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It’s not just the online bookies who have seen their clients gamble on a Coalition win in the drawn out federal election, the Australian stock market seems to taking the same punt.

Gresham Advisory Partners has flagged the rise of domestic-focused miners – up 20 per cent in market value in the past month – as a market signal that that Mineral Resources Rent Tax unlikely to become law any time soon.

Given the MRRT is a Labor proposal and that their parliamentary ally, the Greens, want to see an even tougher tax regime for miners, it seems that share market investors are leaning towards Tony Abbott being installed as Australia’s next Prime Minister.

The would put the market in line with Centrebet which has Mr Abbott on $1.50 to become Prime Minister, shorter odds that Labor’s Julia Gillard on $2.50.

To further highlight that view, Centrebet has Bill Shorten as more likely to be Labor’s leader at the next federal election.

The Gresham view was published today in its review for August of its Group 150, the top 150 ASX listed resources companies, excluding oil and gas, by market capitalisation for the month to the end of August.

“While the outcome is yet to be determined, we expect that the market is increasingly assuming that the MRRT, as presently conceived, is unlikely to see the light of day, at least for the next term of parliament,” Gresham said.

The MRRT was announced in early July by Ms Gillard, replacing the heavier taxation burden of the Resources Super Profits Tax proposed in early May by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The MRRT was limited to coal and iron ore while onshore gas projects were to be embraced by the existing petroleum tax regime.

“The average market value of domestic focussed companies since the proposed MRRT was announced has increased 20 per cent (15.4 per cent July).”

“International focused companies increased 14.1 per cent (7.6 per cent in July).”

The return of Asil Nadir, saying he wants justice at last, takes us back to the corporate villains and scandals of an earlier era: that of Maxwell, Peter Clowes, BCCI and Guinness. Those days are long gone: a series of accounting reforms were put in place, but the scandals of yesteryear have been eclipsed by the cataclysmic losses of the credit crunch. Even Nadir’s would-be nemesis, the Serious Fraud Office, had pretty much forgotten about the fugitive, and his case files were gathering cobwebs.

The SFO, and the government, might wish they had continued to do so. His return at this juncture is bad timing from the Conservatives’ point of view, reminding people as it does of his ties with the Major administration.

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PROVIDENCE – R.I. General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio said Tuesday he is attempting to block the state’s $75 million loan guarantee promised to Curt Schilling’s video game company, urging the rating agencies reviewing the deal to hold off until a new administration is in office.

Caprio, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said he voiced concerns about the loan guarantee to Moody’s Investors Service on Monday and to Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday morning. Both agencies have been commissioned by the state and Schilling’s 38 Studios to issue bond ratings on the deal for institutional investors.

He also raised questions in an article Tuesday in a bond industry publication The Bond Buyer. Caprio said

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The fear of losing business is stopping many SMEs from chasing bad debt.

A study by online debt recovery service Positive Collections, which surveyed more than 260 business professionals, found that SMEs are the most prone to suffer from late payers, with 74 per cent stating that they are likely to accept late payment excuses.

Interestingly, businesses with one to nine employees are less likely to worry about debt recovery, as 45 per cent claim they are always paid on time.

According to the survey, 17 per cent of businesses would try to chase debts but avoid legal action as they believe it will be too expensive.

David Green, CEO of online debt recovery service Positive Collections, says: ‘The fact that so many businesses in the UK have become accepting of this late payment culture is certainly a cause for concern as this has implications on the whole business community and economy.’

If you want to know about nevada health insurance, check out the Nevada Division of Insurance, which helps to regulate the various types of health insurance policies that are sold in the state. For the best of health insurance coverage, you can even locate a health insurance company according to your choosing, with the help of the Division of Insurance.

These companies are licensed by the state and all you need to do to get started is get in touch with them through their official web site. The Division of Insurance also helps handle disputes regarding nevada health insurance that you might have with your insurance provider.

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