Business News

Leighton plunges on asset writedowns
NEWS.com.au
LEIGHTON Holdings shares plunged almost 10 per cent today after it cut its profit forecast amid asset writedowns of $200 million.
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Business confidence at record low
NEWS.com.au
BUSINESS confidence is at a record low, with the global financial crisis dealing a blow to sales and profitability.
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Confidence slowly returning to market
NEWS.com.au
THE Australian share market closed firmly in the black today, with gains across most sectors.
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Cloud on car sales
NEWS.com.au
AUSTRALIA'S car industry faces a downturn that could hit 15 per cent, making the sector a barometer of the country's economic health.
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Rio Tinto resumes Pilbara mining
NEWS.com.au
RIO Tinto has resumed all of its iron ore operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region after suspending some activities.
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Famed Wedgwood cracks under pressure
NEWS.com.au
RENOWNED crystal and pottery maker Waterford Wedgwood has become the latest victim of the global economic crisis after filing for bankruptcy protection yesterday.
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Dollar at three-month high
NEWS.com.au
THE dollar has opened at a three-month high as firmer commodities prices and improved sentiment on Wall Street boosted the high-yielding currency.
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Car buyers defy tough times
NEWS.com.au
AUSTRALIANS bought more than a million new vehicles last year, only the second time the milestone had been reached.
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Gas deal fires up Valley
NEWS.com.au
PO VALLEY Energy shares soared after it secured its first gas sales deal, worth about $78 million, for production from its soon-to-be-commissioned gas fields in Italy.
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Dollar rises to 12-week high
NEWS.com.au
THE Australian dollar reached a 12-week high today, as a more optimistic mood among investors supported the currency.
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Explorers digging in
NEWS.com.au
THE cash-strapped mining industry has stepped up lobbying of the Federal Government for a scheme that allows investors access to tax deductions.
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Asian retail giant bans Aussie wool
NEWS.com.au
AUSTRALIAN farmers have been dealt another blow with an Asian clothing giant joining the growing global boycott of Australian wool.
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Tempted to go private
NEWS.com.au
THE number of listed companies in Australia could actually fall this year as new listings stagnate and companies fail or go private, Ernst & Young says.
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Squeeze could hasten mergers
NEWS.com.au
FORMER HBOS Australia chief David Willis believes more bank mergers are in the pipeline in 2009 as local banks continue to feel the pinch from the credit crunch.
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Big miners get welcome boost
NEWS.com.au
SHARES in our battered big miners got a much-needed boost yesterday, buoyed by a bounce in commodities prices.
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