BUSINESS

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed down 419 points or 3.7% to 10,990 while the S&P fell 4.5% to 1140 and the Nasdaq dropped 5.

US consumer prices rose by a surprising 0.5pct in July. Over the year the headline measure rose by 3.6pct largely due to the sharp rebound in gasoline prices.

Asian stock markets ended lower Thursday as worries about the global economic outlook trumped the bargain appeal. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average fell 1.3% to 8943.76, its lowest finish since March 15.

Amazon sites had the largest global audience among major retail and auction sites in June, says comScore, Inc, a source of digital marketing intelligence.

Resource giant BHP Billiton says it will spend US$437 million to expand the Cerrejon Coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia.

A report this week from 9to5mac.com, citing sources inside Apple, says that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has been deciding between an Oct. 7 or Oct. 14 launch date. . If Apple waits for next year, it won't be able to join other vendors taking advantage of lucrative sales during the holiday season.

MARKET CLOSE (4.30pm AEST)The Australian sharemarket lost ground for the second time this week, with the ASX 200 index (XJO) falling 1.2 pts or 52.7 pts to 4251.2 while the broader All Ordinaries index (XAO) dropped 1.2 pct or 52.4 pts to 4319.4. This takes the falls for August so far to 4 pct.

A strong product pipeline and continuing Asian growth have delivered Blackmores (ASX: BKL) its ninth consecutive year of record sales and profits despite Australian retail's problems.

Australian coal-to-retail conglomerate Wesfarmers reported a net profit after tax of $1.9 billion for the full-year ended 30 June 2011, an increase of 22.8 percent on the previous corresponding period despite tough retail conditions.

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.