The Sydney Federal Court approved on Thursday the $2.2 billion sale of Australian department store David Jones to Woolworths Holdings of South Africa. The go signal came after shareholders of the second-largest department store in the country approved the sale on Monday.
A computer glitch hit Australian grocery giant Woolworths on Thursday afternoon, causing scanners to charge as free items with price tags below $10.
Disaster struck again Malaysia Airlines. Four months after Flight MH370 first went mysteriously missing on March 8, another Malaysia Airlines plane, flight MH17, went into peril. Global reports surmise the airliner was a victim of tensions between Ukraine and Russia, purposely shot down and killing all 295 onboard.
Typhoon Rammasun, now on its way to strike southern China and northern Vietnam, forced over 400,000 people in the Philippines to evacuate and seek higher and safer grounds on Tuesday till Wednesday.
A nice start for the Australian market, at the open of trade the ASX 200 hit a 6 year high of 5559.4 points the highest level since June the 10th 2008. Today the early volumes on the market were also solid and by lunch time the All Ordinaries Index was at 5,528.9 points.
Cleveland Clinic has secured the number one position in hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery for the twentieth time in a row.
According to a report by CNN, Disney theme park employees were arrested for alleged kiddie-sex crimes.
US markets have provided some backbone for the Asian session today, with our opening call currently at 5531 (+0.2%).
The US Federal Reserve chair, Janet Yellen, has expressed optimism on the economy: ´´I am optimistic about the economy and that´s reflected in the forecasts that are included in the monetary policy report.´´ Further, she noted: ´´...I do think the economy is recovering and that growth is picking up and that we have sufficient growth to support continued improvement in the labour market.´´
Sydney business leaders sought freer trader to boost growth in trade and capital and to create jobs. However, they stayed away from the issue of profit-sharing and climate change, which are considered vital issues by many G20 nations.
The Aussie market came under pressure within 30 minutes of the start of trade today, then thanks to a late surge, local shares higher for the second time this week. The All Ordinaries Index closed up 0.16% or 8.8pts higher; closing above 5,500 points for first time in a week.
The Australian market struggled to hold on to early gains as the banks and mining stocks came under heavy selling. The All Ordinaries Index added 12points at the start of trade then by lunchtime the market had fallen into the red. But in the last 20 minutes of trade today the markets regained ground and finished only 1 point weaker.
Our market basically pushed aside the gains from the US markets and the excitement from the better than expected result from Citi Group throughout the day.
Eighty workers of ABC will join the ranks of the unemployed under a forced redundancy programmes as the media firm restructures its international broadcasting commitments after the Australia Network was axed.
Finance experts have reiterated time and again that relying on savings to fund one's retirement is not advisable because inflation eats up the actual value of a person's retirement nest.
After a solid night on European and US markets, the Australian market opened higher this morning. But not by as much as the SPI futures index had expected. The All Ordinaries Index added 12points at the start of trade rose to an 20 point gain but by lunch the market fell away and was down 11pts
Gold bugs have been pointing to a recovery since shrugging off a strong triangle-like pattern breakdown in May.
European shares rose on Monday. Shares in Citigroup rose after releasing solid earnings figures. And fears about the health of the Portuguese banking system continued to ease. The FTSEurofirst 300 index rose by 0.8% with the German Dax higher by 1.2% while the UK FTSE gained 0.8%. Australia´s major miners were higher in London trade with shares in BHP Billiton up by 1.6% while Rio Tinto lifted by 1.2%.
Porn producers are complaining that companies are keeping away from them, noting the change in tolerance for the X-rated industry especially after several HIV scares as some actors tested positive for the disease.
The Australian market closed the first day of the trading week on a high, with the All Ordinaries opened up 16pts higher at the beginning of the session and by the close the markets had added 21.2pts and the ASX 200 up 24.6pts to 5,511.4pts.
It is a sad day for the mainstream radio industry in Australia on Monday, July 14, as Radio Australia anticipates major job cuts. However, this fact-of-life among employees of being axed during hard times could be an opportunity for broadcasters to try new platforms to continue with their careers.
Charges of sexual harassment have been slapped against a top female executive of Yahoo! in California by one of her former female employees.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe capped his three-day visit to Australia by signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia, which opens Japan's $5 trillion market to the Land Down Under.
The Australian market started the week's trade in positive territory after the US and European markets closed higher on Friday.
The All Ordinaries opened up 16pts higher at the beginning of the session and by lunchtime the markets had added 28.6pts to 5,503pts.
The final phase of an operation to salvage Italy's ill-fated cruise ship Costa Concordia has began on Monday, two and a half years after it sank off the island of Giglio, claiming 32 lives in the process.
Now it can be told. Seems German Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's prayers worked better than Argentinean Pope Francis. And sourgraping Brazil is very much elated that archrival Argentina didn't win the coveted World Cup 2014 title.
Financial stress in Europe has seen the US market log its worst week in four months.
In US economic data the Federal Budget was in surplus by US$71 billion in June, below forecasts of an US$80 billion surplus. The weekly Economic Cycle Research Institute Leading index was up 4.4% on a year ago, up from 4.3% in the previous week.
After an erratic night of trading in Europe and the US the Aussie market started weaker but within the first 2 hours of trade managed to rally out of the red.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding Singapore's property sector, over 68,000 new Central Depository Accounts were opened in 2013. It is the largest number of new retail investors in the prosperous Southeast Asian nation in the past five years.
French police on Thursday said it had intercepted a terrorists' plot to blow-up the famous romantic monument Eiffel Tower, the Louvre as well as a nuclear plant in France last summer.
