Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: The ASX 200 index closed down 13.7 points to 6681.6, while the all ordinaries was down 10.5 points to 6791.2..... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: Wall Street sank on Wednesday when Federal Reserve policy makers gave mixed signals about their next move after cutting interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point in a widely expected move..... [more]

• North/South Americas Market Report: North and South American markets are lower today with shares in Mexico off the most. The IPC is down 0.96% while U.S.'s S&P 500 is off 0.74% and Brazil's Bovespa is lower by 0.63%..... [more]

• European Market Report: European markets finished mixed as of the most recent closing prices. The DAX gained 0.14% and the CAC 40 rose 0.09%. The FTSE 100 lost 0.09%..... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Asian markets finished mixed as of the most recent closing prices. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.25%, while the Nikkei 225 led the Hang Seng lower. They fell 0.18% and 0.17% respectively..... [more]

Australian Business News

• It is one of the big questions hovering over the Australian economy: has the combined impact of lower borrowing costs and tax cuts loosened consumers' purses strings?.... [more]

• Britain wants trade deal with Australia within months after leaving EU.... [more]

• One of the world's top trade chiefs has warned Australia must help lead world trade negotiations as the US pulls back from the rules-based order and its ongoing trade war with China imperils global economic growth..... [more]

• Competition tsar Rod Sims has flagged another inquiry into the major banks' market dominance, as part of the regulator's ongoing scrutiny of financial services..... [more]

• The Federal Government's 'big stick' energy bill has been introduced, here's what it would do.... [more]

• Pure Minerals continues Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub development to enhance downstream processing in Australia.... [more]

• The multi-million-dollar Bylong Valley coal mine has been refused development consent by an independent planning panel, citing concerns about "long-lasting environmental, agricultural and heritage impacts"..... [more]

• Aguia Resources identifies elevated copper and gold zones at Andrade project in Brazil.... [more]

• Woodside Petroleum has signed a preliminary agreement to supply LNG to German utility Uniper for 13 years starting in 2021, contingent on Woodside developing its Scarborough gas project..... [more]

• BlueScope execs toured world trying to form carrot-stick cartel: ACCC claims.... [more]

• Azumah advises shareholders to take no action in relation to the offer until the board has had the opportunity to make a formal recommendation..... [more]

• Global energy giant ExxonMobil has announced it will sell all of its assets in the Gippsland Basin, off Victoria's south-east coast..... [more]

• Ausmex Mining Group in trading halt with Gilded Rose Gold Project sale news imminent.... [more]

• Billionaire investor Alex Waislitz has fired a broadside at retirement village operator Aveo’s independent directors saying he is “shocked” at their support of a “highly opportunistic” takeover by Canadian private equity giant Brookfield..... [more]

• Outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Kathmandu has lifted its full year profit and hiked its dividend on its Australian sales performance..... [more]

• Qantas, Virgin bosses say lack of monopoly regulation on airports squeezing consumers and airlines dry.... [more]

• Two Queensland Cold Rock stores close amid rising cost pressures. It’s an Australian institution — but there are signs trouble is brewing for Cold Rock Ice Creamery after two branches abruptly shut down..... [more]

• Australia's biggest ever lottery prize, a division one jackpot of $150 million, is up for grabs on Thursday, but if you are joining the throngs rushing to get a ticket be warned — winning the nine-figure windfall could cause unexpected complications..... [more]

World Business News

• The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point for the second time this year on Wednesday in a widely expected move meant to sustain a decade-long economic expansion, but gave mixed signals about what may happen next..... [more]

• Why the Fed's interest rate move matters.... [more]

• Can Saudi Arabia’s loss be US oil producers’ gain? Not so fast….... [more]

• The attacks on Saudi Arabian oil pipelines has cut the kingdom's production output in half, reducing the world's crude oil supply by five per cent, but US officials seem confident they can meet demands, even if it means drawing on the country's huge underground oil stores..... [more]

