Agribusiness
Indonesian abattoir now meets standards: Elders
Rural services company Elders said an abattoir it used in Indonesia would now comply with animal welfare standards even though it was identified by a departmental report as having breached the rules.
Hobby farmer par excellence
A winemaker of note has turned his hand to livestock for the perfect complement.
Construction & engineering
Gillard contrasts Ichthys success with euro crisis
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used the official ground-breaking ceremony at Inpex’s $US34 billion Ichthys LNG project in Darwin to reiterate the boost resources are giving to the Australian economy.
Give St Hilliers stick, says minister
St Hilliers Construction has restarted work on four projects - one day after work halted as the company went into voluntary administration.
Energy & utilities
AGL Energy (AGK)
Morningstar has maintained its “accumulate” recommendation on AGL Energy ahead of the company’s plans to take full ownership of Loy Yang A brown coal fired power station and mine in Victoria.
SP AusNet (SPN)
Morningstar has retained its “hold” investment rating on SP AusNet saying that the company’s 2012 result was overshadowed by its $434 million equity raising.
Financial services industry
South Africa ‘confident’ of solution to Iran oil ban
South Africa, which receives a quarter of its crude from Iran, is holding almost daily discussions with the US, EU Union and Iran about reducing its purchases.
Northern Rock rescue may cost taxpayer £2bn
Rescuing Northern Rock could cost British taxpayers £2 billion, but it should be seen as the cost of securing financial stability, according to the National Audit Office.
Manufacturing
US turns up heat in solar dispute with China
The United States hit Chinese solar companies with punitive import tariffs of 30 per cent or more on Thursday, ruling they had dumped cut-price solar panels into the U.S. market.
China not the only game in town: banker
Australian companies are diversifying their connections across emerging world markets to provide some buffer from any slowdown in China, a leading banker says.
Materials & packaging
Roxon takes a tough package Washington
Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon was in Washington DC this week to speak about the government’s cigarette plain-packaging laws.
Coles deal boosts bioplastics maker
Gordon Merchant’s bioplastics packaging company Plantic Technologies is anticipating a fivefold increase in sales and hopes to turn a profit for the first time in nine years after clinching a new supply contract with Coles.
Media & marketing
News Corp (NWS)
Deutsche Bank has maintained its “buy” rating on News Corp following the release of the media giant’s March quarter results last week.
Buffett bets on newspapers with Media General
Media General said on Thursday that it had sold nearly all of its 63 newspaper properties to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway for $US142 million in cash.
Information technology
Twitter shows users how to spread their wings
Twitter wants to guide new hatchlings as they venture out of the virtual nest with tailored “follow” suggestions.
I’m no tax dodger: Facebook’s Saverin
Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has rejected claims he renounced his US citizenship and moved out of the country to avoid paying tax on his stake in soon-to-list Facebook.
Resources & Mining
Barnett lauds ‘historic’ WA future fund
WA Premier Colin Barnett has labelled the state’s new $1 billion future fund “historic” and says it is the first time a state budget has looked to secure benefits for the next generation and beyond.
Gold ticks higher after largest one-day gain in three months
Gold ticked up on Friday, after posting its largest one-day gain in more than three months, but prices were on track to drop for a third straight week on mounting worries over the euro-zone debt crisis.
Retail & wholesale
Gap beats Wall Street's profit estimates
Gap Inc raised its profit forecast, prompted by first-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street and by rising sales.
Wal-Mart profit trumps bribery probe concerns
Wal-Mart Stores’s quarterly profit and sales surpassed expectations as more people shopped its established US stores and spent more too.
