in the third quarter, but still below analyst expectations.

Real estate developer Stockland announced it is on track to achieve record residential sales in FY 2010, with approximately 5,000 net deposits achieved by the end of April.

Affordability is out the of the question as house prices and the continuous rising of interest rates have pushed home ownership farther away for many young Australians.

Chief executive Warwick Grigor of BGF Equities criticized Ken Henry for seriously recommending the resource super profits tax from the Henry Tax review.

BHP Billiton continues its campaign against the planned resources tax by saying that its implementation would impact dividends to 540,000 shareholders.

Morningstar France Holding, a subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research, has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Seeds Group, a leading provider of investment consulting services and fund research in France. The companies expect to complete the transaction within the next few months, subject to customary closing conditions. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Origin Energy and BG Group have jointly informed the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration conference held in Brisbane today that they will reveal by the end of the year if the planned multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Queensland would push through.

A fund analyst said on Tuesday that gold will most likely see a temporary correction soon as its spot prices saw a record high of $US1,249.70 last week, which experts attributed to the economic uncertainties spawned by the Greek sovereign debt crisis.

Bradken Ltd kicked up on Tuesday its annual earnings guidance from the previous financial year of $169.1 million and revealed that it will raise $65 million to buy Canada’s Almac Machine Works as it hopes that better turnovers from its rail division would help propel the company beyond the profits it had amassed last year.

Chi-X Australia Pty. Limited has announced that the firm is a step closer to delivering on its commitment to introduce faster, cheaper and smarter equities trading for the Australian market later this year, with the expansion of its business development unit.

Macarthur Coal Ltd rejected the revised $3.81 billion offer of US-based Peabody Energy Corporation.

The National Bank of Australia will face a $450 million class action lawsuit for failing to reveal a massive debt dated two years ago.

Transurban Group Ltd shares were down 24 cents, or 5.1 per cent, to $4.44 after one of its key shareholder, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board (OTPPB), sold its stake in the company.

The Federal Government will rule out the possibility of banning exploration in Western Australia despite that several conservationists are angry over the continuance of oil drilling at Margaret River in Western Australia.