BUSINESS

The Royal Dutch Shell has reported Wednesday that its net income for 2010’s first quarter soared up to 57 percent or $5.99 billion, as the oil company pointed to stable oil prices, production growth and earning good returns on instituted cost cutting

A survey made by consumer credit company Veda Advantage showed that applications for residential mortgage fell in the first quarter after the government's first home owner's grant was reverted to its pre-financial crisis levels.

Shares in Virgin Blue soared more than 4 percent, or 2.5 cents, to 60.5 cents on Wednesday as the company confirmed talks with New Zealand national carrier Air New Zealand for a possible trans-Tasmanian alliance.

A consumer credit survey has revealed Wednesday that home mortgage applications posted in the March quarter declined by 15 percent following the government’s decisions to return first home buyers grant to pre-financial crisis level.

The Australian Industry Group on Wednesday that government should not underestimate the importance of trade missions to further develop the businesses in Queensland.

The Government of Queensland favors Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) Billiton as the sole developer of the new terminal at Abbot Point to increase support from its booming coal fields.

Qantas Airlines is considering to sell half-stakes of its poorest performing freight enterprises to Australia post.

Economists forecast that banks will face difficulties to apply out-of-cycle interest rate increase on home loans if the Henry tax review by the Federal Government will implement a tax break on savings.

Telstra is yet to decide whether to push for job cuts after the union alleged that the telco will terminate 900 of its workers.

An online survey revealed that majority of Australians who acquired their first homes in the last two years are contented.

The District Court of New South Wales on Tuesday sentenced 32-year-old former corporate executive Oliver Banovec, of Bellevue Hill, Sydney, NSW, after he was found guilty of five counts of fraud and one count of perjury. The court also said that Banovec would not be eligible for parole for a period of four years and nine months during his imprisonment.

Corporate regulator Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) scored a major victory in its civil penalty case against former Select Vaccines Limited chief executive officer Dr. Martin Soust of Malvern East, Victoria after it was granted a pecuniary penalty and disqualification orders.

The Federal Court on Tuesday gave a green light to Seven Network's $3 billion merger with Kerry Stoke's industrial firm WesTac

A National Bank of Australia (NAB) business survey has showed Tuesday that business conditions and confidence dipped a bit but stayed in a generally positive realm in the first quarter of 2010, as an upbeat mood towards Australia’s promising economic outlook eclipsed the sharp decline seen in trading conditions.

A new property industry study has revealed on Tuesday that Melbourne is fast gaining traction as the country’s economic powerhouse and could eventually dislodge Sydney as Australia’s largest city come 2037.

A union strike at its Geelong refinery could mean a threat to its operations if there is no intervention made by Shell on the cleaners' job security.

Opposition senators have called on the federal government to release the $25 million study on the $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), which has been touted by the government as Australia’s largest infrastructure undertaking to date.

The Bank of Queensland is set to acquire the Australian and New Zealand businesses of New York-based Commercial Investment Trust (CIT) Group, well known for its lending services to small and medium-sized businesses.

Credits cards are beginning to lose its touch as Australians now opt cash and debit cards instead.

The federal government has announced today that its water purchase program in the Murray-Darling Basin received a big boost from a new study which showed that the $1.5 billion water buybacks models implemented so far had actually released many irrigators from financial pressures.

The State Government may be pushing for a ban on the controversial data service that allow petrol companies view each other's prices.

The recently anointed chief marketing officer of Telstra has yet to solve the problems that is facing the company right now.

Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (ConsMedia) has announced Friday that it is asking its shareholders to use $225 million in its plan to buy back 11.88 percent of the company’s 620.71 million shares on issue, which analysts said are indications that the media company is on road to become private anew.

Several passengers of Qantas may be forced to delay their flights once again as the airlines will continue to delay its flight schedules for the coming weeks.

The federal government has released key proposals aiming to further strengthen regulation of Australia’s remittance business as it hinted the introduction of tougher measures on money forwarders who could be utilised by launderers and human smugglers.

A decision on Seven Network's $13 billion partnership with Kerry Stoke's privately owned industrial equipment business WesTrac Holdings will be revealed on Tuesday next week, according to the Federal Court.

Several corporate sponsors want out on their partnership with Melbourne Storm after it was involved in a salary cap scandal.

Woodside Petroleum today posted a seven per cent loss in production during the first quarter of 2010, despite a record in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production from the North West Shelf.

A National Bank of Australia (NAB) survey has revealed Thursday that capital values will be raised across all commercial sectors, as expansion in commercial properties is expected over the next 12 months with the office sector coming out as the lead player and edging out the retail and industrial sectors.