WHEN Celebrate WA announced Western Australia's Citizen of Year awards for 2009 two weekends ago the presence of the University of Western Australia would not have escaped the attention of many.
WESFARMERS may have developed a reputation as something of a corporate cleanskin, but as former CEO and chairman Trevor Eastwood recalls in a new biography, it was not always the case.
Wesfarmers has confirmed a sharp downturn in earnings in two of its Perth-based business units, with the energy and chemicals & fertilizer divisions both adversely affected by last year's Varanus Island gas explosion.
Wesfarmers Ltd has reported a 46 percent rise in net profit saying its businesses have weathered the global economic crisis but as expected its earnings per share have slumped.
Shares in Wesfarmers have slipped today as the company launches the retail component of its capital raising efforts in a bid to reduce its debt position.
Conglomerate Wesfarmers says it expects a lower dividend for the third consecutive year as it launches a heavily discounted rights issue to raise nearly $3 billion to help pay down debt from its $20 billion Coles acquisition.
Wesfarmers has launched an equity raising to raise a minimum of $2.8 billion, comprising a three for seven accelerated pro-rata non-renounceable offer, at $13.50 per share.
The acquisition of Coles has boosted Wesfarmers' ranking in the top 250 retailers in the world, according to the Deloitte 2009 Global Power of Retailing report.
A crane has failed during a maintenance operation at Wesfarmers' Curragh coal mine in Queensland causing major structural damage and leaving one worker injured.
Wesfarmers finance director Gene Tilbrook has decided to step down from the company after 23 years of service, with Terry Bowen appointed as his replacement.
Wesfarmers Ltd has taken steps to allow it to access capital from international markets with the establishment of a near $6 billion Euro Medium Term Note program.
Wesfarmers Ltd has unveiled a new remuneration package for managing director Richard Goyder in a step to better reflect the increased responsibilities stemming from the Coles acquisition.
Wesfarmers Ltd's share price slumped today after it announced a 33 per cent increase in net profit for the year ending June 2008 of just over $1 billion but a fall in earnings per share.
Wesfarmers has committed $4.5 million for the establishment of a new centre dedicated to boosting the number of cutting-edge medical research discoveries that go from the laboratory bench to a patient's bedside.
After six years at the helm, Wesfarmers Ltd chairman Trevor Eastwood will retire from the position at the company's annual general meeting in November.
When asked what he considered was the anniversary date of last year's Coles Group Ltd takeover, Wesfarmers Ltd managing director Richard Goyder nominates July 21 as the most appropriate.
Wesfarmers Ltd says its pre-tax earnings will be cut by up to $20 million a month, as the company feels the impact of gas outages following an explosion that closed down the Varanus Island gas plant.
Wesfarmers has successfully completed the final phase of its fully underwritten Entitlement Offer, raising in total approximately $2.5 billion to help fund its purchase of Coles Group.
Wesfarmers Ltd shares remained in trading halt today after it confirmed it was considering an equity raising - expected to be a rights issue - to refinance $4 billion in bridging finance used to fund its $20 billion takeover of the Coles last year.
PROPERTY developer Ascot Capital, Clive Palmer's mining group, Mineralogy, and conglomerate Wesfarmers were the biggest donors to political parties in Western Australia in 2006-07, data released by
It's official, Wesfarmers Ltd has become the Western Australia's most valuable company, the state's biggest employer and the nation's biggest retailer with today's implementation of a scheme of arrangement to take over the Coles Group Ltd.
The booming advisory market in Perth is creating some musical chairs among the key players, with corporate lawyer Justin Mannolini heading to Gresham Advisory Partners Ltd, prompting Freehills to fill the vacancy by appointing a new partner, Simon Reed.
An innovative takeover sweetener for Coles Group Ltd shareholders became all the more important last week when an independent expert's report revealed Wesfarmers Ltd would effectively secure the retailer on the cheap.
WESFARMERS Ltd has given the managing director of its chemicals and fertilisers division CSBP Ltd, Keith Gordon, the new role of business integration director with responsibility for planning and i
Two thirds of retail industry respondents to a survey by Inside Retailing Online approve of Wesfarmers' takeover of Coles Group, saying it is a positive development for Australian retailing.
Australia's biggest takeover has given rise to the largest single corporate financing deal in the Australian loan market, after ANZ, NAB Capital and BNP Paribas approved a $10 billion loan to support Wesfarmers Ltd in their acquisition of Coles Group Ltd.
South Perth-based Australian Renewable Fuels Ltd has signed a supply agreement with Wesfarmers Premier Coal, to supply up to 1.5 million litres of biodiesel for the Premier Collie coal mine every year.
Shares in Wesfarmers Ltd are up almost two per cent on reports that UK supermarket chain Tesco had decided not to make a bid for Coles Group, after deciding it was not a sound move.
Shares in Coles Group Ltd were up 45 cents, or 2.6 per cent, at close of trade today amid reporters suitor Wesfarmers had attempted to increase its stake in the retailer.
In late-breaking news, Wesfarmers Ltd has revealed full-blown plans to buy Coles for $20 billion through a consortium which would carve up the empire - leaving the Perth company with a half stake in the group and full ownership of Officeworks and Target.
The sleeping giant of Western Australia has definitely awoken, with the Perth-based Wesfarmers Ltd confirming it had secured more than 11 per cent of national supermarket player Coles Ltd worth $2.2 billion.
Specialty gas business Linde Gas Australia Ltd is to be renamed Coregas Ltd, with Wesfarmers completing its purchase of the company today, for a total of $500 million.
Perth-based industrial giant Wesfarmers Ltd has reinstated its dividend reinvestment scheme after a four-year suspension after a series of acquisitions.
