BUSINESS

BTIG expands into fixed income and equity capital markets

BTIG LLC, a broker dealer focused in institutional trading and related brokerage services, has announced its expansion into fixed income and equity capital markets. The move is seen to allow issuers a variety of solutions across their entire balance sheet and complements BTIG's existing lines of business, while leveraging its distribution platform and the deep experience and relationships of its sales and trading professionals.

ABS says home financing plunges as first home buyers avoid the market

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed that the overall volume of owner-occupied housing slid to its lowest level since April 2001 as housing finance commitments declined by 3.4 percent in March to 48,260 following the government’s withdrawal of its stimulus suite grants for first home buyers.

Gold prices soar to new record highs

The Australian gold stocks had inspired a beehive trading on Wednesday following the precious metal’s spot price record spikes in US trading overnight, with the spot gold price reaching as high as $US1,234.55 per fine ounce in the US session.
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Amcor plans to combine Australasian operations

Paper maker Amcor Ltd is set to merge with Amcor Packaging Distribution and eventually combine all its Australasian operations into Amcor Australasia and Packaging Distribution, which will be based in Melbourne and set to be headed by US-based Nigel Garrard.

Transfield sells wind farm to Meridian

Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund (TSI) sold its 70-megawatt Mt Millar wind farm in South Australia to New Zealand-state owned Meridian Energy for $191 million.

Samsung reveals plan of billion dollar investments in healthcare and green sectors

Samsung Group announced Tuesday that it is set to invest a total of $US20 billion in healthcare and green energy sectors by 2020, which would create thousands of new jobs as company chairman Lee Kun-Hee hinted that governments around the world are channelling billions to sustainable energy over concerns on the planets dwindling resources.

iPad to be sold in Aussie stores on May 28

Australians who want to get hold of Apple's latest electronic gadget, iPad, will have the opportunity to get hold of this latest device on May 28. In a statement, Apple said the iPad would be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK before the end of this month.

Asciano Group reveals impairments of more than a billion dollars

Transport company Asciano Group has revealed Tuesday that it is set to book impairment charges of up to $1.1 billion by the second half of fiscal year 2010 following recommendations from its internal audit and risk committee, even as the company has reaffirmed its earning guidance of close to $700 million for the full year 2009/10.

Transfield Fund sets in motion capital restructuring

Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund has announced Tuesday of plans for capital restructuring which involves a capital raising of up to $110 million and selling its Mt Millar Wind Farm for $191 million, as it added that TSI Fund is also set to extend its corporate debt maturity to May 2015.

Xtrata halts $30M copper explorations

Xtrata declared suspension on its $30 million copper exploration in central Queensland a week after the federal government released the proposed resource super profits tax.

Melbourne collects $125 thousand as Metro came late again in April

The Melbourne government is set to collect about $125,000 in compensation from the city’s train operator Metro, as it again failed to meet its punctuality target for the month of April, with only 84.5 percent of trains running on time, which is just 3.5 percent shy of meeting its 88 percent goal, that would have allowed the company to write off the fine.

Avexa shares plunge as company halts HIV program

Avexa Ltd shares tumbled by almost 78 percent or up to 2.7 cents on Monday as the drug company announced that it is ending Apricitabine (ATC), its lead HIV program, amidst the resignation of its chief executive Julian Chick who is set to leave by end of May.

Peabody lowers bid for Macarthur share

American company Peabody Energy reduced its offer to buy each share of Macarthur Coal at $15 a share from its previous offer of $16 a share. The proposal came in the midst of the growing disagreement on the Australian government's proposed super-profits tax scheme.

Standard & Poor's discloses change to U.S. Index

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's on Friday announced a change to U.S. index. The agency said that Tibco Software Inc. would replace Brink's Home Security Holdings Inc. in the S&P MidCap 400 index after the close of trading on Friday, May 14. Brink's Home Security Holdings is being acquired by Tyco International Ltd. in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date, pending final approvals.

Kraft Foods gains with Cadbury integration

Kraft Foods Inc. reported strong first quarter 2010 results bouyed by good operating momentum in every geography. Volume/mix improved sequentially from the fourth quarter 2009 and contributed significantly to income growth and margin expansion for Kraft Foods' base business.

Simon Property Group offers $6.5bn for General Growth

U.S. real estate giant Simon Property Group (SPG) is proposing what is described as its "best and final offer," $6.5 billion or $20.00 per share to acquire General Growth Properties, Inc. (GGP) in a fully financed deal.

JB Hi-Fi reaffirms sales guidance despite low sales performance

Consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi reaffirmed its sales guidance Friday of close to $3 billion even as its March and April sales failed to hit marked expectations and reflected the dwindling effects of government stimulus programs and increasing interest rates.

Feds say Telstra will cooperate with NBN project

The federal government has expressed confidence that Telstra would eventually become a partner for its national broadband network project which should reduce its mammoth cost once the rollout begins.

Alumina upbeat on better market outlook for 2010

Alumina Ltd has reported Friday that market outlook for 2010 is far better though still falling short on levels seen in 2008, as chief executive John Bevan told shareholders gathered for a general meet in Melbourne that company outlook this year is much more positive for the market.

Survey reports a busier construction sector in April

With an onslaught of new orders and flat building increase, the construction sector turned into a beehive again in April as a new survey by the Australian Industry (Ai) Group-Housing Industry Association (HIA) performance of construction index (PCI) surged from 4.8 points in April to a seasonally adjusted 55.8 points.

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