Write-off, but Leighton on track

LEIGHTON HOLDINGS has reaffirmed its full-year profit forecasts remain intact, despite the contractor writing off the remainder of its $117.5 million direct and indirect investments in Sydney's Lane Cove Tunnel.

Babcock & Brown shares dive on fee flow fears

Babcock & Brown, the worst- performing stock on the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index, fell on concerns that credit market turmoil may cut proceeds from asset sales to reduce debt.

Australia's Leighton posts 35 percent profit rise

Australia's largest construction company Leighton Holdings Ltd. on Thursday reported a 35 percent rise in year net profit prompted by large mining and infrastructure projects.

Leighton profit surges to $607.9m

Leighton Holdings increases full-year profit by 35% as the construction firm wins large infrastructure contracts in its local market and in the Middle East.

Fairfax moves to unwind margin loan

THE Fairfax Media director John B. Fairfax has unwound a margin loan over 159 million of the publisher's shares, which was believed to have prompted short-sellers to target the stock over recent weeks.

Australian merchant bank Babcock and Brown faces lenders

Babcock & Brown Ltd., Australia's second-largest merchant bank that last week lost half its market value, is accelerating an examination of its listed funds as it faces its bankers over a potential review of its 2.8 billion Australian dollars (US$2.7 billion) corporate debt facility.