Packer’s Sydney casino gets approval
James Packer has just one obstacle to clear before his ambition of operating a Sydney casino will become a reality, after the NSW gaming regulator gave approval for the billionaire and his company Crown Resorts to operate a restricted-gambling venue. The probity decision paves the way for Crown’s $1.5 billion luxury high roller casino and hotel to be built on the Barangaroo waterfront precinct.
ASX drifts despite lift in business conditions
Shares drifted lower as local data showed that while business conditions and sentiment improved again in June, consumer confidence softened in the wake of federal budget cuts announced in May.
Macquarie Group could be removed from $700m pastoral fund
Macquarie Group is set to appoint a human resources specialist to run its scandal plagued agricultural funds business, as it faces possible removal from managing the $700 million pastoral fund.
What next for Solomon Lew?
Solomon Lew is yet to confirm whether he’ll accept Woolworths’ $2.2 billion offer for David Jones or its $213 million mop-up bid for Country Road, but there is little doubt he is already planning his next move.
IFM seeks piece of Japan pension pile
The country’s largest infrastructure manager, IFM Investors, will seek to boost investment by Japanese pension funds in Australia as part of talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s delegation.
Asian expansion, lifting returns ‘unrealistic’ for ANZ
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group’s plan to sharply lift its Asian presence while also raising group-wide returns has been branded “unrealistic” by a top banking analyst.
Six catalysts for a market rise
Over the past six months investors have spent a lot of time worrying about the market’s direction. But Morgan Stanley Wealth Management has come up with a list of six catalysts that could send it higher.
Goldman alumni buck trend with Auscap Asset performance
It’s the sort of performance any new hedge fund manager would kill for. Auscap Asset Management has risen 74 per cent since inception and 45 per cent in the financial year just ended.
Elders confirms private equity interest
Elders chief executive Mark Allison has confirmed that a number of interested parties have been looking at the company, but says no formal offer has been put to the board.
Secret to takeover success? CEO’s age
Executives at retirement age are more likely to consider takeover bids, new research suggests, claiming 65 is the best age.
Why it’s hard to get an accounting job
Data shows a jump in accounting job applications, yet the government has kept it on a list of in-demand roles for skilled migrants.
Pay to make the wine you want to drink
More than three-quarters of Australian wine is sold by two major suppliers - it’s no surprise start ups eager to cut out the middleman.
CBA debacle has ‘modest’ implications
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Morgan Stanley analyst Richard Wiles says the implications of CBA’s Open Advice Review program won’t materially impact banking revenues.
Will your job exist in 2025?
Collaborative technologies, robots and artificial intelligence will transform the nature of work – and that means some jobs will become obsolete.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S: get your hands on it
This Digital Life | I wish everything in life had a fingerprint scanner on it. I wish my front door had a fingerprint scanner.
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Movie night heads online
Waiting three months for the latest blockbuster movie to become available in stores or online could soon become a thing of the past.
Taking the science out of CSIRO and into start-ups
Adir Shiffman | I own all the patents held by CSIRO, as well as all those held by every university in Australia. It’s a crazy thought, but it’s true.
House Rules dominates Sunday night TV
Seven’s House Rules attracted 2 million viewers across the five major capital cities for its “winner announced” segment.
The next Zuckerberg won’t be from Oz
Tim Dodd | Australia will not produce the next Mark Zuckerberg and schooling is to blame.
Where’s Whoopsy?
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Rear Window | While children play ‘Where’s Wally’, the troops at Kerry Stokes’s Seven West Media are playing ‘Where’s Worner?’.
How Lion’s XXXX Gold won back beer crown from VB
The beer wars have taken a fresh twist with Lion’s XXXX Gold reclaiming the top spot as Australia’s biggest-selling brew from Victoria Bitter.
Le Tour closer than Sydney cyclists realise
The Tour de France starts this weekend and Australian businesses like Athlete Lab are putting a modern spin on traditional cycling.
National
‘No limit’ on Japan-Australia ties: Abe
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has acknowledged the horrors of Japan’s wartime past as he urged Australian and Japan to walk forward with “no limit’’ on economic and trade ties and to join together to combat Chinese aggression.
- High Court halts asylum seeker handover
- Abbott urges minor parties to pass $34b in policies
- Japanese troops will war game alongside Australia
- Macquarie Group could be removed from $700m pastoral fund
- Report finds 25pc of Tax Office penalties reversed
- Inquiry told of CFMEU standover tactics
- Qld sued for $1b over Brisbane floods
- Business confidence rises in June
- Clive Palmer’s $9b budget bombshell
Ermenegildo Zegna buys into wool dynasty
Italian luxury fashion label Ermenegildo Zegna is getting into wool production for the first time, buying 60 per cent of Achill, a 175-year-old sheep farm in NSW’s New England region.
Opinion
Palmer plays parliamentary circus master
He’s determined to thrill the crowd with lots of stunts. But the showman will inevitably implode at some stage.
On the road to a tech-connected family holiday
The latest technology means you never need to leave your home entertainment behind, as long as you know how to keep everything linked up.
Asia century is one of peril
Yoon Young-kwan | A vast revolution in military affairs is taking place across East Asia, inspiring rising regional tensions.
