Dampener for stocks as Chinese data disappoints
Local shares dropped the most in three weeks on Monday as data showed the services sectors in Australia and China softened in December. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 25.2 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 5324.9, after taking a mixed lead from offshore.
$A poised to outperform euro in 2014
Updated | The Australian dollar is well-placed to outperform the euro in 2014 – despite expectations that the local currency will slide against the United States dollar – as experts take a dim view of the outlook for growth in the European Union.
Australian-made car sales dive to record low
Australians bought fewer locally manufactured cars as a share of total sales than ever before last year, highlighting the extent of the collapse of the country’s car industry.
Cricket ratings a dream result for Nine
Nine Entertainment Co chief executive David Gyngell says the pain of shelling out a record $450 million for cricket broadcast rights is quickly subsiding after Australia’s record-breaking Ashes demolition.
Warrnambool statement questions Murray Goulburn’s bid
Warrnambool Cheese & Butter thinks the uncertain value and timing of Murray Goulburn’s $9.50-a-share cash bid, among other factors, mean the farmer co-operative’s bid is inferior to Canadian giant Saputo’s $9 cash offer.
Chevron gets conditional approval from EPA
Energy giant Chevron has received conditional approval to clear an additional 32 hectares of land on Barrow Island for the construction of Australia's largest gas project.
China issues fresh curbs on shadow banking
China's cabinet has reportedly issued new rules to strengthen regulation of the shadow-bank lending that has helped fuel an explosion in debt levels since 2008.
Stocks need to justify higher valuations
Philip Baker | Investors looking for further gains will need companies to deliver on earnings expectations when they start to report next month.
No plan to privatise Australia Post: Turnbull
Updated | Communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed the government has no plans to privatise Australia Post, after ACCC chairman Rod Sims urged the government to sell off key assets.
Bernardi denies views on abortion, IR are ‘far-right’
Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has reignited the abortion debate by describing pro-choice activists as “pro-death” and calling for a reduction in rates of the procedure in Australia.
Amcor is Morgans’ top 2014 stock pick
Stockbroker Morgans has chosen Amcor as its top stock for 2014 and it expects the ASX200 to top 5800 points this year, with the rebound in consumer confidence boosting cyclical stocks.
JPMorgan faces $2.2bn payout linked to Madoff case
Working through a long list of legal problems, JPMorgan Chase is starting the new year with another steep payout to the government.
Six ways to drive innovation at work
Many leaders want their businesses to foster the nimble culture of a start-up as they grow larger – a few key drivers can make this possible.
How financial news moves the sharemarket
The amount of data available to traders is growing quickly, but research indicates a mention of a company in a financial newspaper is closely linked to a move in stock price.
Apple confirms acquisition of SnappyCam app
Apple has acquired a smartphone app that turned the iPhone 5 into a camera capable of shooting 20 high-quality photos in one second.
Sydney is world’s 11th most expensive city
Sydney is the 11th-priciest city in the world, a crowd-sourcing exercise shows – but it’s still 25 per cent cheaper than first-placed London.
Energy networks struggle in Qld heatwave
Queensland’s electricity network was under pressure over the weekend.
Making sure Miles stays forever young
Some musical estates have foundered due to quarrels among the heirs. Not so with the legend that was Miles Davis.
Today new HQs ... tomorrow, the world
The giants of the digital world are building new headquarters as lavish as palaces. But for workers, the new culture cuts both ways.
A stepping-stone to senior roles for women
The company secretary role is fast becoming a stepping-stone for talented women to get into top leadership roles within a company.
Would you let tech run your stock portfolio?
Computerised trading has already taken over Wall Street. But are investors ready to hand their portfolios over to machines, too?
Peas & Queues helps avoid the gaffe
There’s no better time to brush up on our manners than when faced with the social intricacies of the holiday season, as Peas & Queues, reveals.
2014: time for wearable hi-tech cool
At this year’s biggest gadget show, the Consumer Electronic Show starting in Las Vegas, a new zone has been set up for what’s expected to be the show’s hottest topic: wearable computers.
National
Services sector ends year in a slump
Post-election optimism in the services sector faded at the end of 2013, with a key private performance indicator falling to its lowest level since September.
- No plan to privatise Australia Post: Turnbull
- February by-election set for Griffith
- Australian-made car sales dive to record low
- Media Super claims ASIC fine is ‘excessive’
- Bernardi denies views on abortion, IR are ‘far-right’
- Infrastructure woes costing Australia in Asia food boom: CBH
- No bubble but Sydney needs house-building boom
- Billson eyes fines for bully franchisors in code shake-up
- Defence industry fears job losses if no spending rise
Surging rents prompt businesses to buy instead
Slack returns on term deposits, sustained record low interest rates and the whiff of a property boom have investors snubbing shares and increasing their commercial property holdings, financial advisors say.
Opinion
Outcasts that came back with a whitewash
Editorial | England’s recent years at the top of Ashes and world cricket will now be forever book-ended by whitewashes at the hands of Australia.
Why reading is a lonely affair
Virginia Woolf described reading a novel as a difficult and complex art. Today, it is harder still.
Big powers need to follow up QE with reform
The world economy is not yet flying on all engines – and is likely to remain underpowered this year as well.
