Mark Pownall

Australia’s listed investment companies have been “out of favour” for more than a year, ever since new capital gains tax rules were announced, but for many investors it may be timely to reconsider this sector.

BOUTIQUE investment bank Gresham Partners has always been a quiet little earner for WA’s biggest industrial company Wesfarmers, contributing a healthy $2.5 million on average to the bottom line during each of the past couple of years.

SOME years ago I was approached by a salesman who sold tax-effective investments to people who worked in WA’s mining sector.

Gas soaring as Eagles diveTHE $2.4 billion expansion of the North-West Shelf gas project will go ahead after the six partners Woodside, Shell, BHP, BP, Chevron and Mitsui/Mitsubishi decided to invest $1.6 billion in a fourth LNG production train on WA

TERRY Budge has already passed the halfway mark in his seven-year contract as the head of BankWest, outliving the average Australian chief executive’s tenure in the process.

SOUTH Australian winemaker Normans Wines is likely target of a $200 million plus acquisition drive by three Margaret River wineries.

BARELY a year has gone since Tony Barton stormed back into WA’s investment scene with his new company’s purchase of a half share in stockbroker DJ Carmichael & Co.

ALL of us have at some time or another felt that we live in a State that rivals paradise, here in WA. Interestingly it is not just us who feel that way.

THE biggest story in Australia’s corporate history occurred this week with the announced merger of Australian mining giant BHP with London’s Billiton plc.