Business celebrates $A’s fall
Australian businesses – from retailers to tourism operators and one of the nation’s biggest ship builders – are hailing the dollar’s slump as a much-needed tailwind. While the Aussie’s fall is likely to make foreign goods more expensive and contribute to inflation, it is good news for companies competing in global markets, the federal government and the RBA.
Shell sells out of Wheatstone LNG for $1.1bn
Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co has struck a deal to buy Royal Dutch Shell out of Chevron’s Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia for $US1.135 billion.
Deutsche Bank weighs on European stocks
Before the Bell | European stocks inched lower in thin trade, slipping from 5-1/2 year highs after Deutsche Bank’s surprise quarterly loss ■ Wall St closed ■ Dax slides 0.3pc ■ SPI futures down 7 pts ■ $A at US87.97¢.
AFIC holds back on overvalued shares
Australia’s biggest listed investment company believes the Australian sharemarket is overvalued and is prepared to bide its time before making any large share purchases this year.
Rinehart spends as confidence grows
Gina Rinehart has continued to tip millions into the Roy Hill iron ore project in Western Australia, as confidence in the project builds on the back of loans secured in December.
Euroz Securities eyes larger bonus pool
Euroz’s stockbroking arm is seeking shareholder approval to increase the pool of funds available each year to pay bonuses, as part of a plan to retain employees and fend off east coast rivals.
SEEK bankers approach Asian investors on IDP float
Online jobs firm SEEK has had its bankers out in force in Asia sounding out potential investors on the proposed $300 million-plus float of its international education business, IDP Education.
UBS pursues radical trading platform outsourcing
UBS has struck two deals to outsource most of its fixed-income trading platform in a radical step highlighting the scale of cost pressures in the investment banking sector.
RMBS market renaissance not assured
Offshore investors have made a welcome return to buying securitised mortgages in Australia, but the sector’s renaissance is not assured as the market remains hostage to the whims of the US Fed.
Negative gearing fills crucial housing gap
Shane Goodwin | Debt-reliant property investors have not driven out first time home buyers.
Qantas takes back seat in aviation battle
It was only fitting when Alan Joyce compared Qantas’s decision to partner with Emirates over Etihad to choosing between a bike or a BMW.
Renewables can handle the heat
Kane Thornton | We should stop pretending renewable energy is the costly cause of our power problems. It’s simply not true.
Kiwi technology company Serko to run with the bulls
New Zealand’s $5 billion cloud accounting software stock Xero has captured the imagination of investors on both sides of the Tasman. And brokers are now scouting for new tech listings which could tap into the boom-time investor demand.
Why you shouldn’t apologise at work
Success in the workplace may require a rethink of cultural values and efforts to find your worth on the job.
Dope no worse than alcohol: Obama
US President Barack Obama has said smoking marijuana is not more dangerous than drinking alcohol.
I wasn’t always healthy: Jane Fonda
“Fitness is central to a good life,” says the face of Fitness First, Jane Fonda, in Australia.
6.2 magnitude quake hits NZ's North Island
Updated | A sizeable mid-afternoon earthquake has struck the lower half of New Zealand's North Island and caused at least some property damage.
Tennis TV audience down as eyes turn to cricket
Updated | Seven West Media’s broadcast of the Australian Open tennis tournament has lost audience during the opening week of play.
Uni drops .edu in Aussie first
Melbourne’s Monash University has become the first Australian organisation with the .monash global top-level domain name.
Will Apple’s iWatch get under our skin?
Apple’s hypothetical smartwatch, the iWatch, could come with a needle-less patch on its back that samples your blood and performs health tests on you.
The caveman’s guide to good eating
Paleo diet advocates and cafe franchise owners aren’t worried by the notion of fads.
Online readers boost newspapers
Newspapers have generated significant readership gains over the past six months.
The real wives of Wall Street
For a growing number of New York’s high-powered female financiers, success only comes with a radical change to how they run their lives.
National
Internet giants resist online watchdog proposal
Internet giants Google, Facebook, Yahoo! and others are set to battle a Coalition government proposal to introduce an online watchdog able to ban harmful content from social media sites.
- Tasmania can fix its economic problems
- West Gate cracks widen rift on second river crossing
- NSW liquor hopes for favours despite alcohol backlash
- Further $A declined needed for wine exports
- Builders excited as confidence grows
- Libs president Stockdale lobbies state Coalition
- Shorten campaigns in Griffith as race heats up
- Sydney brothel owner testifies in Craig Thomson trial
- Former Yara exec indicted over bribery allegations
Childcare rebate debate intensifies
As the federal government hunts for budget savings, the childcare rebate is ripe for the picking. Peak business and welfare groups are unusually aligned in backing means testing of the rebate, which is a Howard-era artifact embraced and expanded by Labor under Kevin Rudd.
Opinion
Negative gearing fills a crucial gap in housing
Debt-reliant property investors have not driven out first time home buyers. Red tape is the real villain in the housing story.
Newcrest and Silver Lake on the up as gold begins to gleam
Traders who have been following gold’s steady recovery had another positive start to the week on Monday as Newcrest Mining staged another nearly 6 per cent gain to be just below $10 in a generally tepid trading day.
