BUSINESS

In US economic data, the economy grew at a 4.2% annual pace in the June quarter, up from the "flash" estimate of 4% and above forecasts of 3.9%. New claims for unemployment insurance fell by 1,000 to 298,000 in the latest week and below forecasts of a result near 300,000. And pending home sales rose by 3.3% in July, above forecasts for a 0.5% gain.

Despite naysayers crying the stunted recovery of the U.S. real estate market due to a slowdown in home price increase, one expert notes that the slowdown is actually good for the economy.

Showing that he practices what he preaches, green advocate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore invested £8 million in Ovo Energy. The investment comes before one of the fastest-growing new power suppliers in the UK launches its initial public offering (IPO).

A Japanese court has ruled that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, is liable for the suicide of a woman in 2011 due to physical and mental effects brought by the disaster.

Local sellers have been chastened by the performance of US stocks over the course of recent sessions. US indices may have been flat in overnight trade but the willingness of the S&P 500 to remain in the range of the 2000 mark has meant that domestic sellers have been wary of committing themselves wholeheartedly as the broader US market runs the risk of breaking higher through one of the more significant technical levels of recent history. Sellers pushed the ASX 200 down by 24 points in the openi...

Concerns about overheating that could lead to potential fire and burn hazards have prompted Hewlett-Packard to recall over six million power cords from the United States and Canada.

TD Canada changed a few of their ATMs into innovative gift dispensing Automatic thanking machines that gave surprise gifts for customers.

A three-man mobile laboratory team who were following findings contracted the deadly Ebola virus.

A new study by Pershing Square, a unit of BNY Mellon company, showed that an effective value proposition strengthens audience connections and fosters growth, yet many advisors have had little objective guidance in formulating such statements until now.

Greenwich Village's Quad Cinema was bought by a film buff and real estate magnate Charles S. Cohen, a report on the Boston Herald said.

Japan is encouraging its young people to invest in the stock market through a plan to expand an existing tax-free investment program that targets citizens aged 20 and above.

Volumes are down, trading activity is subdued and the Street is nonplussed about a key driver for the next leg up or down. The current situation has the bullish and bearish views sitting at around 50/50 as the market awaits the first two weeks of September and the meeting of central banks.

In US economic data, the weekly mortgage market index rose by 2.8% with the purchase index up 2.6% and the refinancing index up by 2.8%.

Followers of unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr are used by now to seeing video and photo posts of the champ showing off his latest purchase of diamonds, watches, cars and other luxury items for himself and girlfriend Doralee "Bad" Medina. He has also posted shots of himself with 8-digit checks or a bag full of cold cash, giving the impression that Money May is flaunting his wealth amid criticisms that he is an uneducated millionaire

A United Airlines flight was forced to divert from its original flight plan after two passengers fought over personal space and the use reclining seats.

Terror group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has started to infiltrate legitimate hashtags on Twitter to circumvent and promote their terroristic propaganda. The hashtags #napaearthquake and #sfearthquake were their latest victims.

Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano still has not yet erupted. It just continues to grumble and rumble for over a week now, prompting scientists to believe the magma from the volcanic system could be flowing somewhere else.

The uptrend momentum on the S&P has continued unabated, as it breached and held 2000 points for the first time in its history this morning.

n US economic data, the CaseShiller home price series fell 0.2% in June, weaker than expectations. But the FHFA home price series rose by 0.4% in June to stand 5.1% higher than a year ago. Durable good orders rose by 22.6% in July, but excluding aircraft, orders fell by 0.5%, below forecasts of a 0.5% gain. And consumer confidence rose from 90.9 to 92.4, above forecasts for a result near 89.0 and the highest level since October 2007.

A study by business consultant McKinsey & Co brought out the possibility that China's e-commerce market would soon outpace that of the U.S. very soon. It forecasts that the Chinese market will grow between $420 billion and $650 billion by 2020.

Will you trade your home for a smart home that knows when you have arrived, or have been built with energy-efficient materials? How about one with the capability to adjust automatically based on weather conditions or brews your coffee the moment you wake up? Or one that reminds you to cross a chore off your list? Most of you probably would happily oblige.

Technology giant IBM said on Tuesday that it would open two SoftLayer data centres in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. The first, to open in September at Deer Park in Melbourne, is part of IBM's $1.2 billion global investment that aims to expand its cloud computing footprint.

An independent study found that the Bank of America Chicago Marathon by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Regional Economics Applications Laboratory continues to be a key economic driver and contributes an estimated $253.49 million in total business activity to the Chicago economy.

Local shares were flat footed in early trade on Tuesday, despite solid improvements for US stocks overnight which included the S&P 500 briefly lifting above 2,000 points for the first time. A continuing theme on Tuesday has been the weakness in the resource sector after commodity prices finished the northern hemisphere sessions with mixed fortunes. Investors remain wary of iron ore after prices fell 2% in the last day. More significant however is that prices have fallen below $US90 per tonne. Wh...

New Zealand's economy may be heading for "the rocks" when it rebuild in Christchurch and migration rate slows down. Economists believe the country cannot sustain a high growth rate in the coming years.

The reactions from the US and Europe to the news out of Jackson Hole over the weekend were as expected - green on the equities front and red for the EUR.

In US economic data, new home sales fell by 2.4% in July to a four month low. New home sales are up 12.3% on a year ago. A lift in the stock of properties on the market and slower price gains should help stimulate demand in months ahead. The Markit Services Purchasing Managers Index dipped from 60.8 to 58.5 in July.

Most experts would probably agree that there is no exact formula to becoming a successful real estate agent. But one thing that's going to make a difference in an agent's budding career is understanding how to build a solid reputation and impact in the local community. According to Australian agent and Century 21's top Australian salesperson for three years, Stephanie Hearne, it takes three things to accomplish that, and she expounded on these in a piece she wrote for Property Observer....

Bank of America settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission over admitting that it failed to inform investors during the financial crisis about known uncertainties to future income from its exposure to repurchase claims on mortgage loans.