Why did BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto scrap their plans to jointly market iron ore from the joint venture between their huge iron ore mines in the Pilbara region? Did negotiations with Chinese mills affect it?
BHP 
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Fuel spill at at BHP’s Pyrenees oil field
An unknown quantity of fuel has been spilt within a stone’s throw of WA’s Ningaloo marine park, Alex Hawke’s secret Young Libs tapes, Randwick Labor rolls the dice, and more tip-offs from insiders and informants.
How Australia is complicit in China’s uranium and human rights abuses
Today is the 60th anniversary of China’s one-party communist state — a fitting time to consider Australia’s role in supplying China with uranium and the associated impacts of the nuclear industry, writes James Norman.
Meagre stipends see BHP execs through tough times
The world is only slowly emerging from a deep recession, but the bank balances of BHP senior executives have not been too badly hurt.
Kohler: Fix Rio or resign
The incoming chairman of Rio Tinto, Jan du Plessis, has two important tasks: to renegotiate the deal with Chinalco and to bring about change within Rio itself, writes Alan Kohler.
Morning Market Report: Market up 53, Dow up 109
The Dow was up 121 at best, down 50 at worst. Financial stocks led the way at 5.6%
Morning Market Report: OZ Minerals bid from China Minmetals blocked
Market Down 51, the Dow down 147 and BHP in the news. Marcus Padley reports on the highs and lows of today’s markets.
Exception to the rule: Transurban CEO earns his keep
Chris Lynch has completed a remarkable transformation at toll road operator, Transurban since replacing Kim Edwards as CEO in April 2008, writes Adam Schwab.
The Australian economy is all over the shop
The scatty nature of the slowing Australian economy is showing up in the interim results from banks, retailers, media companies, property, building and some of our major global groups, writes Glenn Dyer.
Rio board looks like a bunch of prize fools
The Rio board completely misjudged the commodity and debt cycle, and refused to truly engage their potential suitor. Not good enough, writes Adam Schwab.
The BHP bid has been dead for months
Some people were surprised by BHP Billiton’s decision to abandon the $102 billion all share offer for Rio Tinto last night, but they shouldn’t have been, writes Glenn Dyer.
A year on, ASIC should look again at BHP-Rio deal
If the outlook for the world biggest steel companies is any giude, there are some big questions looming over the BHP-Rio deal. writes Glenn Dyer.
EU shows what it means to be a competition watchdog
The European Union issued a massive fine overnight against nine companies for cartel-behaviour. Could be something in it for Australia’s competition watchdog. By Glenn Dyer.
The BHP-RIO deal is dying. Time for some transparency
With the credit crisis making debt funded takeovers more and more difficult, it’s time BHP was more open with the market about its bid for RIO, writes Glenn Dyer.
NSW farmers skewered to sell coal to China
In opening up the rich agricultural land to coalmining, Macdonald has fulfilled his role as mines minister but betrayed farmers who come under his primary industries portfolio, writes Alex Mitchell.
A bigger Big Australian is good news for Kevin and Therese
Therese has certainly done well by hanging onto the Big Australian, but at a personal level she’d be even better off if Kevin’s government blocked the Rio Tinto takeover bid, writes Stephen Mayne.
Morning Market Report
The highs and lows of today’s stockmarket activity.
A combined BHP-Rio getting close to toppling Exxon
An Australian company the world’s most valuable? Now that’s something to be proud of, writes Stephen Mayne.
Tips and rumours
Following up your story on the Film School, you might like to look at how many head teachers and senior executives have left since the coming of Sandra Levy. Two senior executives have left in the past few months and several heads of department (eg. Head of Television) have also left.
A birdy with told […]
Briefly Business: China’s first hostile takeover, Customers ok with rate moves
China’s first hostile takeover … Customer satisfaction ratings weather interest rate moves … Asian Stocks Fall, Led by Commodity Producers; BHP Declines.
Time to see through the foreign investment regulation
After a flurry of speculation last week, the rumoured Chinese play for BHP last week has fallen off the radar. But the Chinese are still workning behind the scenes, writes Bernard Keane.
Tips and rumours
All credit to the ANZ board for meeting at the Lakehouse Hotel at Daylesford. Yes, it meant that they had to take all 36 beds and close the restaurant to passing trade. Yes, it meant a team of debuggers had to come from Sydney to sweep the place. Yes, it meant flying in directors by […]
Morning Market Report
The highlights and lowlights of this morning’s sharemarket activity.
