CAPITAL MARKETS

Austral's star brightens - how bright is the question

THE sun shone brightly on Austral Coal for the last six months of 2003, and disappeared behind a very black cloud for the first five months of 2004. The question, to which some early bird investors think they know the answer, is whether the sun is about to shine again now that a series of mining problems appear to have been resolved. <b>By Tim Treadgold</b>