France in thrall to discredited economic theories
The real political scandal in France today is that official economic thinking in Paris has not progressed in 211 years.
World
Shell sells out of Chevron’s Wheatstone LNG for $1.1bn
Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co has struck a deal to buy Royal Dutch Shell out of Chevron’s Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia for $US1.135 billion.
- Iran halts most sensitive nuclear activity
- Thai default risk soars as violence escalates
- Dope no worse than alcohol: Obama
- Nintendo faces change of game plan
- UBS pursues radical trading platform outsourcing
- The road ahead looks good for motor industry
- China’s working population falls again
- Modi promises India 100 smart cities
US Fed’s independence at risk: Kohn
Former Fed vice-chairman Donald Kohn has warned the US central bank’s independence is at risk and that new chair Janet Yellen will come under intense political pressure when the Fed raises interest rates.
Business
Business celebrates the Aussie’s fall
Australian businesses – from retailers to tourism operators and one of the nation’s biggest ship builders – are hailing the dollar’s slump as a much-needed tailwind.
- New course for Virgin in airline seat battle
- SEEK bankers approach Asian investors on IDP float
- Megaport’s TPG Telecom grievance hits a snag
- Rinehart spends as confidence grows
- NSW liquor hopes for favours despite alcohol backlash
- Builders excited as confidence grows
- Wesfarmers to see coal price cut, adds resources
- The road ahead looks good for motor industry
Qantas takes back seat in aviation battle
The airline industry is notoriously catty so it was only fitting when Qantas boss Alan Joyce compared his decision to partner with Emirates over Etihad to choosing between a bike or a BMW.
Technology
Internet giants resist online watchdog proposal
Internet giants Google, Facebook, Yahoo! and others are set to battle a Coalition government proposal to introduce an online watchdog able to ban harmful content from social media sites.
- SEEK bankers approach Asian investors on IDP float
- Megaport’s TPG Telecom grievance hits a snag
- Nintendo faces change of game plan
- Broadcasting giants threatened by tiny antennae
- Bitcoin a commodity, not currency, says Finland
- Telstra expands cloud business with $60m acquisition
- Cloud computing player aims to tap into ASX gold rush
Will Apple’s iWatch get under our skin?
Apple’s hypothetical smartwatch, the iWatch, could come with a needle-less patch on its back that samples your blood and performs health tests on you.
Markets
Deutsche Bank weighs on European stocks
Before the Bell | European stocks inched lower in thin trade, slipping from 5-1/2 year highs after Deutsche Bank’s surprise quarterly loss ■ Wall St closed ■ Dax slides 0.3pc ■ SPI futures down 7 pts ■ $A at US87.97¢.
- Falling Deutsche Bank pulls European stocks lower
- Business celebrates the Aussie’s fall
- Irish five-year yields dip below US equivalents
- Copper edges lower on muted China demand prospects
- UBS pursues radical trading platform outsourcing
- SEEK bankers approach Asian investors on IDP float
- Euroz Securities eyes larger bonus pool
- AFIC holds back on overvalued shares
- RMBS market renaissance not assured
Big Four valuations ‘stretched’: Goldman
After the banking sector’s blockbuster share price increases of last year, Goldman Sachs says the valuations of most of the Big Four remain “stretched”.
Personal finance
Investment fraud a ‘significant threat’ for Australia
The Australian Crime Commission says it is developing prevention and intervention measures to harden Australia against the emerging threat of organised investment fraud.
- Wealth management heavyweights court SMSF trustees
- Meet the wedding planner
- Big, brash houses selling at a discount
- Winery dreams can soon turn sour
- What the charts predict for the market in 2014
- Life expectancy a ticking time bomb for household savings
- Superannuation sledging bound to step up a notch in 2014
- The thousand-dollar fines you’ll get for breaking the SMSF rules
- How it feels to hold a stock in freefall
Unlocking your wealth potential
Many executives run their companies better than their own finances, and while they’ve got the means to create substantial wealth, some spend most of what they earn and feel trapped in jobs that finance their lifestyles but don’t always satisfy. However, help is at hand.
Lifestyle
Mercedes E-Class sedan has many virtues
A well-engineered, sharp-handling sedan is simply the best thing for transporting a family comfortably and safely.
Why the latest TV tech matters to you
If you thought the technology choices for your next TV were difficult last year, just wait until this year’s crop appears.
Latest TV
Hot stock picks for 2014
Australia's stock market is lagging the rest of the world, but David Walker from StocksInValue tells Bianca Hartge-Hazelman there are opportunities for all risk appetites, whether it's salary packager McMillan Shakespeare or ANZ's Asian banking play.
Property confidence bouncing back
Sentiment within the property industry has rebounded as interest rates remain at record lows. The latest survey by ANZ and Property Council shows the sector is hiring, building and paying more. Property editor Rob Harley looks at the top states and why the drivers are different for the lift in residential versus commercial confidence.
This week's CPI spurs rate talk
US holiday signals a slow start to the week with Australian inflation out on Wednesday. The declining dollar has made imports pricier, which could push the CPI up.
Hogan on board Virgin as Qantas seeks capital
Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan has taken a board seat on Virgin Australia - will other stakeholder airlines follow? Chanticleer columnist Mike Smith also looks at rival Qantas' search for capital.
