Fraser Beattie

Oil and gas explorer Tangiers Petroleum has raised $7 million in a discounted placement to complete its acquisition of the Icewine project in Alaska.

Gold and nickel producer Independence Group has posted a 264 per cent increase in profit for the six months to December, on the back of increased production from its Jaguar and Tropicana operations and at lower costs.

Northern Minerals has attracted a Chinese-based funding partner to provide up to $49.5 million for its flagship Browns Range heavy rare earths project near Halls Creek.

Kerry Stokes' Seven West Media has suffered a near $1 billion half-year loss after being forced to write down the value of its TV and newspaper businesses; underlying net profit, however, was only 8 per cent lower at $137.6 million.

Perth-based mining services company Ausdrill will take a pre-tax hit of up to $220 million due to falling commodity prices and slowing mining activity, while also disclosing the loss of a big contract in Africa.

Gekko Systems co-founder Elizabeth Lewis-Gray has been appointed chair of a new 'mining growth centre', which is part of a $189 million federal government initiative designed to encourage commercially-focused research and development activity.

Gold producer Northern Star Resources is calling the past six months a defining period for the company, with a combination of strong growth in production, lower costs and increased free cashflow.

IT services provider ASG Group has reported a 50 per cent increase in half-year profit to $5.7 million on the back of what it says was a record period for new contract wins.

Mineral sands miner Iluka Resources has sunk from an $18.5 million profit to a $62.5 million full year loss but insists its financial health is sound.

Mount Gibson Iron will look to its Extension Hill project for an answer to its $870 million first-half loss, which was the result of price falls and interruptions to work at its Koolan Island iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

Shares in Perth-based construction and development company Diploma Group have surged on news it will sell its Quest Serviced Apartments in Rockingham and Adelaide Terrace to undisclosed buyers for a combined value of $63.5 million.

QBE Insurance Group has entered into an agreement to sell its Australian and New Zealand agency businesses to insurance broker Steadfast Group in late March.

Personal loan provider and pawn broker Cash Converters International issued $23 million in loans in December, a new record, as its online business continued to grow.

Mirabela Nickel shares nearly doubled in value today after the miner announced improved December quarter results and released a strategic review, which forecast an increase in production and lower costs at its flagship Santa Rita mine in Brazil.

Education provider Navitas has renewed its university pathway program agreement with the University of Massachusetts Boston for a further 10 years.

Australia's largest rail freight hauler Aurizon is continuing to focus on boosting shareholder returns, with its latest profit bolstered by major cost-cutting measures and future spending on growth projects dependent on a recovery in commodity prices.

Perth-based explorers Pura Vida Energy and Primary Gold have announced their intention to raise capital to fund their respective projects.

Oil and gas producer Beach Energy has flagged a $166 million writedown on the value of its assets, as a result the dramatic slide in global oil prices.

Perth-based engineering and construction contractor Civmec has reported a 29.3 per cent rise in half-year profit to $S18.4 million, along with a 97.8 per cent leap in revenue to $S296.6 million.

Australia’s biggest car dealer network, Perth-based Automotive Holdings Group, has lifted half-year profit by 17.4 per cent to $45 million, and expects a further boost from low interest rates and fuel prices.

Gold miner Newcrest has flagged the possible sale of the Telfer mine in Western Australia, one of its main assets.

The Giants will begin their walk through the city streets from tomorrow as part of the opening of the Perth International Arts Festival, which runs into the first week of March.

Oil and gas producer Santos faces a $1.6 billion hit to its books after the dramatic slide in global oil prices.

A consortium which includes Perth-based Programmed Maintenance Services has been appointed the preferred bidder for a public private partnership for four new schools in New Zealand.

Mining giant Rio Tinto will spend $US2 billion ($A2.6 billion) buying back its own shares and has increased its dividend despite reporting a result marked by falling earnings.

The national unemployment rate has shot up to a 12.5-year high, increasing the chances of a second Reserve Bank interest rate cut in March.

Mid-tier nickel miner Mincor Resources has dipped back into the red with a first-half loss of $1.89 million but says it beat its production and cost guidance, allowing it to declare an interim dividend of 2 cents per share.

Mining services contractor Viento Group says it can’t explain why its share price has risen by 75 per cent to 12 cents per share in two weeks.

Property investor BWP Trust has purchased a Bunnings Warehouse in Melbourne from Bunnings Group for about $32 million.

Australia's housing construction boom has helped Boral rebound to record $104 million in half-year profit, but the building products maker says the benefit of further rate cuts on housing will likely be minimal.

Australia's biggest workforce provider, Skilled Group, has unveiled a flat first-half profit result although its engineering and marine services businesses posted strong earnings.

The state government has introduced a new rebate scheme for people who purchase a block of land in one of 40 land estates across regional Western Australia.