Financial Services

US stocks fell Monday as wary markets kept an eye on political changes in Greece and Italy aimed at tackling the eurozone debt crisis.

Stocks in Perth-based biotech pSivida have halved in value after the United States Food and Drug Administration declined to approve its treatment for back-of-the-eye problems associated with diabet

Resources giant BHP Billiton says it will spend billions of dollars ramping up shale gas production in the United States this decade.

Former Hogan and Partners stockbroker Jonathan Kur has been charged with fraud after an 18-month investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Australian shares closed marginally higher as investors remained cautious despite changes of leadership in Italy and Greece.

Fertiliser and explosives maker Incitec Pivot has increased full year profit 13 per cent and says 2012 will be a transition year as it seeks to expand the Asia-Pacific explosives business.

The majority of Australian women reaching retirement have no superannuation savings behind them, the Minister for Employment Participation says.

Elders has posted a $395.4 million annual loss but said its underlying performance had improved and forecast an improved performance for the current fiscal year.

Petrol prices have fallen to a 10-week low and one economist is tipping cheaper fuel in the weeks ahead.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy has posted a much bigger net loss for the September quarter than a year earlier after booking an impairment charge for its Kayelekera mine in Malawi.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce is hopeful the airline will reach contract agreements with workers by next Monday's deadline.

Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman says the state’s grain industry has received a significant boost with a new consignment of wheat exports to Saudi Arabia.

New cost-of-living data shows this is not the time to be imposing new taxes on households, federal opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey says.

DuluxGroup predicts it will be more profitable in fiscal 2012 after shrugging off challenging conditions to increase its 2011 full year profit by more than 50 per cent.

Total personal finance commitments fell 2.5 per cent in September to $6.986 billion, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows.

Rail operator QR National has signed a deal with Wesfarmers to haul up to 1.5 million tonnes of coal each year from its Curragh mine in Queensland to port.

Australian stocks gained as changes of leadership in Italy and Greece stoked optimism that Europe's debt crisis would be addressed.

The Australian dollar is more than one US cent higher as optimism grows that the Italian government will avoid financial disaster.

US blue chip stocks have turned in a solid gain on the back of good earnings reports to rack up a positive week, but feeble tech stocks left the Nasdaq with its second weekly loss in a row.

Leighton Holdings has reaffirmed it will return to profitability this financial year with a profit of a much as $650 million as it tenders for $27 billion worth of work.

Australian interest rates could be cut again as early as next month amid new warnings that Europe faces tipping into recession.

Property developer Port Bouvard will re-allocate funds previously set aside for its Point Grey project near Mandurah to repay its debts, in order to qualify for an extension of its banking fac

Australian shares closed firmly higher on positive offshore leads and short-covering ahead of the weekend.

A spike in recent insolvencies in Australia shows that fallout from the global financial crisis (GFC) is continuing, liquidation firm Dissolve says.

Outgoing Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ralph Norris remains the country's highest paid banker, despite a rise in remuneration for Westpac's Gail Kelly.

China's Guangdong Nuclear Power Co has reduced its take-over offer for London-listed Kalarahi Minerals, the major shareholder of Extract Resources.

The Australian stock market opened higher, after markets in the United States rebounded on positive developments in the debt-ridden Eurozone.

US stocks rebounded Thursday amid signs that Italy and Greece were moving to form new governments that would address their deep debt problems.

World oil prices drifted higher on Thursday but the market remained plagued by persistent doubts over the eurozone's debt crisis and in particular the plight of Italy, traders said.

Australia's farmers face a positive outlook in the medium term despite a volatile global economy, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says.

An unexpected fall in the jobless rate is unlikely to prevent the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cutting interest rates again given the continuing turmoil on global markets.