BUSINESS

U.S. stocks rose as euro-zone leaders negotiated a new pact to stem Europe's sovereign-debt crisis and a strong start to the holiday shopping season helped boost the retail sector.

US new home sales rose by 1.3pct in October - marking the fastest pace of growth in five months. The supply of new homes on the market eased modestly from 6.4 to 6.3 months supply. The Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index rose from 2.3 to 3.2 in November.

- Citi initiates on Oroton With Neutral rating- Stockbroker sees stock as fair value at present- Asia offers upside potential but some time away- Only non-Buy recommendation in FNArena databaseBy Chris ShawPrior to today, luxury goods retailer OrotonGroup ((ORL)) was rated as a Buy by all four broke...

Despite union opposition, Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the national carrier still plans to push through setting up a hub in southeast Asia and to fast track plans to enter into closer alliances with other airlines.

By Greg PeelThe Dow rose 291 points or 2.6% while the S&P added 2.9% to 1192 and the Nasdaq jumped 3.5%.

Mindoro Resources Ltd (TSX VENTURE: MIO) (ASX: MDO) (FRANKFURT:WKN 906167) announced that it has received commitments for C$1.2 million in Australia under its Private Placement which was announced on 22 November 2011. Trading of the Company's CDIs on the ASX will re-commence today. The Lead Manager of the Australian component of the Private Placement is DJ Carmichael Pty Ltd based in Perth.

Owning an Android smartphone provides advantage to its owners because of the advanced features on the device such as applications to view all of email accounts in one page or social networking sites.

The Australian Retailers Association warned members Monday to brace for weak Christmas sales based on the performance of the retail sector for the last 18 months.

In reading the biography of "Steve Jobs" written by Walter Isaacson one gets to grasp the man is no god, he was quite human in all aspects that some readers would actually be disappointed of the truths revealed.

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) launched its high-frequency trading platform, ASX Purematch, in a bid to boost its competition with the Chi-X Australia, which has gained over 2 per cent market share in less than one month of trading.

The international market for commodity products could be softening thanks to financial crises in Europe and the United States.

The cost-cutting measures initiated by Australians are affecting the bottomline of manufacturers. One of the food producers, Campbell Soup, admitted being hit by the weak consumer environment in Australia.

Floods triggered by heavy rains have isolated two towns in northern New South Wales and swept away a boy leading to his death.

The mining consultant of Surbiton Associated doubts the Greens' estimate of the Australian gold industry in relation to how much the mining tax would generate if it would to apply to the gold industry.

- Woodside guidance disappoints on production, capex- Stockbrokers lower forecasts, price targets- Confidence in management shaken says BA-ML- Buy ratings still dominateBy Chris ShawWoodside Petroleum ((WPL)) held its annual investor update last Friday and the news with respect to production guidanc...

Rio Tinto and Chinalco joint venture (JV) for exploration in China - Chinalco Rio Tinto Exploration Co. Ltd. (CRTX) - has been officially registered as a business in China.

Black Friday has for so long such a uniquely after Thanksgiving event and is more widely known as the principal earning day in retail-sales.

The Chinese authorities have succeeded in making good on their promise to lower property prices, but this bid to make housing affordable for the greater half of the Chinese population mightprove particularly costly for the Chinese economy as a whole.

Low-doc lenders need to provide brokers with better education, Pepper Home Loans has said.

The National Broadband Network (NBN) roll out is heading the right direction, according to NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley and more will be accomplished once its $11 billion deal with Telstra Corporation gains approval from the competition watchdog.

Despite the cut in cash rate implemented by the central bank this November, Australian retailers are far from being optimistic as key players reported of discouraging numbers that are at best, descriptive of challenging trading situations.

Reports have emerged that Microsoft has rediscovered its interest on ailing search engine firm Yahoo, with tech news site Digital Trends confirming on Thursday that the two entities have agreed to commence preliminary procedures toward a possible deal.

Bank of Melbourne has expanded its BDM access in a move tipped by its new head of broker, Clive Kirkpatrick.

The federal government plans to carve billions of dollars from spending in next week's mid year review to achieve a budget surplus in 2012-13 financial year.

Android smartphones have flooded tech stores worldwide and are distributed by a lot of vendors. In a way, it has somehow replaced the personal digital assistant (PDA) which originally has smart functions.

by Peter Switzer, Switzer Super ReportThe predicament we investors find ourselves in is reminiscent of Woody Allen's take on the Cold War where the threat then was a nuclear war.

The City Central Police arrested on Wednesday a 35-year-old Australian woman who was the manager of a bank and allegedly defrauded her employer of $4.1 million in eight months.

Qantas assured its passengers on Thursday that the strike-prone flag carrier would not suffer from another industrial action for the next four years.

The euro fell to a new six-week low against the dollar Thursday after French, German and Italian leaders agreed not to widen the role of the European Central Bank to support weaker euro-zone state