BUSINESS

Gold prices registered gains on Thursday’s closing as investors scrambled to secure bullion purchases in anticipation of the August job data that could lead to a tottering US labour market and the expected rush for the safe-haven investments.

The seasonally adjusted Australian Industry Group (AI Group)-Commonwealth Bank Australian Performance of Services Index stayed below the critical 50-point level for the fourth consecutive month.

The National Broadband Network (NBN) primary player Telstra Corporation Limited (ASX: TLS) disclosed plans of selling its shares in SouFun Holdings

Groupola recently polled 1, 198 couples in the United Kingdom to ask them: Who tops your list of guilt-free celebrity hook-ups? Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the women participating in the survey chose Angelina Jolie's man Brad Pitt. Hollywood's Megan Fox is the top choice of seventy-two percent (72%) of the men.

As the US economy continues its slow recovery, oil prices barrelled through the $US75 per barrel with the light, sweet crude settled at $US1.11 to fetch $US75.02 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange while Brent crude traded at $US0.56 to end up at $US76.91 a barrel on the ICE future exchange.

Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) and its chief executive Andrew Forrest are being sued by top US investor Leucadia National (NYSE:LUK) for alleged "misleading and deceptive conduct".

Trading at the Australian Stock Exchange is going strong for the third straight day. The September share price index contract went up 30 points at 4,559.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (ASX: BEN) senior executives are attending a global investor roadshow set for Monday in New York.

Australia's aborigines cry 'Noonkanbah' when the West Australian government started acquiring land for Woodside Petroleum Limited's (ASX: WPL) $30 billion gas project.

The wheat crop production in New South Wales will be the highest in the state.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) wants credit providers to transact business according to the new 11 regulatory guides.

Fast-food chain Burger King is to be sold to investment firm 3G Capital for $US3.26 billion in a deal analysts said would give the restaurant breathing room to fix its business.

The Australian bourse has closed stronger on Thursday as investors took heart from positive economic data. The market posted a second successive day of strong gains, with all sectors in the black.

The Australian share market has posted a second successive day of good gains with all sectors showing strength. Thursday's rise reflected the positive mood on Wall Street after its best day in eight weeks.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed on Thursday that the country’s trade surplus in July barely made it to the $2 billion mark, sharply detracting from the $3.438 billion surplus posted in the prior month and way below the $3.1 billion previously projected by most economists.

As the Western Australian government started the process of compulsory land acquisition in the Kimberley region, north of WA, Woodside Petroleum Ltd declared on Thursday that the $1.25 billion work program for its Browse liquefied natural gas (LNG) development project will push through and completion should be expected by mid-part of 2012.

The property market gains of 12.5 percent for new housing in the June quarter could take a slow down over the medium term.

Risk is back in fashion. Global share markets have entered a patch of blue sky on the back of sunnier economic reports from around the world.

A fifty percent rise in electricity prices within a five year span is an alarming figure.

A 77 percent decline in exports to China resulted in a worse than expected trade figures for July.

Energy firm Mosaic Oil NL said on Thursday that PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities Ltd (PWC) had concluded that the acquisition proposal pushed forward by AGL Energy Ltd was wholly advantageous to the interests of the target shareholders.

The Australian bourse held its ground in the black by Thursday noon, although stocks have trimmed some opening gains as profit-taking set in.

Credit demand of Australia's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) plunged 5.6 percent in the second quarter.

Rio Tinto Ltd’s expansion campaign in the Pilbara region is further boosted as the mining giant formally unveiled the operation of its $US1.5 billion Brockman 4 iron ore mine site in Western Australia.

Australia-based beverage company Foster's Group Limited (ASX:FGL) today announced that Chief Financial Officer Angus McKay has submitted his resignation to join ports and rail operator Asciano Group (ASX:AIO) .

According to a lawyer who defended a case against Nintendo, the lawsuit that Sony filed against manufacturers of mod chips for the Playstation 3 may be the first of many that game console makers will file in Australia.

Even with the effects of the global financial crisis, at a combined annual growth rate of 4.7 per cent, the world retirement market is forecast to expand 66 per cent by 2020 with total assets climbing from $35 trillion in 2009 to almost $58 trillion.

No one else would take a critical stance against closing a tourist spot such as Fraser Island but tourism operators.

Giant mining firm BHP Billiton Ltd has announced on Wednesday that it made some revisions on its proposal to acquire Canadian fertiliser maker Potash Corp of Saskatchewan, though the miner admitted that the adjustment were immaterial to the bid’s current status.