BUSINESS

Jobs in Australia's retail sector appear to be in a worse situation compared to the banking sector. While a report in January warned of the loss of 7,500 banking jobs over the next two years, another study forecasts 118,000 retail jobs could be axed in the next three years across the country.

by Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportWith the stock market defying gravity and the legendary market expert, Laszlo Birinyi, tipping the S&P 500 to rise 24% this year, the question is, are there any other reasons to be positive on stocks in 2012?Next week, I will look at reasons for being negative b...

A baby formula made 100 per cent from New Zealand has been pulled by company from stores after a man raised suspicion via email that the milk formula may have caused his young daughter to get sick.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 56 points or 0.4% while the S&P gained 0.6% to 1402 and the Nasdaq added 0.5%.

Sony Mobile Communications recently launched the company's Android-based Xperia Sola that utilizes the "Floating touch" technology. The Xperia Sola is one of the smartphones launched by Sony since the company decided to drop the name “Ericsson” in their mobile business.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), unveiled the next generation iPad early this month. On March 16, the latest iteration of the market leading tablet will be available in shelves in many countries.

Apple, Inc. (NASAQ:AAPL) is willing to give up to $320 for your iPad under their revised Reuse and Recycling Program.

Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) announced on Thursday that it doubled its bond offerings to $2 billion from $1 billion. The amount raised will be used to pay for expansion plans.

After long and tedious legal battle, Australian inventor Ric Richardson won against software giant Microsoft and could take away hundreds of millions of dollars.

Days before the official release of the new iPad version, reports emerged that another edition could hit the market before the end of the current year.

The latest Encyclopaedia Britannica 32-volume edition will be the last to see print as its publisher announced this week the retirement of the book collection after more than two centuries of delivering knowledge to millions to around the world.

The recent release of the new iPad has sparked numerous rumors about the possible release of iPhone 5 within the year. There were many speculations that were formed based on the specifications revealed in the new iPad since both Apple products have the same OS.

Between February and March this year, petrol costs have risen by 3%, causing a downward drift in the Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index. This has many economists worrying, as the fear of recession looms and unemployment figures do not look too uplifting either.

By Andrew NelsonAustralian, US and even European share markets are up and running so far this year, with emerging markets posting even bigger gains.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 16 points or 0.1% while the S&P lost 0.1% to 1394 and the Nasdaq was steady.

Global shipments of tablet computers are forecast to further surge in 2012 following the more than 68 million units that flooded the market in the past year, according to tech marketing research firm IDC.

Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) is planning to issue the largest junk bond issue in Australia. The firm aims to raise $1 billion through the bond issue that will be made up of two tranches.

Microsoft's Windows 8 users will have choice in web browsers as both Google and Mozilla are working on versions of their web browsers Chrome and Mozilla to work in the Metro environment.

The housing market retreated again in the first month of 2012 following its strong showing in December though economists have been upbeat that the rest of the year would witness some form of recovery as investors' confidence regain enough traction.

Australian stocks are once again posting solid gains, on the back of positive gains in the US and Europe overnight. Retail sales in the US came in higher than expected overnight boosting investor sentiment, while encouraging comments from the US Federal Reserve about moderate expansion in the American economy also helped. Results of the US Bank Stress tests were also revealed overnight, with only four of the 19 banks tested failing, although one of them was Citi. The overall banking sector rose ...

The Toyota 86 is enjoying unprecedented attention (for a Toyota) before it goes on sale in Australia in June.

By Greg PeelI suspect the US Federal Reserve is a little bit peeved with Jamie Dimond, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, even if JPM is the Fed's poster child.

By Andrew NelsonNew data from the Commonwealth Bank show an ever increasing amount of Australian exporters are curbing their borrowing intentions because of the continued strength of the Australian dollar.

By Rudi Filapek-VandyckFNArena has added another video to its Investors Education section on the website.

It's been a rough start to the day. It took us a record amount of time to get to Sydney Airport this morning. The rain was torrential. Roads were cut off. As a result, Sydney's already clogged main arteries got worse as the morning wore on.

Last Friday's strong jobs report for February and the revisions to December and January (producing nearly 290,000 new jobs in total) will mean the US Federal Reserve sits on its hands for another six weeks at least.

Business conditions improved a little in February, according to the latest monthly survey from the National Australia Bank, while business confidence fell.

Days after being rejected by a Kiwi billionaire, is there a new saviour on the horizon for embattled Tasmanian wood products group Gunns and its pulp mill project?

Despite losing billions in 2011, bailed-out British banks, including Lloyds and RBS, continued to pay out millions in bonuses to its top executives.