BUSINESS

Stocks snapped a three-day slide as investors latched onto glimmers of hope in headlines from Germany, Italy and the U.S. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 275.56 points, or 2.47%, to 11414.86, closing at the day's highs.

The Australian economy isn't dying in a ditch or sliding towards a recession; yesterday's national accounts for the June quarter make that clear.

Macquarie Group's profit warning yesterday has been a while coming: in fact quite a few analysts and investors have been expecting something like this since the mixed update ahead of the annual meeting in late July.

If you have not yet booked a table for the Australian Mortgage Awards (AMAs) time is running out.

With home prices still falling, new mortgage delinquencies rising again, millions of mortgages already in the foreclosure pipeline, and consumer confidence in the housing market near nil, President Obama is expected to include some new housing fix in his post-Labor Day speech to the nation on jobs and the economy.

Spring sales are looking very promising in the New Zealand residential real estate market as the median price for homes ticks upward, inventory remains low after a period of distressed property buys and economic confidence improves.

US mortgage brokers have called on the Obama administration and the US Congress to encourage the nation's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to rescind its loan originator compensation rule.

So Qantas shareholders had no dividend in the 2011 financial year, they have watched the share price fall 16% so far this calendar year, and now they will be told, if they can understand it, that CEO Alan Joyce received a 71% pay rise to $5 million.

Shelter NSW, a social change agency committed to working for a fair and just housing system, today expressed concern that the NSW Budget does not include sufficient support for the National Rental Affordability Scheme.

Global data centre provider Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR) has nabbed 162 and 163 Radnor Drive, a 30,250 square meter development site, in Melbourne for a purchase price of approximately AU $4.1 million. This represents the second acquisition in Australia for Digital Realty Trust.

There's been quite a change in the Reserve Bank's view of the economy and the world since the August 6 board meeting.

In the midst of fears about the nation’s economy, World Bank Chief Robert Zoellick stated that the United States will not slip into another recession.

A recent survey revealed that Australian households' fuel and power bills are only taking up the same portion from our budget as they did six years ago, while petrol spending is even lower. Household income has rose 50 per cent since 2003-04, compared to hike of prices which have increased 19 per cent. Spending grew 38 per cent.

Samsung is reportedly planning to buy Nokia and Intel's MeeGo operating system just as it confirmed it was not buying Hewlett Packards webOS.

Aspiring home buyers in Australia will find that buying a home in NSW has become "simply unachievable" for some, real estate experts have advised. Exemptions on stamp duty will now be restricted to newly built and "off the plan" properties only.

Supermarket giant Coles is moving to a 100 percent Australian housebrand cheese for its stores.

After a three-month long of oil spills in China’s Bohai Bay, Energy Giant ConocoPhillips has issued an apology to China and vowed to release funds to ameliorate the conditions of the affected environment, says a Reuters report.

Qantas Airways' long-haul pilots described the unprecedented 71 per cent package increase for Qantas CEO today as “rubbing salt in the wound.”

Canadian company RIM on Tuesday unveiled BBM Music, a new cloud-based, music sharing service, which could be a much needed revenue generator.

Eager Droid Bionic fans can get a chance to win the device for free in Verizon and Motorola’s new scavenger hunt.

Beijing-COSCO Group, a giant state-owned conglomerate shipping company in China demands to small ship owners in dry bulk freight to reduce their rental costs.

Qantas pilots have lost a dispute with the airline and its New Zealand subsidiary, Jetconnect.

The Australian dollar nudged higher after latest official figures showed the nation’s economy is stronger than expected. According to the latest ABS figures, GDP grew 1.2 per cent in the June quarter 2011and 1.4 per cent from a year earlier.

New reports about the next generation iPad are claiming the iPad 3 will have thinner and lighter batteries that will have more a longer service life but will be 30 percent more expensive than those found in the current iPad 2.

Australian manufacturer Bega Cheese announced on Wednesday that it inked a five-year agreement with supermarket Chain Coles to sell its cheese products.

NSW and Queensland broking business Pink Finance is experiencing growth on the back of its charity-focused branding.

Australia's economy proved to be stronger than expected in the second quarter, recovering from the devastating floods that disrupted coal and agricultural production earlier this year.

The NSW Budget will effectively price many first homebuyers out of the market, a top broker has said.

Brisbane has earned the dubious distinction of recording the largest property declines of any Australian capital city.