• Donald Trump orders more Iran sanctions as Saudi Arabia readies attack evidence.... [more]

• U.S. homebuilding surged to more than a 12-year high in August as both single- and multi-family housing construction accelerated, suggesting that lower mortgage rates were finally providing a boost to the struggling housing market..... [more]

• California governor signs gig economy labor bill into law.... [more]

• Roku stock takes a tumble after Comcast plans free streaming boxes for internet customers.... [more]

• FedEx Corp. stock plunged Wednesday after the company’s quarterly miss and steep outlook cut triggered several Wall Street downgrades..... [more]

• GM to temporarily lay off 1,200 workers in Canada.... [more]

• Fifty-eight people have been charged with engaging in healthcare fraud schemes that centered on the illegal distribution of more than 6 million opioid pills across Texas, U.S. prosecutors said on Wednesday..... [more]

• The Hong Kong Stock Exchange needs to stump up more cash to clinch a takeover of the prized London Stock Exchange Group — but still faces an uphill battle, investors say..... [more]

• The London Metal Exchange (LME) will postpone plans to ban metal tainted by human rights abuses until 2025, giving producers three more years to comply with guidelines and the exchange time to rethink its approach, industry sources said..... [more]

• Apple accused the European Commission of misunderstanding its business on day two of the iPhone maker’s appeal against a $14 billion tax order, in a dispute that is key to the EU’s drive to collect more taxes but which could also run for years..... [more]

• Facebook met British finance ministry, central bank and regulatory officials in the weeks before making public its plans for the Libra digital currency, responses to Reuters freedom of information requests show..... [more]

• The government is to intervene in a US private equity firm's takeover of UK defence and aerospace firm Cobham, citing national security concerns..... [more]

• Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament is not a matter for judges and was not done for improper reasons, a lawyer for the prime minister said on Wednesday as he sought to persuade the British Supreme Court the five-week shutdown was lawful..... [more]

• British Airways pilots have called off the next strike in their dispute, which had been scheduled for 27 September..... [more]

• Trade war stench hangs over Xi’s rallying cry. Fragrant Hills speech illustrates China’s economic pain as talks restart to ease Sino-US tensions.... [more]

• Less than 30% of Hong Kong’s hotel rooms were occupied in August as tourists chose to spend their summer vacation elsewhere and business travellers moved meetings and exhibitions to Shenzhen and Singapore, when the city was in the thick of mass rallies and chaos, ignited by the China extradition bill..... [more]

• The Hong Kong government says it disagrees with the decision by Moody’s Investors Service to change the city’s credit outlook to “negative” because of the protest crisis that has eroded its institutional strength..... [more]

• Hong Kong’s Jockey Club canceled all races planned for Wednesday after pro-democracy protesters said they would target the Happy Valley racecourse where a horse part-owned by a pro-China lawmaker was due to run..... [more]

• All the reasons ExxonMobil may leave Vietnam. Speculation mounts US energy giant plans to abandon $10 billion Blue Whale gas project in the South China Sea.... [more]

• RBI concerned about surge in oil prices. India’s central bank has warned that the country’s fiscal deficit could be affected if oil prices continue to surge after an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities over the weekend..... [more]

• India's cabinet has announced a ban on the production, import and sale of electronic cigarettes, saying they pose a risk to health..... [more]

• Govt review overlooks Modi’s greatest failure. India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal’s faux pas over the discovery of gravity could not have come at a worse moment – just as the Modi government was gearing up to “celebrate” 100 days in power after winning a historic majority for a second term..... [more]

• Analysis - Michael Janda: Oil price spike piles yet another risk onto fragile global economy.... [more]

• Analysis - Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Oil shock could push the world into recession, after attack on Saudi Arabia boosts petrol prices. The US has now categorically accused Iran of staging a swarm attack of 20 drones and a dozen missiles on the Saudi separation plant at Abqaiq, the biggest oil operation in the world..... [more]