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Economists scramble to revise projections for dollar

The most bearish forecasters say the Australian dollar could head towards US50¢.

Gareth Hutchens 9:54AM

Economists are scrambling to revise their projections for Australia's dollar after it sank below US70¢ this week, hitting a six-and-a-half-year low.

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Economy neither wonderful nor woeful

Ross Gittins

Searchers after truth rather than headlines don't take quarterly changes in GDP too literally. Here's a graph that shows why we shouldn't lose our bundle over the economy.

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Investors remain uncertain whether the Fed will raise rates at its September meeting.

Jobs data makes US rate move unclear

8:01PM

Global equity markets tumbled and the dollar was mixed on Friday after a US jobs report for August kindled uncertainty over whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in two weeks.

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Storm clouds on the economic horizon

Jessica Irvine

Anyone aged under 40 in Australia today has never experienced a recession in their working lifetime. But our record-breaking run is in peril.

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Tara Lloyd feeds her 8-month-old daughter Gracie Perkin a2 Platinum infant formula.

The fight to feed China's hungry babies

Jared Lynch and Mark Hawthorne

How 20 million screaming Chinese babies and health conscious local mums are driving a twin boom for some Aussie milk companies.

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The China effect is still in the $A

Malcolm Maiden

The $A will go lower but shouldn't reach the depths it plumbed before China awoke.

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Stan Gordon, CEO of Franchised Food Company, poses for a photo with a soft serve ice cream.

Mr Whippy licked into shape

Catie Low

Franchised Food Company has made over ice-cream icon Mr Whippy for a summer relaunch and traded in his pink-and-white van for a tuktuk.

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Comment & Analysis It's big business burying the dead
The Economy Back to our old pre-GFC habits
Retail Fridges on the frontline as dollar dives
Comment & Analysis Desalination's day will come
Mining and Resources Resources firms scramble to cover WDS collapse

Market Indices

Last updated: September 5, 2015 - 2:00AM

Currencies

United States Dollar
Last updated: Sep 5, 2015 - 9:00AM (delayed by 30 minutes)
0.6909	0.00%
Euro
0.6195	-0.10%
British Pound
0.4554	-0.02%

Comment & Analysis

Ross Gittins

Economy neither wonderful nor woeful
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Malcolm Maiden

The China effect is still in the $A
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Michael West

Undertakers do well burying corporate dead
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Omar de Silva says almost anyone can learn to be an entrepreneur.

Street smart meets book smart

Kristie Kellahan

A new bachelor program teaches budding entrepreneurs how to seize business opportunities.

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In Depth

Risky behaviour can be rewarding

Nurse Anne-Marie Tolsma decided to take on an investment property when she was 50.

Sally Patten

There are varying degrees of financial risk. The way you look at it depends on the time frame.

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Here's why solar is the future of power

A massive investment in solar power is expected over coming years.

John McDuling

One of the criticisms of renewable energy sources is they require huge government subsidies to be economic. Well, think again.

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Banish the black wardrobe

Alexandra Cain

It’s the go-to shade for most working women. But is it holding you back?

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Workplace

Growing food for the future

Brendan Condon and Marc Noyce with the modular Foodwall.

Judy Barouch

While vertical plant and vegie gardens aren't anything new, a new design is having a big impact.

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Why you should ignore all those missed emails

Most email is so inconsequential that we ignore it most of the time anyway. Open rates on emails hover somewhere between 20 per cent and 40 per cent.

We trudge through piles of missed emails for can't-be-missed requests. For many, those emails don't exist.

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Markets

$A plunges on back of US jobs data

The Australian dollar is fetching just above 69 US cents, its lowest mark since April, 2009.

12:01PM

The Australian dollar fell 1.6pc in New York trading on Friday as US labour data bolstered bets the Fed will lift interest rates this month.

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Yuan will stabilise, China central bank official says

"I'm confident that the renminbi exchange rate will be more or less stable around the equilibrium level," People's Bank of China deputy governor Yi Gang said.

Olga Tanas 5:53AM

People's Bank of China deputy governor Yi Gang said China's economic fundamentals are solid and the country's currency will be stable.

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US jobless rate falls to lowest level in seven years

Contractors work during construction of the new Toyota Motor North America in Plano, Texas.

Michelle Jamrisko 3:45AM

As far as the Federal Reserve is concerned, the American workforce is now fully employed.

