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Wall Street

UPDATE: Jonathan Cheng US stocks soared today, with the Dow rallying more than 250 points after US manufacturing data and strength in China and Australia.

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US factories suggest no double-dip

manufacturing

THE August factory report for the world's biggest economy is like a shiny holiday gift found lying among depressing lumps of coals.

Regionals ponder merger logic

David Liddy

DAVID Liddy didn't mince words. "There has to be fundamental structural change in the industry," he said.

Nufarm calls in debt advisers

Nufarm

AILING agribusiness group Nufarm has appointed external advisers to assist with a possible restructure.

Hardie faces bailout to pay asbestos fund

James Hardie

CONTRIBUTIONS by James Hardie to the asbestos victims compensation fund may be in jeopardy after it lost an appeal against a tax ruling.

Miners' $20bn rush to Africa

blue diamond

THE number of listed Australian mining companies with operations in Africa has tripled to 160 in the past seven years.

Three fall foul of ASX deadline

ASX

JUST three companies had their shares suspended from trade yesterday for failing to lodge financial accounts with the ASX in time.

Japanese cut BHP coal prices

steel China

SEVERAL Japanese steelmakers have agreed a lower coking coal price with supplier BHP Billiton amid a slowdown in Chinese steel demand.

QBE rejects talk of exit for O'Halloran

QBE CEO Frank O'Halloran

QBE Insurance has quashed speculation that chief executive Frank O'Halloran's 12-year reign is coming to an end.

Tricom boss in from the cold

Opes Prime

TRICOM managing director Lance Rosenberg was afraid he'd lose institutional investors if they knew of his ban by the corporate regulator.

Five left at 452

BELEAGUERED 452 Capital is now officially down to five staff from 10, with Nathan Parkin having rejoined Perpetual after seven years at 452.

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profit season

Gold slips as investors seek risk

gold pour

GOLD finished slightly lower today as stronger-than-anticipated US manufacturing data dulled some of the safe-haven shine.

Forex market hits $US4 trillion a day

US dollar

GLOBAL currency trading volume has hit $US4 trillion a day as investors in rich nations move out of home markets amid economic turmoil.

Opinion

Don Stammer

High mortgage debt a danger in downturn

AVERAGE house prices rose by 18.4 per cent in the year to June and affordability became even more stretched.

Matthew Stevens

Bankers eye Santos raising

A VORACIOUS bustle of investment bankers has descended on the uber-carbon-friendly environs of Santos House in Adelaide.

MFS chief 'begged' UBS to release cash

Co-Founder and former MFS CEO Michael King outside Darlinghurst Court

MFS co-founder Michael King "begged" UBS to release cash locked up in the Stella tourism group to repay inter-company bank loans.

Murdoch's salary falls

Rupert Murdoch

News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch received a 7 per cent cut in salary to $US16.8 million ($18.6m) for 2009-10.

Gold slips as investors seek risk

gold pour

GOLD finished slightly lower today as stronger-than-anticipated US manufacturing data dulled some of the safe-haven shine.

Nufarm update's bigger mystery

Nufarm

IT'S not surprising that investors marked down Nufarm shares yesterday, as its latest market update raises more questions than it answers.

Gold slips as investors seek risk

gold pour

GOLD finished slightly lower today as stronger-than-anticipated US manufacturing data dulled some of the safe-haven shine.

Mining tax brings tarnish to silver

THE mineral resources rent tax has claimed another victim.

Hard times linger in results

UBS

CORPORATE Australia barely turned in a positive performance for earnings growth last year. 

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Nufarm update's bigger mystery

IT'S not surprising that investors marked down Nufarm shares yesterday, as its latest market update raises more questions than it answers.

US factories suggest no double-dip

manufacturing

THE August factory report for the world's biggest economy is like a shiny holiday gift found lying among depressing lumps of coals.

Top Currencies

Corporates yet to embrace new world order

FOR many industrial company chief executives, the profit season was a matter of being all dressed up but nowhere to go.

Here's hoping for Kazacos magic

HERE'S a $25 million market-cap roughie for those convinced that KAZ Group founder Peter Kazacos can repeat the magic.

Stellar growth lights fuse

PN NEWS RESERVE BANK

AUSTRALIA'S comeback on the global stage as one of the world's best-performing economies sent the sharemarket and dollar surging yesterday.

US factories suggest no double-dip

manufacturing

THE August factory report for the world's biggest economy is like a shiny holiday gift found lying among depressing lumps of coals.

Watchful RBA eye on consumer figures

Michael Stutchbury

WAYNE Swan is right that many other treasurers would kill for a set of economic numbers such as Australia's, but the RBA doesn't share his enthusiasm.

Regionals ponder merger logic

David Liddy

DAVID Liddy didn't mince words. "There has to be fundamental structural change in the industry," he said.

Household spending fires GDP growth

Japanese containers at port

THE Australian economy grew at its fastest pace in three years in the second quarter, fuelled by a surprise jump in household spending.

Nufarm crashes to 8-year low on debt

Nufarm

NUFARM shares plunged today after it confirmed a sharp fall in profit and said its debt would be 38 per cent higher than estimated.

JP Morgan to end proprietary trading

JP Morgan

JP Morgan is winding down its proprietary trading operations, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Boardroom Radio Event

Acer unveils Android phones

ACER has jumped into the tough end of the burgeoning smartphone market, launching a range of Android powered phones without a telco partner.

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Also in The Australian Today

Acer unveils Android phones

ACER has jumped into the tough end of the burgeoning smartphone market, launching a range of Android powered phones without a telco partner.

Staff will be urged to volunteer

LA Trobe University vice-chancellor Paul Johnson has set a target of having 40 per cent of staff participating in a proposed volunteering scheme.