Gary Kleyn

THE good fortunes of the WA oil and gas industry, a saviour of the resource industry in the past two years and a cash cow to the WA Government, may be drawing to an end, putting in question the State’s ability to maintain its AAA rating.

INVESTORS may want to take an early look at technology stocks, with indications showing the sector may be poised to turn the corner.

THE Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has used new powers to obtain its first ‘enforceable undertaking’ from the trustees of a superannuation fund.

LAST year’s corporate collapses and the general economic slowdown have put the quality of Australian banks’ assets under the spotlight.

BUSINESSES servicing the South West townships bounding the Alcoa Wagerup refinery have more than just health concerns to contend with.

THE Australian Securities and Investments Commission has started stage one of a new project to foster better disclosure of fees and charges in the product disclosure statements for investment products.

WA small stock mining service companies have been left searching for a way to reverse a trend by fund managers and institutions to flee the sector.

BANKS’ recent efforts to make their services more accessible and convenient appear to have been in vain, according to a new study.

THE events of 2001 have forced many people to rethink their business strategies and remould the parameters within which they live.

DABBLING in a number of activities has proved a costly exercise for Perth exploration cum tech cum renewable energy company, Range Resources Limited.The company is going back to basics following a $1.3 million loss in the past financial year.

RUBBERY financial figures used to increase the attractiveness of new business ventures have come under the spotlight of Australia’s investment police.

A NEW breed of tax-effective education savings plans has been introduced for parents wanting to save for their children’s post-secondary edu-cation.

CREDIT card debt was the focus of a consumer protection conference in Perth last week.

THE patience of shareholders in the mineral industry is starting to pay dividends, with a report indicating that returns have jumped substantially over the past year.

FEDERAL legislation to come into effect next year will clamp down on investors in private companies or discretionary trusts.

Attitude may soon be the new mantra for those still serving in the IT industry, as companies look for a new approach to success.

TECHNOLGY developed by the Water Corporation as a means to work within budgetary constraints could turn into a WA export bonanza.

“By definition the regulators are fairly reactionary. The legislation tends to follow behind,” Mr Falkiner said.The guidelines recommend the establishment of separate and distinct reporting structures.

FALLING tantalum prices may have made life difficult for some of the explorers hoping to cash in their finds, but it opens the way for Australia’s three producers to pick up some cheap buys.

NAVIGATOR RESOURCES founder Tom Sanders has accepted an offer for his company $3 million below what he had hoped to achieve just two months ago.

REBALANCING may sound like an acrobatic manoeuvre but it is actually an important part of managing an investment portfolio.

CORPORATE Australia has watched its “fat” – built up during a decade of growth – slip away, with profits falling faster than any time since 1991.

GOLD exploration has returned to investors’ radar screens in the past month after recently falling out of favour.

A CUSTOMS Service “dumping” decision has set new ground in the way dumping cases are dealt with in Australia.

THE disappearance of employees’ superannuation has become a $5.4 billion problem, affecting almost four million superannuation members at an average loss of about $1,420.

THE wilds of Africa provided Western Australian nomad Mari Rhydwen with the inspiration to write an essay for a recent competition by the UK-based magazine The Economist.

WITH more than a year of discussion behind them there now is an element of urgency for backers hoping to get a new stock exchange operational before the Financial Services Reform Bill is enacted on March 11 next year.

THE imminent decommissioning of a WA gold mine will become a benchmark for Australian mines around the country under a new framework developed by the Federal Government and mining groups.

THE recent wave of redundancies across Australian industry has led to in an increase in the number of people looking to put their payout into a small businesses venture.

ADEQUATE funding and proper structural organisation is required to make recommendation on the Native Title issue facing WA’s mining and rural industries workable, according to Association of Mining and Exploration Companies

EVALUATING the past performance of companies in which we have an investment is a daunting task. Decisions often are based on hunches, the advice of stockbrokers, and the media. Sometimes a herd mentality drives investment decisions.

WHILE consumers may have become used to the workings of the GST, it’s still a hard slog for Australian businesses.Rather than finding it easier, trading conditions for businesses are getting worse, as the GST catches up with them.