Agribusiness
Company briefs
Grocery wholesaler Metcash is entering into joint ventures with independent retailers to protect and expand the market share of hardware chain Mitre 10.
Beach tips early first shale sales
APPEA | The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) conference and exhibition continues was at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Construction & engineering
CSR (CSR)
Citigroup has downgraded its price target on CSR to $1.80 from $1.98 a share but kept its “neutral” recommendation on the stock following the group’s full-year result.
Hip to be Federation Square
A decade on, Melbourne’s Federation Square is still attracting and repelling critics.
Energy & utilities
Hubei Energy signs $US2.4bn power plant deal
China's Hubei Energy has signed an agreement with the Suizhou county government to build a power plant with total capacity of 4000 megawatts, an investment worth $US2.37 billion.
SP AusNet (SPN)
Merrill Lynch has increased its price target on SP AusNet to $1.15 from $1.10 a share following the company’s result and equity-raising announcement.
Financial services industry
IAG UK business under review
Updated | IAG is to put its loss-making UK business under review for potential sale after considering options including improving the existing business and focusing more on motor insurance.
CBA lifts earnings to $1.75bn
Updated | Commonwealth Bank of Australia has lifted cash earnings to $1.75 billion in the third quarter amid “challenging” conditions in retail banking.
Manufacturing
Japanese firm unveils gesture controls
Japanese technology titan NEC has unveiled a gadget that allows users to control their TV, mobile phone or tablet computer using a virtual input device.
Apple readies iPhone with bigger screen: sources
Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, people familiar with the situation said.
Materials & packaging
Billabong founder’s green punt coming up red
It’s not easy being green, as Billabong founder and environmentalist Gordon Merchant found after he outlaid $10 million in 2010 to gain control of Plantic Technologies, which makes plastic packaging from corn.
CSR remains upbeat on home starts
Building materials group CSR has reported net profit of $76.3 million and said it expected fewer housing starts this year, however housing alteration activity should improve.
Media & marketing
Facebook's IPO: who gets rich?
The rich are going to get richer when Silicon Valley's biggest IPO starts trading on Friday.
Emergency: Ian Mannix
Carving out a new emergency role for the ABC required a change of thinking about news for Ian Mannix.
Information technology
JB Hi-Fi (JBH)
JB Hi-Fi’s days of being a must-have stock are over after last month’s profit downgrade, the second in the space of six months.
HTC shares tumble as patent case delays US sales
US sales of two new smartphones from Taiwan's HTC will be delayed due to a patent dispute with Apple, a fresh blow to the company as it tries to turn around declining sales in what was once its largest market.
Resources & Mining
Leighton reviewing disclosure methods
Leighton Holdings has appointed an external consultant to review its disclosure procedures after breaching laws and being fined $300,000 earlier this year.
Paladin backs early return at Malawi mine
Paladin Energy said discussions with the Local Staff Association (LSA) and government officials in Malawi were continuing in a bid to get striking employees at the Kayelekera uranium mine back to work.
Retail & wholesale
JB Hi-Fi (JBH)
JB Hi-Fi’s days of being a must-have stock are over after last month’s profit downgrade, the second in the space of six months.
