Financial Services

Western Australia’s third largest fertiliser supplier, United Farmers Cooperative Company, is being sold for an upfront payment of $6 million after tumbling to an $8 million trading loss last financial year, an offer document released by its purchaser has

Four months after completing its purchase of Alinta, investment group Babcock & Brown has commenced expansion of its infrastructure business in Western Australia under a new brand.

Supply in Perth’s industrial market is expected to more than double this year, yet pre-commitments are high and take-up is expected to be restricted, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s market report for the fourth quarter of 2007.

For many years the mainstay of Western Australia’s mining industry, gold has increasingly been overshadowed by iron ore, nickel and petroleum, which have been the focus of exploration dollars and overseas investment projects.

West Perth-based miner Mirabela Nickel Ltd has boosted capital expenditure on its Santa Rita nickel project in Brazil by 22 per cent to US$322 million ($372.4 million).

Ironbark Ltd has announced plans to divest its gold assets into wholly owned subsidiary, Waratah Gold Ltd, a gold explorer with an ambition to list on the Australian stock exchange.

West Perth-based Azure Minerals Ltd says it has decided to postpone its planned listing on the Canadian stock market due to the current difficult investment climate.

Market's $110bn wipeout; No end in sight to carnage after 7% fall; Bumi swoops on Herald stock; Financing fears could delay Vale's move to buy Xstrata; ASIC affirms grip on Westpoint

Western Australia's biggest stocks were among the hardest hit by today's market jolt, with Woodside Petroleum Ltd, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and Paladin Energy Ltd all suffering big falls as Perth-based companies lost a collective $13.72 billion.

Perth-based RMA Energy Ltd says it wants to increase liquidity and affordability of the company's stock through a four-for-one share split.

Moguls' sons reshape media; Market falls wipes off another $40b; Sinosteel cleared for first Chinese tilt at WA miner; 'Patient' BHP hails its steel exposure; Research group denies grain levy is a rip off

Shareholders in Anzon Australia's parent company, Anzon Energy Ltd, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed Arc Energy and Anzon Australia merger.

Xstrata Nickel Australia Pty Ltd has been forced to extend its $3.1 billion takeover offer deadline for Jubilee Mines NL for a second time, after a slow take-up by the target's shareholders.

Grange Resources Ltd has announced today that the company and its joint venture partner have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the global engineering and technology corporation Metso Minerals Ltd for the Southdown Magnetite Project.

Mt Pleasant-based Comet Ridge Ltd has launched an entitlement issue to raise up to $4.3 million in extra funds for its projects in the United States and Australia.

West Perth-based Emerald Oil & Gas NL has reached an in principle agreement with Capital Investment Partners Pty Ltd to raise up to $2.025 million for exploration and production activities in the United States and Western Australia's Canning Basin.

$40bn lost in sub-prime wipeout; Booming China will buck US slowdown: Rio chief; Confidence slides as turmoil hits home; First cut: Rudd razor gang given $3bn head start; Victory to Blackham in lapsed lease pegging row

FUNDS associated with New York commodities hedge fund Ospraie Management LLC have revealed substantial stakes in two major Western Australia companies, both outside the group’s previous purely mining

While Western Australia’s mining stocks and their investors enjoy a bull run, emerging technology companies with new ideas are finding it harder to attract investor attention.

After a 20-year career with Ernst & Young, Lui Giuliani has left the accounting group to establish a private equity firm with ex- KordaMentha executive Oren Zohar, Monadelphous chairman John Rubino, ex-Water Corporation chairman Tim Ungar and the director

Commercial Property Conference The Property Council of Australia is hosting a conference on commercial property, February 29 at the Hyatt Regency.

It's hard to believe that, just five or six years ago, the Perth International Arts Festival was in a rebuilding phase after a multi-million dollar loss had shaken the morale of the festival team.

With many investors in Western Australia’s fledgling technology sector having been burned by lossmaking companies such as Chemeq, Clinical Cell Culture and ERG, it has been difficult for new companies emerging in their wake to attract support.

Perth-based Patersons Securities Ltd is set to launch a resources-focused fund, the second product for the fledgling asset management business launched late last year.

West Perth-based Transit Holdings Ltd has completed a placement to raise $2 million to sophisticated investors for exploration for haematite mineralisation and working capital.

Wesfarmers Premier Coal Ltd and Blackham Resources Ltd have ended their dispute over the Scaddan Energy Project tenements near Esperance, by signing a joint venture agreement to develop the project.

The volume of owner occupier home loans in Western Australia jumped by 4 per cent in November, despite coinciding with the Reserve Bank of Australia's most recent interest rate hike.

Centro Property debts may blow out; Steely determination: Rio vows to export iron ore from India; Labor warns energy exporters to put Australia first; Coles retains hopes of pharmacies in stores; Qantas buffeted as downgrade, $62m fine bite

Perth-based gold exploration company Scotgold Resources Ltd has made a positive debut on the Australian stock exchange today, after sucessfully raising $4.9 million via its November public offer.

Osborne Park-based Joyce Corporation Ltd has sold a five hectare property it owns in South Australia for $4.2 million.

Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd was granted access approval at Gladstone LNG - Fisherman's Landing project site by the Central Queensland Port Authority.

VDM Group Ltd subsidiary Civmec Construction & Engineering Pty Ltd together with its joint venture partner UK-based Laing O'Rourke have been awarded a $146 million project by Argyle Diamonds.