After a week of escalating tensions, Leighton boss Wal King and 55 per cent shareholder Hochtief have kissed and made up and agreed to take the thorny issue of succession off the agenda at tomorrow's board meeting.

The latest ABS retail trade figures show that sales in April rose 0.6 per cent, seasonally adjusted, compared with a rise of 0.8 per cent the previous month.

ABS Building Approvals show that the total number of dwellings approved has levelled off in April 2010 following 14 consecutive months of increases in trend terms. This was due to a 1.9 per cent decrease in total houses approved being balanced by an increase of 3.4 per cent for other dwelling approvals.

The chief executive, Wal King, and his fellow Leighton Holdings directors are headed for a dramatic showdown with directors of the group's German parent, Hochtief, at a board meeting in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Goodman Group is finalising negotiations with two strategic partners to wade deeper into European development just as it yesterday announced the refinancing of $297 million of debt in the volatile credit markets.

Dour predictions about the housing market aren't the norm anymore, as many economists have grown optimistic that home prices will begin rebounding strongly next year.

Lend Lease is negotiating to enter China's vast property market as it pursues growth in its $9.7 billion funds management business.

New home sales jumped in April, pulled higher by Victoria’s red-hot real-estate market.

The amount of construction work completed in Australia increased in the first quarter of the year at a pace indicating the economy isn't growing as strongly as earlier expected.

The Housing Industry Association, the voice of Australia’s home building industry, welcomed the broad based fundamentals underpinning the Federal Government’s response to the Henry Tax Review, released today.