BUSINESS

The Australian sharemarket still ended lower on Tuesday after clawing back most of its early losses.

Glencore International AG, the world's biggest commodities trader, and part owner of Australian mining firm XStrata Plc has contracted HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Standard Chartered Plc as its lead underwriters bond offering in succeeding months.

The emerging nations are now in the driver's seat of the world economy, according to the chief executive of a major US investment firm at the Forbes CEO conference in Sydney on Tuesday.

Australian farm chemicals manufacturer Nufarm (NUF.AX) is still confident it can record higher profits after its sales performance hit new lows in its key subsidiaries.

Fisher Investments chief executive Ken Fisher described the present world economic conditions as similar to previous downturns.

The commodities futures market has shown a strong, steady performance despite the existing global market volatilities, which analysts said were still part of the crisis aftershocks.

Treasurer Wayne Swan has rejected an Access Economics prediction that the budget will slip back into deficit after a surplus in 2012/13.

Mud holes along the Sydney – Melbourne rail track are seen as an effect of the recent re-sleeping project of the government-owned Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) admitted on Tuesday that it was entertaining the possibility of merger with smaller exchange groups and talks were indeed being conducted leading to that eventuality.

The Australian currency continued to trade near a two-year high on Tuesday noon as a hawkish Australian interest rate outlook offset profit-taking.

The Australian bourse remained in the negative territory at Tuesday noon after receiving mixed leads from offshore trading overnight.

Chief executives remain positive about the prospects for the Australian economy, despite an inconclusive general election leaving the country in political limbo for days, according to fresh data released today.

Tourism Queensland is setting aside the 'Where Else but Queensland' theme for a new one.

WorkSafe Victoria said on Tuesday that it has issued directives for Esso Australia to check on the alleged corrosion problems at its Longford oil and gas facilities following the occurrence of the series of oil and gas leaks in August this year and November last year.

His entrepreneurial spirit will not be put down easily, not by a technical glitch or by any other trouble at hand. Billionaire Richard Branson launched his latest space tourism project amidst a flight technical glitch that grounded his airline company Virgin Blue.

High-end retailer David Jones Ltd (ASX: DJS) said on Tuesday that it is right on track to achieve its 2010/11 profit guidance though it admitted that in order to reach the higher range of its earnings forecast, the company must experience a full swing recovery for the whole of the fiscal year.

The next decade will be difficult for Australia's poor because the prices of fruits and vegetables are expected to rise.

After almost two days of a computer system glitch, Virgin Blue CEO Richard Branson had to personally apologise to customers/passengers for the chaotic delays.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and ice cream company Ben and Jerry settled for dropping the phrase 'all natural' from all product labels.

With a lack of economic releases during the offshore session, the markets were fairly subdued.

In an otherwise quiet session yesterday the Australian dollar managed to once again touch fresh 26-month highs.

The Chicago Fed activity index fell from -0.11 to -0.53 in August. The sub indices of employment, production and income eased in the month. Similarly the Dallas Fed manufacturing index of general business activity fell from -13.5 to -17.5 in September.

U.S. stocks lost steam in the final stretch to finish lower as Wall Street paused from a four week winning stretch even as corporate America engaged in another round of deal making.

The National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) took the first step in preparing for the strict government rulings on credit card use by cutting a range of credit card fees.

Wesfarmers Limited (ASX: WES) and Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW) are preparing for the expected increase in demand for home improvement items.

A mechanical heart invented in Queensland needs to go through animal studies. The lack of funds, however, has put the studies on hold.

The Australian sharemarket opens lower after the U.S. sharemarkets eased on Monday.

Greenpeace protesters are up against the selling of Wyeth's S-26 baby formula in supermarkets.

The Australian currency finished near a two-year high on Monday, its high-yield appeal clearly working in its advantage amid growing speculation the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may lift domestic rates as soon as next week.