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/ 13 February 2008

Rio Tinto’s annual net profit falls

The world’s third-largest miner, Rio Tinto, said on Wednesday its full-year net profit fell almost 2% in 2007 to $7,312-billion as it again rejected a takeover bid by rival BHP Billiton. But underlying profit rose 1,4% from 2006 to $7,443-billion as the firm said it produced record amounts of iron ore, bauxite, aluminium, gold and copper.

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/ 7 February 2008

Platinum-share rally fails to prop up JSE

Platinum-mining stocks continued to shine brightly on the JSE by midday on Thursday, but even this dose of positive news failed to keep the bourse in the black as a slow European market weighed. By noon, the broader all-share index had slipped 0,02% into the red. Banks dropped 1,07% and financials gave up 0,47%, while industrials pulled back 0,83%.

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/ 7 February 2008

BHP Billiton bid for Rio Tinto fails again

BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company, sweetened its takeover bid for rival Rio Tinto on Wednesday to ,4-billion, but its proposal was again rebuffed. Amid reports that Rio Tinto could become the centre of a bidding battle, the company’s management rejected the BHP offer as ”not being in the best interests of shareholders”.