Financial Services

Share prices off 50pc in a year; We can avoid deficit - Swan; Banks seek guarantee overhaul; iiNet faces action over piracy; Housing finance skids

Perth-based sandalwood products company, TFS Corporation is expecting to deliver a profit increase of at least 15 per cent for the year ending 30 June 2009.

West Perth-based Equinox Minerals has accepted handover of the process plant and related infrastructure at its Lumwana copper project in Zambia.

Eastern states-based law firm, Middletons is merging with two of Perth's boutique corporate law firms, Salter Power and Franklyn Legal.

Straits Resources is reviewing the viability of two if its copper mines, including the Whim Creek copper mine in WA, after a dramatic drop in the world copper price.

Range Resources will be pursuing legal action following an article in published by The Age newspaper in Melbourne under the heading "Mining Firm tied to Somali Oil Pirates."

Despite all the doom and gloom, including today's turmoil on the Australian stockmarket, consumers are still spending up big, particularly on their credit cards.

South Perth-based uranium company Extract Resources' proposed merger agreement with London-listed Kalahari Minerals has been terminated.

Uranio has acquired a thermal coal project in the Sakoa Basin of Madagascar called Imaloto, plus an associated cash injection worth more than $2 million in a deal with Coal of Africa and Oak Nominees for 50 million shares.

CALLING the bottom in any bust cycle is always highly contentious, even more so in the context of the current global economic crisis.

AT first glance it's hard to imagine there's much similarity between running warehouse hardware stores and private hospitals.

THE corporate watchdog has charged Perth company director Malcolm MacCormick with insider trading in relation to last year's sale of his family business to ASX-listed company Walter Diversified Servic

There has been a significant decline in student enrolment and completion of institutional-based training courses, with only 16 per cent of IBT students completing their courses in 2007, according to an auditor general report.

WHAT are the chances of Jim McGinty being regularly cheered and toasted at all major Nationals WA get-togethers? The reason for asking is that this long-time urban-based paramount leftist factional chief, when fine-tuning his electoral redistribution legi

BRIEFCASE is amazed at the poor understanding of market dynamics shown by many commentators and self-appointed analysts.

THERE was an increase of more than 50,000 full-time workers in Western Australia for the year to August 2008, with a total of 842,500 full-time employees in the state.

PERRON Group's shopping centre and office ownership has helped it comfortably absorb more than $100 million from downward revaluations of its equity investments.

THE Australian share market has closed 3.5 per cent down at fresh four-year lows, wiping $34 billion from the value of the market following a weaker performance on Wall Street overnight.At close, the

TRANSPARENCY is a fascinating concept and last week I encountered two vastly different examples of its application, or more accurately, its absence.

As spectacular shareholder stoushes go, EFTel's extraordinary general meeting held today had it all: disallowed proxies; a bitter family feud; disputed legal opinions; all topped with allegations of lies and dirty tricks.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore today announced his wife, Lee had sold her shares in BHP Billiton, Wesfarmers and Woodside Petroleum but he insisted he had done nothing wrong over perceived conflicts of interest.

The inaugural meeting of the Economic Audit Committee, the group tasked with examining the operational and financial performance of the Western Australian public sector, has taken place today launching the four-month review.

AusQuest shareholder's have approved the strategic alliance and $26 million placement with international mining company, Cliffs Natural Resources.

Perth-based explorer Bauxite Resources has signed an MOU with a Chinese group, aimed at establishing a 'farm-in' type arrangement for exploration at the company's Darling Range tenements for all minerals other than bauxite.

Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics show that capital spending on mining and energy projects has fallen from its peak levels, though WA still accounts for the majority share.

The Western Australian government has set aside almost $6 million in funding for major regional projects.

Shares in AWB gained over four per cent in early trading after the wheat exporter and agricultural services group reported that full-year net profit more than doubled.

Privately owned investment company Perron Group’s shopping centres and offices have helped it comfortably absorb more than $100 million from downward revaluations of its equity investments.

Resolute Mining has finalised details of its capital raising aiming to generate up to $72.5 million to complete the re-development and ramp up of the Syama gold project in Mali and maintain the company's other development activities.

Mineral Resources has forecast its profits in the FY2009 could potentially fall by 32 per cent following this financial year's profit growth of 133 per cent.

Jolimont-based short term computer rental group, Hire Intelligence International has announced a profit upgrade and improved fully franked dividend prospects for its shareholders.

The Australian dollar was lower at noon, after losing about 0.5 US cents following the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia's November board meeting minutes.