World Stock Markets News Page 6

As reported by the BBC, lower commodity prices are pushing down profits for BHP Billiton, the world's largest mining company. The Anglo-Australian firm reported a 5.5% yearly fall in first-half revenues to $9.9 billion (£6.2 billion). The company also forewarned of a turbulent future citing Europe's debt crisis and a slowing Chinese...

Shares of Australian mining firm Lynas have risen after it received a licence from Malaysian authorities to run a rare earth refinery in the SE Asian country. Lynas shares ended 19% stronger at A$1.590 at the Australian Securities Exchange. After being completed, the plant is to be one of the largest supply sources of rare earth elements...

Technical giant Apple posted record-breaking net profits in the final quarter of 2011 of $13.06bn (£8.36bn), an increase of 118% from the same quarter in 2010. In the same period it also more than doubled the number of iPhones it sold in the last quarter of 2010, with an incredible 37 million iPhones sold, according to the BBC. Chief...