Today's Business News & Views

JB Hi-Fi buys The Good Guys

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JB Hi-Fi acquisition of The Good Guys makes the consumer electronics and home appliance market another of Australia's two-horse retail races. Catie Low comments.

Marcus Blackmore has watched his wealth plummet more than $400 million this year.

More fizz needed to restore Marcus Blackmore's $400m wealth loss

1 hr ago

It will take more than a few vitamin pills to restore the $400 million wealth hit Marcus Blackmore has taken this year on his Blackmores shares.

This week's roller-coaster has been a long time coming.

The best economic news in years – and markets don’t like it

COMMENT

Overlooked amid the latest market roiling is the best news for the global economy since China primed the capitalist pump.

Kirstine Stewart says old-fashioned views about the role of women must be challenged.

Ex-Twitter exec hits out at sexism in business, politics

Women in politics and business are held to higher standards than men says former Twitter executive Kirstine Stewart.

James Kessel, 46, had his insurance claim rejected by CommInsure after he had a heart attack.

Parliament to grill life insurers on payouts

COMMENT

The $44 billion life insurance industry will face a powerful inquiry. It can't come soon enough

Passengers are seen waiting in long queues as a result of Australian Border Force staff holding a two-hour strike at ...

Sting in the tail of pay offer to public servants

Giant department offers upfront pay rise in return for industrial peace, but there's a catch.

Gerry Harvey: the Harvey Norman chain could benefit from JB Hi-Fi's acquisition of The Good Guys.

Harvey Norman could win from 'corporatisation' of The Good Guys

The success of JB Hi-Fi's $870 million acquisition of rival The Good Guys depends on how quickly it can transform the 64-year-old retail chain.

A spokesman for Surf Life Saving NSW said an internal investigation has been launched.

Surf Life Saving NSW manager embezzled $3 million

The head of Surf Life Saving NSW embezzled more than $3 million before he resigned from his job in July.

Craig Drummond is flexing his muscles by overhauling top management following his recent appointment.

Medibank overhauls top management following recent missteps

Medibank Private's newly installed boss, the former banker Craig Drummond, has overhauled senior management with a series of changes, including replacing its chief financial officer.

Kerr Neilson, founder and managing director of Platinum Asset Management

Shorts bet against billionaire

This fund manager is betting Kerr Neilson's Platinum Asset Management won't maintain its rally.

Storm brewing? Investors expect more volatility over the next week.

ASX snaps losing streak

The local sharemarket posted its first gain in five sessions, but investors warn markets are likely to remain volatile.

Coverage of the American election is credited with boosting Fairfax's readership.

Sydney Morning Herald records top readership

The Sydney Morning Herald has stretched its run as the nation's number one news destination reaching a record readership of 6.4 million people across print and digital in July.

Roy Hill has now downgraded its ambitious export target.

Roy Hill admits unlikely to meet 'aggressive' export target

Roy Hill has admitted it is unlikely to meet its "aggressive" target of ramping up exports to 55 million tonnes of iron ore by the end of the year.

Investors are sweating over some disturbing moves in bond and oil prices.

Markets Live: Banks lift ASX

Local shares defy weak global leads and end a four-day losing streak, as the big banks find some buyers.

Protestors against gas field developments in Victoria prior to the fracking ban being imposed.

Gas ban will hurt households

Watchdog warns Victoria's ban will lift costs for business and consumers.

Donald Trump has vowed to put "an end to China's illegal export subsidies". It could cost China dearly.

Trump victory could cost China's economy $560 billion

Victory for the Republican firebrand in the US presidential election could be a game changer for China's economy, economist says.

Platinum Capital, which is managed by Kerr Neilson, has launched a buy-back, squeezing its shares higher.

Platinum Asset battles shorts with buy-back

Kerr Neilson's Platinum Asset has forced its share price higher only a matter of weeks after Sydney fund manager Jack Lowenstein took a 'short' position in Platinum, betting its shares would fall.

CYBG, which owns the Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank brands, dropped as much as 5 per cent in London trading after ...

Ex-NAB unit Clydesdale shares tank as woes continue

National Australia Bank's shareholders may breathe a collective sigh of relief that the bank has hived off its troubled UK banking arm Clydesdale after the business on Tuesday lowered loan growth prospects and indicated it may take a year longer than expected to free capital from its balance sheet.

What are the things to look out for in brand leadership?

Fiona Myer and Philip Corne share insights on leadership and brand loyalty.

Squeaky clean: Wells Fargo chief John Stumpf's calm tenure used to be the envy of other, more embattled bank executives.

Mr Clean of American banks finds himself mired in scandal

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein had his Abacus. JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon had his Whale. Now Wells Fargo's John Stumpf, the Mr. Clean of American banking, is getting a scandal of his own.

Markets roiled by good news

While markets are having conniptions over what central banks might do when, the news from the real economy is actually rather good.

Errors in CBA's automated calculator used to approve overdrafts meant the bank breached responsible lending rules.

Nearly 10,000 customers wrongly given overdrafts by CBA

Commonwealth Bank faces $180,000 in fines and a $2.5 million writedown after 'system error' assumed customers applying for credit had no housing expenses and unrealistically low living costs.

Big US bank pays $190m in customer fraud case

Wells Fargo, the largest US bank by market capitalisation, will pay $190 million for opening two million deposit and credit card accounts that may not have been authorized.

Joseph Gutnick has an almost 40 per cent stake in Merlin Diamonds through various entities owned jointly with his family.

Recent bankrupt Diamond Joe Gutnick back in the mining saddle

The family of recently bankrupt business man "Diamond" Joe Gutnick is back in the mining game after the Northern Territory government gave clearance for Merlin Diamonds to start exploring a deposit formerly owned by Rio Tinto.

Think you had a bad day? Warren Buffett just lost $1.9 billion

Tuesday has been a day to forget for Warren Buffett, who lost more than any other billionaire in Tuesday's sell-off on Wall Street thanks to his big bet on the troubled US bank.

Consumers are keener to shop again as the RBA's record low interest rates are helping their budgets.

Consumer confidence edges higher, helped by low rates

A measure of Australian consumer sentiment edged higher in September as an improvement in personal finances made people more likely to splash out on big ticket items, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Donald Trump at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, this week.

Tech billionaire offers $US5 million for Trump's tax return

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is the latest Silicon Valley heavyweight to get his money involved in politics. He's offering to donate as much as $US5 million to veterans if Republican nominee Donald Trump releases his tax returns in time for the final presidential debate.

Ballarat's Delacombe Town Centre shopping complex.