Financial Services

Profit season looming as worst for 20 years; Wages freeze to protect jobs; Barnett takes the razor off Treasurer; Great Southern declared insolvent; ABB cuts profit forecast

Subiaco-based Venture Minerals plans to raise $8 million to advance its Mt Lindsay polymetallic project in Tasmania.

Metallurgical testing company Ammtec has raised $11.5 million and plans to raise a further $2 million, as the board declares a final dividend.

Takeover target Dioro Exploration has urged its shareholders to take no action on a sweetened $71 million takeover bid by Avoca Resources.

Political pressure claims on Gorgon gas prices; Mining slump hits states; Funds attack fees with passive aggression; Oil giants accused of skimming; Bosses face new IR laws on bias

Perth Education City (PEC) has secured a $325,000 grant and "in principle" funding of a further $1 million from the state government to promote Western Australia's international education sector this financial year.

Gold miner Avoca Resources has ramped up its takeover for Dioro Exploration, today lifting its all-scrip offer to more than $70 million.

Listed companies in Western Australia have continued their strong share price rebound in June, driving the Deloitte WA Index up by nearly 6 per cent or $6.7 billion.

Another legal showdown is looming between Murchison Metals and Sydney-based Chameleon Mining, which is claiming it is entitled to half of the the iron ore miner's Jack Hills tenements, valued at $1.5 billion.

Reserve under pressure to lower interest rates; NAB sees chance to boost institutional banking unit; Rail access needs ironing out; Focus on two sides of the copper coin; Investors sweat on profits

Former Port Bouvard chairman Michael Perrott has been appointed a director of infrastructure services company VDM Group.

The company born out of the collapse of one-time biotech high-flyer Chemeq Ltd has signed a manufacturing agreement with French chemical producer Arkema.

Wesfarmers' fertiliser subsidiary CSBP has entered into a new gas supply arrangement with Apache Corporation following a confidential settlement over a dispute relating to the Varanus Island gas explosion.

Wesfarmers has announced changes to its senior management team with Tom O'Leary appointed as managing director of the group's energy division and Tim Bult to look after the business development arm.

Iron ore hopeful Emergent Resources has entered a $205 million deal with a Chinese firm over the development of the Beyondie magnetite iron project in the Mid West.

Mining identity George Jones has announced he will step down from his chairman roles at Gindalbie Metals and Sundance Resources to focus on his health, with Geoff Wedlock to assume the responsibilities.

Territory Resources has extended its standstill agreement with its financiers until mid-August, prompted by the delay of a settlement in a benchmark iron ore price between China and the major miners.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has lowered its corporate credit ratings on electricity retailer Synergy following adoption of a new rating methodology.

ALL deals during the fiscal year were done, or proposed, at a time of financial crisis, attracting a certain level of admiration from the investment community for the successful combatants.

LOCAL engineering firms are already planning to cut the number of expatriates employed at their overseas operations due to new tax laws that will significantly increase the annual tax bill of Australians working overseas.

A clearer picture of what the Rudd government hopes to achieve is starting to emerge.

Our banks’ performance shows that the market gets it right most of the time.

THE recovery in capital raising activity by Western Australian companies continued in the June quarter after the collapse in 2008.

LISTED Perth-based financial planning firm Plan B Group Holdings is finalising the purchase of Aspire Finance's $240 million mortgage book in its second transaction of the calendar year.

When the economy is the issue, the fight is over how to pay for promises.

A small group of financial advisers has given the industry a bad name.

GET back to basics, have the right people and advisers around you, and make sure everyone involved shares the values that have made your business a success.

The federal government has backed down on its proposed crackdown on employee share schemes, tripling the income cap on the tax break to $180,000.

The Rudd government has sneaked in an eleventh hour change to its unfair dismissal code which will force small busineses to pay 'go-away' money to aggrieved employees, the federal opposition claims.

South Korean steel maker POSCO has invested nearly $8 million in Jupiter Mines and entered into an offtake deal for up to 50 per cent of the West Perth-based company's future iron ore production.

Agribusiness companies TFS Corporation and Elders have reported a fall in managed investment scheme sales for the 2008-09 financial year but said they were pleased with the result in light of diffi

Union push for 6pc wage rise; Mid-West broadband rollout fast-tracked; Rio plays hard ball at ore talks; Suitors like the look of Lady Annie; Raisings and Rio give deal makers reason to celebrate