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Surfing the lower dollar
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Bears in back seat as Harvey leads field of buyers
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Blog Markets Live: Worst week in three months
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Aussie hits new six-year low, falling below US70¢
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Nikkei tumbles to fresh 7-month low
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Will banks cut dividends as economy weakens?
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Why we need the $A to be US60c
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China stocks nowhere near bottom: UBS adviser
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Kathmandu's share price has more than halved in the past year after a 53 per cent profit slump .

Kathmandu loses place in ASX top 200

Search Quotes & Charts

The Economy

Twin Peaks. Why our economy is no longer riding high

Peter Martin 9:00PM

The Twin Peaks that reveal why Australia's economy is struggling.

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Surfing the lower dollar

Lets Go Surfing surf school director Brenda Miley says the lower dollar is great for businesses targeting tourists.

Jamie Freed

For tourism businesses the falling dollar is a godsend.

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ChAFTA backlash has racial overtones: Ferguson
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Score one for the RBA crystal ball
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Retail

Topshop part of Myer's new fashion look

Topshop and Topman will be rolled out into 20 Myer stores.

Rachel Wells 6:57PM

In a revamp of its fashion brands, Myer is rolling out Topshop concessions in 20 stores nationally.

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Backpack makers rethink staple

Eric Rothenhaus, director of research and design at Jansport.

Hiroko Tabuchi

Long used for hauling books, the humble backpack is undergoing a major overhaul.

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Banking & Finance

Fund manager profit party is over, warns super sector

Prominent retirement industry executives such as AustralianSuper chief Ian Silk say fund managers have benefited from the enormous growth in the super industry at the expense of members.

Sally Rose

Super funds want fees they pay to manage money halved, saying margins of 60 per cent are unacceptable.

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ASIC calls for more power against banks

ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft says banks' products should have the best interests of financial consumers in mind.

James Eyers

The ASIC wants the federal government to ramp up the penalties for violating commercial law.

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Dastyari sees Dracula behind the Dollarmites
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UBS shifts $7b of Asian deposits into cash
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Financial companies ignoring women's needs
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Will banks cut dividends as economy weakens?
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Super sector outgrows local sharemarket
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Mining & Resources

Base metals fall on US rate bets, China positioning

The Shanghai Futures Exchange reopens on Monday, but US markets will be closed for the Labor Day break.

6:25AM

Copper and other industrial metals fell on Friday, unnerved by prospects of an increase in US interest rates.

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Glencore shares shed 17% in week amid global slump

All six of the main industrial metals traded in London retreated, with copper declining 2.4 per cent.

Lynn Thomasson and Ben Stupples 6:09AM

Glencore posted the biggest weekly decline since it went public in 2011 as the selloff in mining shares showed no signs of slowing.

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World Business

Taubman's $700m trove at auction

Amedeo Modigliani's "Portrait of Paulette Jourdain", which has been estimated at up to $US35 million.

Katya Kazakina

It's the highest-estimate private collection on auction ever, and is set to test the art market after the turmoil in financial markets.

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How Boeing flop became hot property

Qantas Airways is among those ready to pounce if a used 717 comes onto a market that now has none to buy or rent.

Julie Johnsson

Nine years after production ended for Boeing's 717 jetliner, the former sales dud is one of the most sought-after aircraft in the world.

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Alibaba chairmen said to plan $US2b loan against stock
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Brooks returns to her old job at News Corp
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More Toshiba accounting errors found
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India's economic growth slows
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Weaker rouble aids Gazprom profit as gas prices plunge
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China

China set to invest more in Australian hotels

Clancy Yeates

The local head of banking giant HSBC has predicted future waves of Chinese investment in Australia will focus more on property and services industries.

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Battery bovines? How now robot cow

Grant Williams' automatic dairy milking system at his farm in Athlone,

Gina McColl 12:15AM

Cows living in giant barns, fed rations, milked by robots. Farmegeddon – a way to bring a little more science and technology to help keep local farming sustainable?

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China has created a monster it can't control
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China stocks nowhere near bottom: UBS adviser
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China's searching for stock market scapegoats
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China's time for market intervention is over
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China stocks extend rout on weak manufacturing
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Red means up, green means down
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Property Focus

Movies and mobile phones boost malls

SUPPS 991102 SMH SUPPLEMEMENTS PHOTO SHOWS

Permafab roof at Warringah Mall, Brookvale.

(NO CAPTION INFORMATION PROVIDED)

Carolyn Cummins

Mobile phones and blockbuster movies have earned big money for mall landlords over the past year.

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All roads lead west to industry

Stockland's Willowdale development in Leppington.

Carolyn Cummins

Up to 850,000 square metres – more than double the space of Sydney's central business district – of stock are earmarked for development from 2017 to 2027.

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