Australia Post may do Centrelink’s job
Exclusive | The government will consider absorbing Centrelink’s front-office operations into Australia Post storefronts as part of a wider effort to consolidate service delivery agencies and secure budgetary savings.
Gonski in talks to chair ANZ
ANZ Banking Group has sounded out Future Fund executive chairman David Gonski about becoming the bank’s next chairman in a move that could result in a change of leadership to the board of the $89 billion Future Fund.
Bank earnings promise dividend feast
The major banks are set to reward shareholders with higher dividends as they post record annual profits totalling more than $27 billion, despite the threat of more stringent regulation as the government gets set to conduct a major inquiry into the financial system.
Roberts calls for broad scope to inquiry
The head of Citigroup in Australia believes Treasurer Joe Hockey’s promised inquiry into the banking system should go beyond retail banks and be open to investment banks because of the interconnected nature of modern financial markets.
Printless Nine pricier than Seven West
Nine Entertainment Co has set a $2.5 billion floor price for existing shareholders to sell their shares in the company ahead of the biggest local listing more in three years.
Mobile phone demand to soar, says Thodey
Telstra chief executive David Thodey has predicted the mobile market that generated $9.2 billion for his company in financial year 2013 will triple within five years.
Adani in breach of green guidelines at Abbot Point
Exclusive | Indian energy giant Adani has breached a raft of environmental guidelines as it awaits federal government approval for a multibillion-dollar expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal in North Queensland.
NAB chief thinks Fed will delay move
Australian shares are set to open the week higher ahead of the start of big four earnings results, which have investors optimistic that the sector won’t disappoint on dividends.
Insurers seek shelter from perfect storm
Life insurers have employed a top specialist financial services consultancy to examine the beleaguered sector as it faces a “perfect storm” due to a surge in both claims and the number of consumers who are cancelling policies.
ANU’s fortunes fall while stars align for Queensland
There’s a seismic shift occurring in the top ranks of Australia’s universities. The Australian National University, long the home of world class research in this country, is slipping further down the ladder. And it is being overtaken by the University of Queensland, once a provincial backwater but now a rising power among universities globally.
Sellers cash in on record auctions
Auctions in the nation’s two largest markets blew out expectations over the weekend, with bigger volumes doing little to stem buyer enthusiasm at levels unseen since the last property boom.
Le Mesurier’s guide to backing yourself
Veteran banks and insurance analyst Brett Le Mesurier swears by a mantra that he says fits both his professional life and his other passion, horse riding and competitive eventing. “Go hard or go home,” he advises.
Wheels of change gain traction in the taxi industry
Controversial taxi reforms in Victoria might provide a blueprint for other states to shake up competition in the industry. But first, a small cohort of furious licence plate owners face possible financial ruin.
Possums, do you believe the impudent impunity?
Imagine a quiet street in a suburban neighbourhood with well-tended gardens and mature trees on wide nature strips.
Courses for horses during Cup Carnival
The influence of Melbourne Cup naming rights sponsor Emirates will be seen in Middle Eastern furnishings decking out their marquee.
Sugar rush: the hunger for elaborate desserts
When the going gets tough, the world turns to luxury treats. No wonder elaborate concoctions by artistic pâtissiers are back in fashion.
How to make the most of redundancy
As economists predict more downsizing and job cuts, here’s how to benefit from a bad situation.
Female high-flyers ‘scare some males’
Leading chief executives have conceded that many Australian companies have a problem with women in senior roles.
Why investors must think offshore
Australia has reached the stage where our economy and our investment universe are too small to effectively deploy our savings locally to generate the best returns.
No bovver - Hugo Boss owner buys Dr Martens
British boot brand Dr Martens is joining a fashion portfolio that also includes Hugo Boss after a £300 million deal with private equity firm Permira.
‘Bond King’ Gross butts heads with Icahn on Apple
“Bond King” Bill Gross of PIMCO, has butted heads with billionaire investor Carl Icahn, telling him to leave Apple alone.
Sonos Play:1 makes for music you can splash to
The Sonos Play:1 is the first unit of the wi-fi based audio system that’s designed to be used around water.
Jaguar reveals ambitious future
Senior Jaguar executives reveal the company’s outrageously ambitious plans to take on Germany’s big three.
National
Australia Post may do Centrelink’s job
Exclusive | The government will consider absorbing Centrelink’s front-office operations into Australia Post storefronts as part of a wider effort to consolidate service delivery agencies and secure budgetary savings.
- Taxi plates still worth $300,000
- Sellers cash in on record auctions
- Abbott staffer pulls plug on Treasury appointment
- ABC may put China plans on backburner
- Courses for horses – and humans – during Melbourne Cup Carnival
- Adani in breach of green guidelines at Abbot Point
- Insurers seek shelter from perfect storm
- Obeid family empire back in ICAC spotlight
Donald Friend auction brings years in Bali to life
The auctioneers were resplendent in Indonesian batik shirts and a gamelan band set a relaxed mood for the auction of the Donald Friend collection on Sunday afternoon, which saw spirited bidding for the eclectic offering.
Opinion
VW campaign captures family life
“Welcome to the Family”, the new Volkswagen ad campaign, is a delightfully cheeky creation of an authentic Australian family.
Top research tradition forged through hard work of the ANU
The ANU was designed to be a national champion which propelled the nation into high level scientific research. With three Nobel Prize winners as alumni, the investment in ANU has paid off, but the future for the university may need a different model.
