BUSINESS

Australians who make excess concessional contributions to their superannuation may benefit from changes announced by the government Thursday.

Australia's small and big banks have cut down the term deposit rates of their bank products, which could discourage consumers from hoarding cash and explore other investment options.

- Full year earnings from carsales.com better than expected- Company remains well placed to deal with increased competition- Forecasts lifted post the result- Brokers remain unanimous with Buy ratingsBy Chris ShawConsensus forecasts for FY11 net profit for carsales.

Nearly 27,000 South Korean iPhone users are suing Apple for $26 million in a class action lawsuit for alleged privacy violations over the collection of user location information.

A leading food industry consultant has warned that more Australian food processors will be driven out of business as a result of competition between and commercial powers held by major food retailers.

FNArena has added another video to its Investors Education section on the website. In this educational video, ATW's Jerry Simmons explains why we could be witnessing the end of some key trends, including a potential blow off top in the making for gold.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 4 points while the S&P rose 1 point to 1193 and the Nasdaq fell 0.5%.The Nasdaq was lower last night largely due to a weak lead from PC manufacturer Dell, which provided disappointing third quarter guidance after the bell on Tuesday night.

By Kathleen Brooks, Research Director EMEA Forex.comAfter the extreme volatility of last week now is a good time to take stock and consider any technical ramifications of the wild moves in the markets.

US producer prices rose by 0.2pct in July, ahead of expectations for a 0.1pct gain. And core prices (excludes food and energy) rose by 0.4pct - well above forecasts for a 0.2pct gain.

U.S. stocks eked out a slight gain as investors weighed earnings from some high-profile retailers against signs of rising input costs and continued dissatisfaction over efforts to find a solution to Europe's debt woes.

BHP Billiton will continue to outsource its recruitment needs despite details of an employment scam coming to light.

A society in Germany that sees itself as a watchdog for etiquette has labeled pecks on the cheeks at the office as inappropriate. According to the German Knigge Society, kissing is deeply offensive to German sensibilities, and such practices should be eliminated immediately, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

Sony Corp. is dropping the price of its PlayStation 3 gaming console by US$50 or 17 percent, as it looks to spur demand for the 5-year old console ahead of the year-end shopping season. Taiwan-based component makers, DigiTimes reported that production on the PS4 will start at the end of this year, and the new console will be launched next year.

Trading conditions and confidence in small business continued to deteriorate over the June quarter, with all the actual and expectation indicators for small business falling below their five year averages over the quarter, the August 2011 ACCI Small Business Survey shows.

Anyone eagerly waiting for the release of Windows 8 would want to check out Microsoft's new blog, Building Windows 8 which will streamline communications between developers, customers and manufacturers.

Silex Solar, the only Australian company which manufactures solar cells, will continue to manufacture solar panels at its Sydney Olympic Park plant. ABC earlier reported the company will stop making the cells at its western Sydney facility due to the "very tough market".

Every organisation has them – unwritten ground rules that shape the way the business operates.

An Australian human resources company has been left red-faced after receiving an official warning from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for breaching the Spam Act, 2003.

Qantas's CEO Alan Joyce has slammed the claims of unions about the airline's new international strategy that were announced on Tuesday.

Growers of apples in Australia are calling on consumers to buy local produce as they launch a retail fightback against the introduction of imported apples.

Sony is cutting the price of its PlayStation 3 gaming console by $50, in a move designed to drum up more demand for the 5-year old console as competitors like Nintendo also slashed prices on their gaming consoles.

Daily update on share prices and consensus price targets.By Rudi Filapek-VandyckLeighton Holdings ((LEI)) enjoyed a combination of a favourable market response to its released financials as well as reduced valuations and price targets this week.

Hundreds of new jobs will be created with the planned expansion of CSL's manufacturing facility in Victoria, Australia.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 77 points or 0.7% while the S&P lost 1.0% to 1192 and the Nasdaq fell 1.

Apple has plans to launch the next generation iPhone on Friday, October 7, according to a report on 9to5mac.com.

The AUD has held ground overnight despite the release of contrasting economic data from the US and Europe overnight.

By Greg PeelIt was three weeks ago when industry consultant TradeTech noted expectations from uranium market participants that buying interest would be limited for the time being.

Sony Computer Entertainment lowered the worldwide price of its PlayStation 3 by another $50 on Tuesday, knocking its 160GB model to $249, and its 320GB model to $299.

Unlike the receptions for other banks reports or updates this reporting season, Westpac's third quarter trading statement yesterday was given the thumbs down by the market.