Business Breaking News

Today

12:00PM (AEST): Miner Arafura finds $400m in savings

NORTHERN Territory rare earths miner Arafura has cancelled plans for a new plant, saving more than $400 million. Read more
11:13AM (AEST): Victorians to save on electricity costs

THE energy regulator says Victorians will pay lower transmission costs leading to slightly lower electricity bills. Read more
10:58AM (AEST): Myer saw 'compelling value' in DJs merger

MYER has confirmed it approached rival David Jones with an offer to merge the two department store businesses. Read more
10:55AM (AEST): Roche enjoys strong profit, expects growth

PHARMACEUTICALS giant Roche says its full year profit is up 18 per cent at 11.2 billion Swiss francs. Read more
10:26AM (AEST): New BRW editor appointed

MICHAEL Bailey has been appointed the new editor of Fairfax's BRW publication. Read more
10:00AM (AEST): Bumper year for Auckland Airport

LAST year was the busiest on record for Auckland Airport with more than 14 million passengers, but Cairns saw a decline in international passengers. Read more
10:00AM (AEST): Soaring dairy exports drive trade surplus

SEEMINGLY insatiable Chinese demand for dairy products is helping New Zealand's trade balance and strong economic momentum. Read more
8:17AM (AEST): Gold falls as the Fed continues taper

GOLD futures prices have fallen 1.6 per cent after the Federal Reserve said it would further reduce its economic stimulus measures Read more
7:54AM (AEST): Stocks to watch on Friday

STOCKS of interest on the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday Read more
7:54AM (AEST): Copper falls, aluminium drops to 4yr low

COPPER loses 0.4 per cent while aluminium falls to a four-year low after the Fed announces its second tapering and China manufacturing contracts. Read more
7:28AM (AEST): 3M 4Q profit climbs more than 11 per cent

POST-IT note maker 3M says its fourth quarter profit is up more than 11 per cent to $US1.1 billion, beating expectations. Read more
7:18AM (AEST): Luxury goods firm LVMH posts flat 2013

THE company behind Bulgari watches and Givenchy gowns - LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton - reports flat earnings for 2013. Read more
7:13AM (AEST): NZ dollar continues slide

THE NZ dollar falls to a January low against the greenback as the currency is sold off after the Reserve Bank opted not to hike interest rates. Read more
4:00AM (AEST): Card spending lifts Visa's 1Q income

VISA has beaten analyst expectations in the first-quarter, despite a lacklustre holiday shopping season in December. Read more
12:05AM (AEST): Viacom fiscal net income up 16%

US mass media giant Viacom has reported a 16 per cent jump in profits for the first quarter, with earnings of $US547 million. Read more
12:05AM (AEST): Harley-Davidson 4Q earnings up

HARLEY-DAVIDSON says global sales of new motorcycles grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter and 4.4 per cent for the full year. Read more

Yesterday

10:58PM (AEST): DJs turned down merger offer from Myer

DAVID Jones says it was approached by Myer in 2013 to consider a merger, but turned down the offer as it was not financially attractive. Read more
9:36PM (AEST): Clive Palmer wealth shrunk by 40 per cent

THE prestigious Forbes Asia magazine has criticised MP Clive Palmer's lack of transparency about his business interests. Read more
7:49PM (AEST): Cootes loses major fuel contracts

TRUCKING company Cootes is set to cut staff after it lost a major contract with Shell. Read more
5:58PM (AEST): Rain slows Fortescue production

FORTESCUE Metals Group says bad weather during January will impact on its production this year. Read more
5:24PM (AEST): Billabong warns of long road ahead

BILLABONG shareholders have been told the company's financial performance is yet to be improved by its restructuring. Read more
5:11PM (AEST): Market will get over US taper jitters

MARKET reaction to the US Fed's taper indicates anxiety about a move toward normal monetary conditions, but the anxiety should fade as growth sets in. Read more
4:56PM (AEST): Navitas expects profit growth

NAVITAS, which runs English courses in nine countries, has posted profit and revenue growth in the first half of the financial year. Read more
4:29PM (AEST): More troubles for Treasury Wines

TREASURY Wines has suffered a second drastic one-day share price fall in six months, with a profit downgrade wiping 20 per cent from its value. Read more
4:05PM (AEST): Pratt overtakes Packer on rich list

GINA Rinehart is still Australia's wealthiest person, but packaging heir Anthony Pratt has overtaken James Packer on the Forbes rich list. Read more
3:42PM (AEST): Kiwi falls after RBNZ keeps rates on hold

THE kiwi dollar has fallen with the New Zealand Reserve Bank keeping its key rate unchanged and the US Federal Reserve tightening its monetary policy. Read more
3:30PM (AEST): Orica considers its future in chemicals

ORICA says it is reviewing the part of its chemicals business that services sectors other than the mining industry. Read more
2:43PM (AEST): Low rates, $A lift confidence and spending

THE economy is rebalancing as the mining investment boom winds down, thanks to lower interest rates and the falling Australian dollar, ANZ says. Read more
2:09PM (AEST): Biotech to raise $27m in anti-cancer fight

BIOTECH Viralytics will raise more than $27 million to fund its drug trials and company growth. Read more
1:09PM (AEST): New home sales at a five year high

NEW home sales jumped in 2013, their first annual increase since the GFC. Read more
1:09PM (AEST): Beach Energy revises up oil production

BEACH Energy has upwardly revised oil production forecasts for the 2013/14 financial year. Read more
1:01PM (AEST): Stocks to watch at noon on Thursday

STOCKS of interest on the Australian Securities Exchange at noon on Thursday Read more
9:43AM (AEST): NZ Reserve Bank keeps rate on hold

ECONOMISTS are still picking the Reserve Bank to start lifting interest rates in March - underpinning the already high New Zealand dollar. Read more
8:52AM (AEST): Fed cuts $10bn from stimulus program

THE US Federal Reserve says economic conditions were doing better in the US and it was appropriate for a further "measured" tapering of stimulus. Read more
8:22AM (AEST): Gold rises amid emerging market turmoil

GOLD futures prices have lifted amid worries over the health of emerging markets as Turkey and South Africa's central banks raise interest rates. Read more
8:22AM (AEST): Copper falls amid emerging markets concern

COPPER futures prices fall as emerging markets' central banks raise interest rates, sparking borrowing costs and demand concerns. Read more