BUSINESS

Australia Stock Market Overview - 09/27/2011

MORNING REPORT (7am AEST)US new home sales eased by 2.3pct to an annual rate of 295,000 in August, in line with the consensus forecast. There were just 162,000 new homes available for sale - the lowest on record. The Chicago national activity indicator weakened from an upwardly revised reading of +0.02 in July to minus 0.43 points in August. The Dallas Fed manufacturing output index lifted from +1.1 in July to +5.9 in August.

Minecraft 1.9 Leaked; Quick Guide to Install Pre-Release

The developers of Minecraft are burning the midnight oil to meet the goal of unveiling a full version of Minecraft on 11/11/11. Just two weeks after releasing Minecraft 1.8, another adventure update to the sandbox building indie video game written in Java by Swedish creator Markus "Notch" Persson, has been leaked. Persson has also tweeted that Minecraft 1.10 is in the works.
More news

$5.8M Gold Coast Mansion Sells Prior to Auction

A Tallai mansion previously voted house of the year by the Queensland Master Builders Association has been snapped up by an undisclosed buyer for $5.8 million prior to its auction on October 5.

Hoaxes Aside, What if Facebook Started Charging?

If Facebook starts charging users $1 for a life-time membership, Mark Zuckerberg and company would gross $800 million. If the social-networking charges $1 per month, it would receive a whopping $9.6 billion a year assuming all users are willing to pay up.

Kogan Stops Selling Samsung Galaxy Tab

Apple is currently in a legal battle with Samsung to ban the device from Australia due to patent infringements. Samsung had agreed not to sell in Australia until the hearing in Sydney is concluded. Apple had asked Kogan to withdraw the product and threatened to sue the retailer along with Samsung if it didn't comply.

Oil Prices to Hover Low between $75 to $90 Range

In spite the tightening of oil supplies as Libya is yet to regain its normal oil production output, the prime commodity is expected to fall a third straight day on Friday to to $80.09 per barrel.

Rio Tinto May Sell Part of Aluminum Business: Report

Rio Tinto is mulling to spin off a fraction of its Australian aluminum assets as a planned carbon emissions tax would surely raise costs and lower profit margins for the global mining company, the Australian Financial Review said Monday.

Amazon’s Tablet Could be iPad’s Only Serious Challenger

Several have tried to unseat Apple as King of the Tablets but they've all fallen by the wayside. Samsung, Motorola, Acer and Research in Motion have all fielded their tablets only to be beaten by the Apple giant. Hewlett Packard tried with the TouchPad this summer and is now scrambling to recuperate its losses.

Union Instructs Qantas Ground Staff to Strike on Sept. 30

Qantas Airways on monday claimed the Transport Workers Union (TWU) has instructed 3,800 baggage handlers, ground staff, and other Qantas employees to go on strike for one hour on Friday, 30 September to target Qantas passengers on one of the busiest weekends of the year.

Kathmandu A Preferred Retail Exposure

- Kathmandu result solid given tough conditions- Earnings growth to be driven by new stores, refurbishments- Stock seen as offering value at current levels- Buy ratings continue to dominateBy Chris ShawRetail conditions have been tough for some time, so the fact Kathmandu Holdings ((KMD)) delivered ...

Material Matters: Equities and Commodities, Plus The End For Nexus?

- Disconnect between equity and physical commodity markets- Some evidence bulk commodity markets are close to cracking- An assessment of potential Oz economic downside- MD departure signals issues at NexusBy Chris ShawRecent equity market moves imply both spot commodity prices and future expectation...

Visa, MasterCard to Raise Debit Card Swipe Fees

Payment networks Visa and MasterCard will impose the highest fees for even the smallest debit transaction for cards issued by JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup as allowed by a U.S. law that put caps on such fees.

Brothers Grimm At The IMF/World Bank Meetings

Kathleen Brooks, Research Director UK EMEA, FOREX.comWhat a week. The race to the bottom between the majors is well and truly on and right now Europe is winning a race that a no one wants to win.

Australian Stock Market - Morning Report 09/26/2011

Finance ministers and central bank officials from G20 countries said that they would take all actions to address problems in the global financial system: ´´We commit to take all necessary actions to preserve the stability of banking systems and financial markets as required.´´

iPhone 5 Release Date Oct. 4? Think Outside the Box

While the iPhone 5 will be the center of everyone's attention, note that according to Antoine Saint Exupery, what's essential is invisible to the eye. Aside from betting that the iPhone 5 won't have radical changes, you should think outside the box when comprehending what happens on Oct. 4 and thereafter.

S. Korea to Revive its Stem Cell Research Program

South Korea President Lee Myung-bak announced on Friday of the government's plan to invest $90 million reviving its stem cell research next year aiming for a "core new growth engine" after the industry suffered a setback for more than a year.

Some Japanese Industries Now Requiring English for Job Seekers

As Japan struggles with its soaring yen, a series of catastrophes and a plummeting domestic business market, thousands of Japanese citizens are spending a fortune to enhance their English communications skills, which they believe is the key factor in retaining or earning a job opportunity, Reuters reported.

Aussie First Time Buyers Not Worried About Overseas Investors

New research from mortgage provider RAMS Home Loans show first home buyers in Australia aren't overly concerned about foreign investor competition in the property market. Despite talk of overseas investment into the Australian property market, local buyers say they are not worried.

Pages