Mining

Transportable housing manufacturer Fleetwood has confirmed an 81 per cent fall in half year net profit.

One of Australia's biggest unions is to campaign for a national domestic gas reserve to make energy cheaper, boost manufacturing jobs and produce cleaner energy.

Engineering services company Calibre has lifted its first half profit by 12.3 per cent due on the back of continued new contract success.

Macmahon Holdings has rejected the latest takeover offer from Indian-owned firm Sembawang Australia, saying it was incapable of being practically implemented.

Shares in Transfield Services have dived by more than six per cent after it warned it would have to make up to $285 million in asset writedowns.

Steel and mining group Arrium has fallen further into the red as the high Australian dollar and weak construction markets cause a massive writedown on its assets.

Shares in engineering construction firm Monadelphous have tumbled despite the group posting a record first half profit.

The Australian Greens will push for another inquiry into the mining tax to try to work out why the big resource giants aren't paying as much as expected.

Gold has moved lower, with volumes easing as US markets closed for the President's Day holiday, while a lower euro and flat European shares also hurt investor interest.

Drilling fluids and services firm Imdex has reported a 27 per cent drop in half year net profit, a result it says reflects challenging market conditions in the minerals sector.

Struggling vanadium miner Atlantic has 45 business days to replenish an interest reserve account or reach agreement to reduce its minimum holding, after it breached a covenant on its $US335 million

Engineering and construction group Clough is tipping a bumper year ahead after announcing a 139 per cent increase in net profit for the half year to December 31.

Engineering, mining services and construction outfit Forge Group has exceeded its own expectations by delivering a 60 per cent increase in half-year net profit.

Drilling company Boart Longyear has appointed Richard O'Brien, the outgoing boss of gold producer Newmont Mining, as its new chief executive.

The Reserve Bank of Australia says the mining investment boom will peak sooner and at a lower level than previously expected.

Australian-based miner Perseus is looking forward to improved earnings and production results after its first half profit more than doubled to $32.5 million.

Singapore-listed engineering contractors AusGroup and CivMec have achieved significant increases in half year profit, with both Perth-based companies reporting strong order books and consistent lev

Mining giant Rio Tinto has appointed Andrew Harding to succeed Sam Walsh as its iron ore chief executive.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy has reported a half year net loss of $US193.5 million, with a number of large write-downs and impairments souring a record half year combined production result.

Western Australians are most concerned about future energy needs, rising living costs and the state of the public health system, according to a survey released today.

Shadow assistant treasurer Mathias Cormann says the prime minister and treasurer agreed to the mining tax without understanding its finer detail.

Laing O'Rourke has announced a major contract win with construction and engineering group Bechtel at Chevron's Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project.

Global miner Rio Tinto says it will concentrate on operating low-cost mines and selling non-performing assets after posting a full year net loss of almost billion for 2012.

Power generation group Pacific Energy has announced a record half-year net profit, on the back of a 20 per cent increase in revenue.

Cleveland Mining has secured $7 million in fresh funding to advance exploration and sampling programs at its Premier and Mara Rosa gold projects in central Brazil.

Mineral Resources has booked a 22 per cent drop in half year net profit, on the back of a slump in iron ore prices over the second quarter of financial year 2013.

Nickel miner Mirabela expects to write down the value of its Brazilian Santa Rita assets by at least million ( million).

The supermarket price wars seem far from over, with Wesfarmers chief Richard Goyder looking to increase Coles' sales and cut costs further after reporting a higher first-half profit today.

Chinese government-owned CITIC has taken a 13 per cent stake in Alumina for $452 million, sending shares in the smelter investor to their highest level in almost a year.

Engineering firm Downer EDI's first half profit has grown by 11 per cent and the company has maintained its expectation of improved underlying profit for the full year.

Nickel miner Mincor Resources has shrugged off a first half loss of $2.21 million to declared an interim dividend of 2 cents per share.

Infrastructure services firm Cardno has acquired Bunbury-based Geotech Materials Testing Services in a transaction worth up to $26.7 million.