BUSINESS

Global markets were in a holding pattern through European and US trade, with limited activity on the economic calendar. Perhaps the highlight was a further slide in the single currency, which helped keep equities afloat in Europe. However, emerging markets remain buoyant on the back of the measures China is taking to stimulate the economy. China's move to cut reserve required ratios for a number of regional and agricultural banks saw Asian equities mostly enjoy gains yesterday with the excep...

In US economic data, wholesale sales rose by 1.3% in April, above forecasts centred on a 0.8% gain. Inventories rose by 1.1%, ahead of forecasts suggesting a 0.5% gain. And weekly chain store sales were up by 3.3% on a year earlier, down from the 3.5% gain in the previous week.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ASB) will release on Thursday the country's unemployment figure, and it is expected to report a 5.9 percent joblessness rate for May.

Business confidence in Australia continues to remain "steady" in the face of the Abbott government's tough budget cuts and falling consumer confidence.

Gains for the ASX 200 faded over the course of the afternoon. At the best levels of the session the index was ahead by 32 points, at the lows of the day the market was down by 1 point. At the closing bell the bourse ended with its nose in front by just over 5 points. Participation was lower than average with less than $4bln shares changing hands.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has formed a taskforce that will work on creating a technology to track all aircraft in the world. The group is composed of airlines, pilots, flight safety organizations and flight tracking and navigation service providers.

Spain is cutting its public deficit by massaging numbers. The manipulation comes in the form of including the value of the work of prostitutes as well as those in other illegal activities such as drugs, people trafficking and contraband.

The Australian share market is trading higher in the early session, as investors returned from the long weekend in a buying mood. Positive economic data out of the US overnight and solid Chinese trade data figures released on the weekend have given support to sentiment.

Yesterday's trade balance from China might be the first nominal piece of data that could confirm targeted easing is taking effect. May exports rose more-than-expected, by 7%, as overseas shipments ramped up on the back of improving signs from Europe and the US.

In US economic data, the employment trends index rose from 117.32 to 118.58 in May. On Friday, data showed a 217,000 lift in employment in May with the unemployment rate stable at 6.3%.

Even if commodity prices are on a downtrend, Australian miner Sundance Resources said over the weekend that it would go ahead with its $3.5-billion iron ore project in Cameroon.

Apple Inc. has previously announced its 7-for-1 stock split in April in line with its plans to increase stock buybacks and boost dividend payments.

According to the data from Ericsson, mobile penetration for the U.S. and Europe markets are almost over with regard to high-end devices.

The Australian sharemarket continued to improve this afternoon, taking the gains to almost 0.5 per cent. Gains from U.S. markets and the first interest rate cut in six months for the European Central Bank helped lift stocks overnight. Improvements from the major banks accounted for around half of the market's gains today.

Just days after Apple officially announced the closure of is deal with Beats Music to the tune of $3 billion, Beats by Dr. Dre released a pre-World Cup ad entitled "The Game Before the Game."

Australian Jeffrey Revell-Reade funds a lavish lifestyle with $126.4 million boiler room scam

A Canadian company has launched the world's first full-scale municipal waste-to-biofuels and chemicals facility.

A survey from Pornhub revealed Apple Safari users are accessing porn more than other browser users.

It seems there is really no more stopping an El Niño 2014 occurrence. Latest updates released by weather experts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the U.S.' NOAA point to an El Niño becoming established in the Pacific Ocean by August.

The Australian sharemarket is rising for the first time in four trading days, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) up 0.4 per cent or 19.7pts to 5,438.8. U.S. stocks finished at record highs ahead of the May jobs report this evening. This is arguably the most highly anticipated piece of data to be released this week.

In yet another way of displaying his unorthodox method of running the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican bureaucracy, Pope Francis fired on Thursday the entire board of the Financial Information Authority (FIA), reports News.com.au.

Canadians in Quebec suffering from dreaded or long-time health afflictions have now been afforded the right to die, as the provincial government on Thursday passed Bill 52, otherwise known as an act respecting end-of-life care.

Apple Inc's bullish streak in the stock market has one major options trader betting big money for the company to break $700 by October. A major investor is putting almost $60 million on Apple shares in of biggest options trades on June 4.

Equities rallied with the S&P and the DAX printing fresh record highs on the back of the ECB decision. The most anticipated event of the week has been and gone and markets are now left to digest the results. While Mario Draghi seems to have thrown absolutely everything at it, markets have not quite had the euphoric reaction many would have expected. This could be largely in part due to the fact that the market already expected a comprehensive package that included a combination of a refinance ra...

The European Central Bank cut interest rates by 10 basis points: the refinancing rate now stands at 0.15%; the deposit rate stands at -0.10%; and the marginal lending rate or emergency borrowing rate stands at 0.40%. The ECB also introduced a package of targeted measures to further boost lending.

Eric Noyrez, CEO of rare earths producer Lynas Corporation (ASX: LYC) resigned from his post and will be replaced by Amanda Lacaze, Reuters reports.

The Australian share market closed lower for a third consecutive session today, with gains in mining players unable to help lift stocks into positive territory. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) closed down 7.1 points or 0.1 per cent to 5419.7 points. Investors also elected to stay on the sidelines ahead of an interest rate decision by the European Central Bank later tonight.

Three new gases have been discovered by scientists to be present up there in the atmosphere that could exacerbate the rate of the world's global warming status.

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has identified that the source of infection of the widening Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus are the camels in the kingdom.