Break free of bureaucracy’s burden
Modest Member | We cannot ignore the unrelenting challenges a globalised market creates for our domestic economy. If our businesses are to remain competitive, we must ensure they operate in an efficient, flexible, cost-limiting environment.
World
Merkel sends spy chiefs to US
Allegations Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone was being tapped prompted Berlin to summon the US ambassador last week, and now German spy chiefs will travel to Washington to demand answers as a row over US snooping threatens trans-Atlantic ties.
- Outcry over snooping on leaders forces US to reassess
- Japan is ready to stand up to China: Abe
- Global gift of education success
- Fed urged to be bold and release brake on inflation
- Morris dancers become UK environment minister’s new enemy
- Malaysia in shift to fiscal prudence
- Protest parties the big winners in Czech poll
- Republicans to challenge Yellen's nomination
Macquarie defends US overcharging lawsuit
A Macquarie Group infrastructure consortium is defending a lawsuit initiated by an American politician who has accused the Australian toll road operator of breaking the law by overcharging drivers on an unprofitable road project.
Business
Gonski in talks to chair ANZ
ANZ Banking Group has sounded out Future Fund executive chairman David Gonski about becoming the bank’s next chairman in a move that could result in a change of leadership to the board of the $89 billion Future Fund.
- Bank earnings promise dividend feast
- Voelte’s $3.2m salary excessive, says proxy adviser
- Mobile phone demand to soar, says Thodey
- Macquarie defends US overcharging lawsuit
- Medibank float seen as good for health shares
- AustralianSuper gets tough on fundie fees
- China Southern airlines flying high on recent growth
- Meridian’s NZ float frustrates local investors
- APA could take partner for Qld bid
Surf’s up: chance to hang ten grand on ourcrowd
Jon Medved is comparing crowdfunding to bodysurfing – and it’s not because the 57-year-old American-Israeli venture capitalist is in Sydney and grasping for local-sounding analogies.
Technology
Samsung focuses on Google Glass response
A patent filing shows Samsung Electronics Co is working on a device it calls sports glasses that are likely to be its response to Google's Internet-connected eyewear.
- Facebook IPO claims capped at $US41m, says Nasdaq
- NBN builders implicated in scandal
- Facebook coaches Brazil politicians before internet vote
- YouTube to launch Spotify rival as soon as December
- Samsung posts record Q3 on thriving chip sales
- LG reports lowest quarterly profit for 2013
- Former Apple CEO Sculley weighs BlackBerry bid
- Telcos oppose ACCC audit plan
- Twitter prices shares between $US17 and $US20
Sonos Play:1 makes for music you can splash to
The Sonos Play:1 is the first unit of the wi-fi based audio system that’s designed to be used around water.
Markets
NAB chief thinks Fed will delay move
Australian shares are set to open the week higher ahead of the start of big four earnings results, which have investors optimistic that the sector won’t disappoint on dividends.
- Investment banks ‘overpaid’ for capital raisings
- Roberts calls for broad scope to inquiry
- Le Mesurier’s guide to backing yourself
- AustralianSuper gets tough on fundie fees
- How reform can boost investment
- Fund managers not acquainted with Aquaint Capital
- Newcrest’s gold price hurdle a selling point for some
- Fed urged to be bold and release brake on inflation
- Bassanese | How to make the most of the market’s upswing
Blue Sky promotes water as a tradeable commodity
Listed asset manager Blue Sky Capital is in discussions with major Australian superannuation funds about investing in its new water entitlements fund.
Personal finance
How to make the most of redundancy
As economists predict more downsizing and job cuts, here’s how to benefit from a bad situation.
- Beware of foreigners snapping up property
- Joye | Gatekeepers should be required to let us in
- Growth on the cards for Candle Bark Creations
- How to stay grounded in a fast-building property market
- Which credit cards offer big spenders the best rewards?
- Navigate your way carefully in IPO rush
- Future Fund exceeds return objectives
Wake-up call for super funds that invest in property
Trustees of do-it-yourself superannuation funds that own investments in real estate will need to get up to speed with new valuation regulations.
Lifestyle
Cox Plate links Caulfield and Melbourne Cups
Before the country’s richest horse race comes the one believed by many to be the most significant, the W S Cox Plate.
Sixty-five days of style: Spring Carnival’s winners
Never mind the horses, trainers and jockeys – Spring Carnival is all about coming first in the aesthetic stakes.
Customised dreams
For many cyclists, custom bikes are a luxury; for Darren Baum they started off as a necessity.
Easy riders take the slog out of sightseeing in Paris
A Vespa tour includes most of the central monuments and interesting parts of the city in just a few hours.
Latest TV
Telstra dials up growth
Telstra has unveiled a new growth strategy with Asia at its heart, but chief David Thodey says there's more to come at home as well, as he prepares to negotiate with the Coalition on the NBN.
Hockey's agenda
Treasurer Joe Hockey says Australia isn’t facing an economic crisis but steps need to be taken to make sure institutions like the RBA are able to ward off any challenges. He adds that he’s seeing a return of confidence among consumers, while recognising that reform is needed so that the economy can cope with a strong Australian dollar and political ructions in the United States.
Bluescope's steely resolve
BlueScope steel boss Paul O'Malley is planning to double revenues from China in the next four years to $3 billion as the company banks on the continuing rise of the middle class in the world's second-biggest economy.
Mega funds in court
Street Talk reports on the court case that will see AustralianSuper battle the Future Fund over the purchase of a stake in Perth Airport, with Australia’s biggest industry super fund arguing it lost up to $33.5 million as a result of the deal.
