Insights

The dollar has recovered slightly after slumping to an almost three-month low on Thursday, following better-than-expected business spending figures that reduced the odds of further interest rate cuts.

ANZ could emerge as the largest shareholder in Forge Group following a deal that has allowed the troubled engineer to continue trading after its balance sheet was hurt due to two bad contracts.

The fight for Warrnambool Cheese & Butter could reach skyscraping heights, topping $10 a share, if the company's board endorses a fresh bid from Murray Goulburn.

A march down memory lane

Mark Rowsthorn's new transport and logistics venture, the McAleese Group, had a solid debut on its first day of listing after slashing its issue price following a fatal truck accident in October.

Electricity utilities will be forced to cut planned spending if it is unnecessary, with new controls to be introduced to challenge outlays in a further bid to rein in spending.

Leighton Holdings has rejected a Fairfax Media report that it had been advised its Middle East joint venture would struggle to recover $1.1 billion it is owed.

At first blush it is hard to see what all the fuss is about.

The sharemarket pared early gains to close flat on Thursday, as investors stuck to the sidelines before the US Thanksgiving holiday, with the US markets closed overnight.

Industry superannuation funds are pushing back on proposals to appoint independent directors to their boards and to allow their for-profit rivals to compete for business via industrial awards.

A side deal in the free-trade agreement with the United States that the Howard government negotiated in 2004 is a wildcard as the Abbott government deals with divisions in its ranks over Archer Daniels Midland's $3.4 billion takeover offer for GrainCorp, the biggest grain handler in eastern Australia.

A side deal in the free-trade agreement with the United States that the Howard government negotiated nearly a decade ago is a wildcard as the government deals with divisions in its ranks over Archer Daniels Midland's $3.4 billion takeover offer for GrainCorp, the biggest grain handler in eastern Australia.

As the drums roll for National Australia Bank's annual meeting on December 19, the spotlight will turn to the issue of board renewal, including the bank's chairman Michael Chaney.

Rio Tinto has hinted its iron ore expansion to 360 million tonnes could be delivered at less than half the $US5 billion ($5.5 billion) it was originally tipped to cost, after the miner late on Thursday outlined a strategy for reaching the target.

Electricity utilities will be forced to cut planned spending if it is unnecessary, with new controls to be introduced to challenge outlays in a further bid to rein in spending.

Mark Rowsthorn's new transport and logistics venture, the McAleese Group, had a solid debut on its first day of listing after slashing its issue price following a fatal truck accident in October.