World
Goldman Sachs tips earlier US rates rise
Goldman Sachs has brought forward its forecast for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates after US employers added more jobs last month than forecast.
- Economic storm for next Indonesian leader
- Winner-takes-all poll a key test for Indonesian democracy
- Isis app to rebrand to avoid confusion with Iraqi militants
- Afghan vote result sparks protest
- Israel prepares for escalation in Gaza
- Pink Floyd end two decade wait with ‘The Endless River’
- Insider trading case v Rajaratnam’s brother nears end
- New US spying scandal frays ties with Berlin
After Paribas fines, US now looks at Commerzbank
After securing a record $US9 billion in fines from BNP Paribas the US has begun settlement talks with Commerzbank, Germany’s second-largest lender, over its dealings with blacklisted countries.
Business
What next for Solomon Lew?
Solomon Lew is yet to confirm whether he’ll accept Woolworths’ $2.2 billion offer for David Jones or its $213 million mop-up bid for Country Road, but there is little doubt he is already planning his next move.
- Asian expansion, lifting returns ‘unrealistic’ for ANZ
- Elders confirms private equity interest
- Euroz’s profits double to $26.6m
- IFM seeks piece of Japan pension pile
- Macquarie duped rivals into handing over secrets
- Pharmaxis shares plunge on Bronchitol funding threat
- Reject Shop names Ross Sudano as new chief
- Kate Spargo to chair UGL from October
- Altona sells Finnish mines for $106 million
Japan pension change is Australia’s gain
Chanticleer | Australia stands to be a major beneficiary of visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe‘s transformation of the asset allocation of the $1.3 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund.
Technology
Smartphones weigh on Samsung as guidance disappoints
Samsung has issued unexpectedly weak quarterly earnings guidance which put it on track for its worst results in two years and cast doubt on the smartphone leader's strategy against cheaper Chinese rivals.
- Wotif takeover a warning for tech players
- Steve Jobs’ tablet sales prediction to come true next year
- NBN Co strengthens Telstra bargaining power with FTTN build
- All eyes on 3P Learning ahead of tech IPO rush
- Cloud provider Box raises $US150 million ahead of IPO
- E-book sales plateau and young readers stick with paperbacks
- NAB counts record online traffic as strategy endorsement
- World Cup moves from the field to social media
- Why tech disruptors are ready to undermine bank oligarchy
Samsung Galaxy Tab S: get your hands on it
I wish everything in life had a fingerprint scanner on it. I wish my front door had a fingerprint scanner, so I wouldn’t have to rifle through my bag to check, double check and triple check I have my keys every time I leave the house.
Markets
ASX drifts despite lift in business conditions
Shares drifted lower as local data showed that while business conditions and sentiment improved again in June, consumer confidence softened in the wake of federal budget cuts announced in May.
- Japan pension fund changes may strengthen $A further
- Goldman alumni buck trend with Auscap Asset performance
- Business confidence rises in June
- Euroz’s profits double to $26.6m
- Goldman Sachs tips earlier US rates rise
- Wall St retreats as focus turns to earnings
- Insider trading case v Rajaratnam’s brother nears end
- Comex speculators add to net long copper position
- European shares hit by German data, BES
A mad scramble for young bankers
A battle is raging on Wall Street as never before, with powerful factions scrambling for control of a precious resource.
Personal finance
Beat the IPO market at its own game
Amid a global IPO boom, investors can see floats as a do-or-die affair. They either join the dogfight and jostle for scraps in high-quality offers, or avoid them completely.
- Do the sums on the true cost of private schools
- Apartment traps for first-home buyers
- FoFA backflips land us with a contradictory system
- Time to reduce your portfolio’s risk
- How to create a business from nothing but contacts
- Give me choppers (and truffles) any day
- Financial planning’s ‘bad apples’ must go
Super fund art works are not there to be enjoyed
Michael Levitt | Imagine this scenario. A government employee arrives at my front door unannounced. His job – to inspect my home for signs that I have been openly displaying art.
Lifestyle
Definition of cool: a private chef
Securing a name restaurant chef to cook for you at home is challenging, but definitely worth it.
BMW 435i convertible will flip your lid
Midwinter driving with the top down is a breeze: there is a wind deflector, air collars and rollover protection.
Paris menswear plays with the categories
Next season’s trends, unveiled in a cascade of light and sound, include elegant sportswear and softened masculinity.
Off the cobblestones in Prague
The Czech capital is changing: even locals haven’t heard of all the new art galleries, bars and neighbourhoods.
Latest TV
Wotif a good local product is no longer good enough
No matter how good your local product offering, you risk being crushed by the big global players as they expand in the region.
Apartment traps for first-home buyers
Apartment owners legally own the paint on their walls and their carpets – but the walls themselves and the floor are common property, collectively owned.
Solly Lew could target Myer, Pacific Brands
If he sells his David Jones' shares, retail veteran Solomon Lew could have a $2b war chest to make his next retail move on targets such as Myer and Pacific Brands.
Shinzo Abe addresses Parliament
The Japanese PM praised Australia and Japan's close ties and cracked jokes in a landmark speech to a special sitting of parliament.
