The legal battle between BC Iron and Watpac Civil & Mining has intensified with the mining services company serving a counterclaim to the iron ore miner and its joint venture partner, now seeking about $52.8 million.
Austal has doubled its interim dividend after growing revenue and boosting its cash flow, despite posting a 41.8 per cent fall in profit for the six months to December.
BHP Billiton has responded to its mammoth interim loss and the prospect of a prolonged downturn by slashing its dividend and adopting a new management structure that leaves Western Australia without a representative in the company's leadership group.
Gold prices have slipped as much as two per cent as the US dollar strengthened and investor appetite for risk increased, but the metal remained above $US1,200 an ounce after a rally that pushed prices to one-year highs in February.
Global stocks have rallied, backed by a rise in oil and commodity prices, while the British pound suffered its biggest one-day loss in nearly six years against the US dollar on fears Britain would leave the European Union.
The artistic director of the 64th Perth International Arts Festival, Wendy Martin, has found several ways to keep Australia's longest running cultural festival fresh, with ticket sales already exceeding the 80 per cent box office target several weeks before the end of the event.
The state government has signalled its intentions to proactively support Western Australian companies interested in growing energy commodity exports to Europe and participating in European Union activities.
The Australian share market has closed nearly 1 per cent higher, boosted by bargain hunters, stronger regional markets, a lift in the iron ore price and some encouraging corporate earnings reports.
Perth-based contractor NRW Holdings has enjoyed another active day on the ASX, closing nearly 50 per cent higher after nearly tripling in value on Friday.
CIMIC Group has confirmed a formal contract dispute has been issued to Chevron over work at the Gorgon LNG project, with the construction and contract mining firm claiming it is owed about $2.36 billion.
SPECIAL REPORT: How does a tech startup in Northbridge backed by a mining consultancy in West Perth manage to secure work on the world's largest privately funded infrastructure project, in Nicaragua? Business News profiles how CSA Global, Lycopodium, OTOC and PwC have chased diversification strategies.
MMA Offshore has reported a dramatic slide in half-year profit as the marine services company faces challenging conditions in the offshore oil and gas industry.
Gold has eased as investors cashed in some of the previous day's two per cent gains, though expectations that rock-bottom interest rates would persist served to keep prices above $US1,225 an ounce.
This week we discuss markets improving, iron ore and FMG, who has won the airport rail line project, 24-hour supermarkets, Rotto, Gary Gray, CBH Group and professional services.
Creditors of failed investment bank Lehman Brothers (Australia), including about 10 local councils in Western Australia, are likely to get a return of about 80 cents in the dollar after reaching a settlement with the owner of ratings agency Standard & Poor's.
Local gold miners continue to prove there is still money to be made in Western Australia's resources playground, with Northern Star Resources, Metals X, Ramelius Resources and Saracen Mineral Holdings all closing higher on the ASX.
The future of a not-for-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre considered among the strictest in Australia is in doubt due to a planning dispute.
The impact on economic development and power prices from a sale of the state's electricity network could be managed by a strong regulatory framework, Premier Colin Barnett said today, as he continued to reassess his view on the ownership of Western Power.
Premier Colin Barnett has ruled out any further state tax increases in the upcoming budget, and has said the government might look at reviewing land tax aggregation, at this morning's Business News Success & Leadership breakfast.
