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Australia's largest speciality clothing retailer announced a slash in its expected profit margins for the next year. Just Group Ltd. (JST) projected earnings per share to fall between 29.2 cents and 30.6 cents in the financial year ending July 31. This was a 12 percent cut in its 2008 forecast when it had projected bullish earnings last month itself. Advertisement: read more

Allco Finance (AFG), struggling fund manager, announced that its bankers have granted further extension on its senior debt facility of up to $1.5 billion. It further added that its talks with its bankers continue on a positive note. AFG has agreed for an extension for $250 million bridging facility as it received an extension of deadline till July 31. Banks have granted the new deadline to the company to sort out its refinancing while they still continue to call shots inside Allco. Advertisement: read more

A consortium of 25 banks has agreed to continue providing $2.8 billion loan to Babcock & Brown. The company shall completely overhaul its business model along with reducing its dependence on balance sheet. The company shall also avoid any fire sales in coming times. Advertisement: read more

ABC Learning was the overall best performing stock - taking in a 57.53 percent increase in their share price this week. It was a mixture of learning services, energy, support services, and mining companies who were among the best performing stocks for the week 26 of 2008 of the Australian sharemarket: ABC Learning (ABS), Paladin Energy (PDN), Brambles (BXB), Iluka Resources (ILU). These best performing stocks managed gains above 15.32 percent by the end of the trading week. Advertisement: read more

Felix Resources was the overall worst performing stock taking in a 20.07 percent decrease in their share price. Among the worst performing stocks for the week 26 of 2008 of the Australian sharemarket were a mixture of property management, agribusiness, mining, utility infrastructure services: Valad Property (VPG), GPT Group (GPT), Futuris Corporation (FCL), Felix Resources (FLX), Spark Infrastructure (SKI), Great Southern (GTP). These worst performing stocks for week 26 of 2008 recorded losses above 14.44 percent by the end of the trading week. Advertisement: read more

Lend Lease plans to expand its business in retirement homes. As Australia's population is moving quickly into the grey region, the company sees growth prospects in the business. It plans to takeover Babcock and Brown's listed funds to break away B&B Communities (BBC) from its parent company. Lend Lease was listed as one of the prospective buyers of 6.18 percent substantial stake for Babcock and Brown Communities, which owns substantial number of retirement homes and aged-care facilities. Advertisement: read more

No one can go on trading at top speed all the time! Advertisement: read more

It is surprising to note that most CFD traders trade online without having any specific trading plan with them. They do not fully comprehend the details of any CFD trading system. There are several types of trading systems available that are purely mechanical. However, there are several other systems that also rely on trader judgment which is gained over a period of time and experience in the market. Advertisement: read more

It was officially revealed today that Rudd government has officially prohibited any move by China's state owned Sinosteel to acquire stakes in Murchison Metal. The Foreign Investment Review Board would delay its decision for 90 days about Chinese take over bid on West Australia's mining company. Rudd government is planning for new regime that would limit foreign stakes in Australian companies or their take over. Advertisement: read more

Markets reaction to announcement from Futuris Corporation was sharp and devastating after it announced that its full year profit would be lower by nearly 20 percent. It also flagged it's non-performing and non-core assets on sale. The scrip remained battered throughout the day to close down at 36.5 cents or 27 percent at 97 cents which was lowest since August 2005. The shares have fallen nearly 55 percent this year. Advertisement: read more

So what is the difference between a stockmarket, sharemarket and a bourse? Advertisement: read more

The British Gas giant, BG Group, is back with its offer bid price of $15.50 a share for a hostile takeover of Origin Energy (ORG). Its offer had been earlier rejected its offer stating that the sale price has to be "a lot more" that $15.50 a share price. This time the BG has offered the price directly to its shareholders. It had earlier offered a price of $14.70 a-share price but had revised it by 48 percent to $15.50. Advertisement: read more

A friendly takeover is the opposite of a hostile takeover. A friendly takeover occurs when the offer by the bidder is accepted by the board of directors of the target company and recommended to their shareholders. The board would usually accept an offer from the bidder if the offer is beneficial to and serves the interest of the target company's shareholders. Advertisement: read more

A reverse takeover is business jargon for a private company taking over a public company. This action is usually seen as the back door strategy or technique for a private company to be floated on the stock market, bypassing the cost of time and money of a conventional IPO (Intial Public Offering - i.e. float). Advertisement:

A takeover is business jargon meaning the purchase of a company (the takeover target) by another company (the bidder or acquirer). Usually, as larger companies are usually public companies listed on a trading stock exchange, takeover also means the acquisition of these types of companies. You can have hostile takeovers, friendly takeovers and reverse takeovers. Advertisement: read more

A hostile takeover is a takeover which is against the wishes of the target company's board of directors - where the board had rejected the initial offer. A takeover is also considered hostile if the acquirer or the bidder makes an offer without informing the board about their intentions. A hostile takeover is the opposite to a friendly takeover where the joining is seen as beneficial and both companies work together in merging two companies together. Advertisement: read more

What can be termed as one of the biggest achievements, Rio Tinto has bagged a record 86 percent hike in iron ore contract prices. The hike includes freight premium with China's biggest steel maker, Boasteel. Shipping iron ore from China is cheaper than from Brazil. This has led to higher iron ore contract price between Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton against Rio de Janeiro based Vale. Advertisement: read more

FKP Property was the overall best performing stock taking in a 41.24 percent increase. It was a mixture of investment and asset management, financial services, energy and metal, and property companies who were among the best performing stocks for the week 25 of 2008 of the Australian sharemarket: Babcock & Brown (BNB), Allco Finance (AFG), Sims Group (SGM), FKP Property (FKP), Babcock & Brown Capital (BCM). These best performing stocks managed gains above 12.57 percent by the end of the trading week. Advertisement: read more

St. Barbara was the overall worst performing stock taking in a 31.25 percent decrease. Among the worst performing stocks for the week 23 of 2008 of the Australian sharemarket were a mixture of education services, toll road development and management, aviation, metal and mining, property funds management: Transurban Group (TCL), ABC Learning (ABS), Macquarie Airports (MAP), St. Barbara (SBM), APN/UKA European Retail Property (AEZ). These worst performing stocks for week 25 of 2008 recorded losses above 15.38 percent by the end of the trading week. Advertisement: read more

Anglo Swiss Global miner Xstrata has decided to match the rival bid for Australian listed Indophil Resources Limited. It has currently placed its bid for $1 per share as the take over bid for INdophil Resources. The Crosby consortium led by Hong Kong bank currently leads the take over proposal with its $1.28 per share bid. Xstrata had announced on Friday that it shall not lift its bid of $1.00 per share but now seems to have quickly changed its mind and decided to match the $488 million take over bid for the giant underdeveloped copper mine in Philippines. Advertisement: read more