ADM profits fall 52% but beat expectations

One of the world’s largest grain processors said it saw demand improving in key markets as its profits more than halved, although the results far exceeded expectations

• Rains cast cloud on US crops yields
• Corporate earnings diary

ArcelorMittal plans 50% rise in spending

The steelmaker aims to take advantage of growth opportunities in emerging markets as more signs are pointing to a broad upturn in the steel industry

World View: Winning over Canberra

The Australian government’s approval of Yanzhou Coal’s bid for Felix Resources provides pointers on how foreign deals need to be restructured to win backing

Fortescue’s ore suits China to the ground

Less than five years after drilling commenced, the company has shipped more than 40m tonnes of iron ore

Prodeco coal is king for Xstrata

Xstrata boosted production of coal, its most valuable commodity this year, in the third quarter largely due to a Colombian asset it might sell before March 2010

Lex: Rio / BHP

The thin pretence that Rio and BHP are anything other than sworn enemies in the ore-rich Australian outback may be dropped now

Petropavlovsk agrees Russian iron ore deal

Petropavlovsk, the Russian gold miner formerly called Peter Hambro Mining, has benefited from Sino-Russian package

Falling fertiliser sales hit Cargill

The US agribusiness conglomerate warns that the global economy is ‘still fragile’ as its profits in the three months to the end of August plunges by 65% from last year