World
China issues fresh curbs on shadow banking
China's cabinet has reportedly issued new rules to strengthen regulation of the shadow-bank lending that has helped fuel an explosion in debt levels since 2008.
- China’s services sector sees slower growth: HSBC
- Fears as al-Qaeda gains foothold in western Iraq
- South Sudanese rebel leader strikes deal over capital
- Europe to relax bank split reforms: report
- Liberty Media in $US10bn bid for Sirius XM
- Deutsche Bank criticised over Libor probe: report
- Westpac China head: why it’s time to head to Shanghai
- Obama faces 2014 with fewer fiscal handicaps
- SmartTrans’s rocky road to success in China
‘I’m the past’: Marriott’s bid to woo young travellers
Marriott, in the words of brand experts, is boring. So how do you recast it as cool and current – a “brand constellation” of everything from standard-issue roadside rooms to six-star oceanfront suites?
Business
Warrnambool statement questions Murray Goulburn’s bid
Warrnambool Cheese & Butter thinks the uncertain value and timing of Murray Goulburn’s $9.50-a-share cash bid, among other factors, mean the farmer co-operative’s bid is inferior to Canadian giant Saputo’s $9 cash offer.
- Dexus consortium bid for CPA now open
- Renshaw to replace Buckley as Cardno chief
- Management overhaul signals next steps for iSonea
- Chevron gets conditional approval from EPA
- Emirates allowed to land in Sydney after curfew
- CBH will stay as a co-op, says chief
- Billson eyes fines for bully franchisors in code shake-up
- Abbott dropping the ball on reform, warns business
Secrets of the Hains investment powerhouse
For 50 years, in one of the world’s most sophisticated and secretive investment funds, the Hains family have been growing their fortune to more than $2.3 billion.
Technology
Bubble fears as tech companies see $1b valuations rise
Technology start-ups are attaining valuations north of $1 billion more quickly than ever, but the dream doesn’t always end with a pile of cash.
- Taiwan’s HTC swings back to profit in Q4
- Apple confirms acquisition of SnappyCam app
- Tech companies find difficulty hiring in Europe
- Tatar under control with internet toothbrush
- Beware the gobbledegook of geeks
- Today new HQs ... tomorrow, the world
- Security firm FireEye acquires Mandiant
- Would you let tech run your stock portfolio?
Tech giants’ tiny tax bills ‘depressing’
David Cameron’s government is accused of overseeing a ‘tax bonanza’ for tech giants, after seven US companies including Apple and eBay only paid a combined UK tax bill of just £54 million ($99 million) in 2012.
Markets
Dampener for stocks as Chinese data disappoints
Local shares dropped the most in three weeks on Monday as data showed the services sectors in Australia and China softened in December. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 25.2 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 5324.9, after taking a mixed lead from offshore.
- $A poised to outperform euro in 2014
- Amcor is Morgans’ top 2014 stock pick
- How financial news moves the sharemarket
- $A falling after highest level hit in a month
- Services sector ends year in a slump
- Pimco’s Gross expects a poor 2014 for bond investors
- Gold weakness frays investor nerves
- Valence Industries to kick off 2014 IPO market
- The year US stocks surprised, soaring 30pc
The equity outlook roundtable: more gains for 2014
Leading fund managers tip the local sharemarket to notch up another year of gains in 2014, while expecting a more modest rise than the double-digit returns achieved in the past couple of years.
Personal finance
Household wealth hits new record
A combination of rising house prices, surging equity markets and an entrenched savings culture pushed average Australian household wealth to a record $872,000 in 2013, according to Outlook Economics.
- Mixed sharemarket signals for year ahead
- Super funds reap best returns in 13 years
- Change the way you think about investing
- Floats 2013: The ones that got away
- Prominent bears concede to the bulls
- Jazz artist sings to her own tune
- Gutsy decisions are the ones that count
- What investors should expect in 2014
Classic style at the Rose Street Trading Company
It’s a Saturday lunchtime on Melbourne’s busy Hawthorn shopping strip and over the holidays the Rose Street Trading Company store is a popular destination.
Lifestyle
Summer food series 5 | Shane Delia
In this final instalment of our stunning series, Shane Delia of Maha restaurant in Melbourne creates a Middle Eastern feast
Animal spirits hold sway in a sparkling menagerie
From elephants and pandas to frogs and bees, luxury houses are reviving an ancient tradition in precious baubles.
Beachside glamour in Rio
Some say a Rio hotel is just for cleaning off the sand. For those who prefer to do so with a marble soaking tub, there’s the Palace.
Cars: the very best of 2013
A few impressive machines for reasons of space and timing didn’t secure a full road test. This is the best of them.
Latest TV
Property outlook
Australian Property Monitors' Dr Andrew Wilson and Belle Property's Matthew Smythe look at what 2014 will bring for the property sector.
Ageing Australia
It is not just about the numbers, though they are large: Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released late in 2013 estimate the population will more than double to 48.3 million by 2061.
Hot housing market
In Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, dwellings are now 14.5 per cent and 8.5 per cent more expensive, respectively, than they were in December 2012.
Where is the housing market heading?
The housing market is under close scrutiny as Columnists David Bassanese and Christopher Joye look at what the coming year will bring for the sector.
