Peter Hall sells shares in his firm at a third of their market value

At the start of the week, fund manager Peter Hall's stake in the investment company bearing his name was worth $39 million. By the end of the week, he reckoned it wasn't even worth a third of that as he rushed to seal a deal with Washington H. Soul Pattinson.

ASX in 2016: shocks, turnarounds, and golden miners

Many Australian shareholders will remember 2016 as the year miners roared back to life after a painfully long period in the doldrums, helping the ASX 200 to an impressive annual gain of 7 per cent.

Don't fear the robots; they won't kill jobs

• COMMENT

Robot K-2SO is the undisputed star in Star War's latest installment , outacting the actors - a sign of things to come in our automated economy?

Peter Hall resigns from Hunter Hall role

Fund manager Peter Hall confirms his resignation as chief investment officer of Hunter Hall stating personal reasons. Vision courtesy ABC News 24.

Real time payments on its way

The New Payments Platform, set to go live in 2017, will change the way businesses and individuals make electronic payments.

Hunter Hall fields takeover offers after founder quits

Hard on the heels of founder Peter Hall's sudden decision to quit as chief investment officer, investment firm Hunter Hall is fielding takeover offers from other fund management companies.

Amazon files patent for flying warehouse

Amazon is exploring the use of giant airships to serve as mobile, flying warehouses that could help the online retail giant deliver more of its goods by drone.

ASX slips in final session as gold miners shine

Gold miners look set to end the year on a bright note, while selling in blue-chip names pushes the sharemarket lower in early trade on the final, shortened session of 2016.

Law firm Shine loses CEO after only 5 months

Struggling listed law firm Shine Corporate has lost its chief executive officer after only five months in the chair.

Will the Aussie tank when US rates beat ours in 2017?

Last time that rates were higher in the US than in Australia, the Aussie dollar plunged as low as 48 US cents. Could it fall again this low?

Should Australian whistleblowers earn multimillion-dollar bounties?

• EXCLUSIVE

A number of cases have shown career oblivion often follows corporate whistleblowing.

Trump's trade policies become more shocking by the day

• COMMENT

Markets are still behaving as if they will get the "good Trump" (tax cuts and fiscal stimulus) rather than the "bad Trump" (trade wars), despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

FTSE closes at record high

Britain's top share index posted its highest-ever close following a rally in precious metals miners on stronger gold prices.

Oil slips on rise in US inventories

Oil prices dipped overnight after a surprise increase in US inventories eased optimism about the outlook for the global glut.

Inflation risks expose limitations

The European Central Bank's best effort to boost inflation may simply fall short, exposing the limitations on policymakers.

S&P; 500 bulls hurtle into ninth year

Equity cycles persist, and selling just because price-earnings ratios are high has repeatedly proven a mistake.

$A rises to highest in week

The US dollar hit a 15-day low against the yen as traders used the quiet holiday period to book some profits.

China expands yuan index basket

​China will change the way it calculates a key yuan index, nearly doubling the number of foreign currencies in the basket.

China coal prices lower in volatile trade

​Chinese steel rebar prices fell more than 2pc, while coke and coking coal remained under pressure, in volatile trading.

ASX clocks new 2016 high

Gains in resources and banks saw the ASX reverse early losses to hit a new high on 2016's second to last trading day.

Redflex signs non-prosecution deal over US corruption scandal

The Australian company behind red-light traffic cameras, Redflex, has escaped severe penalties in the US after striking a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice over its part in a corruption scandal. 

As James Packer's Crown exits Macau, tourists spark revival

Has James Packer jumped the gun scrapping the international ambitions of his gaming empire Crown Resorts this month and selling out of Macau?

Amazon calls 2016 holidays sales 'the best-ever season'

Global online giant Amazon has released sales data from the 2016 holiday season and the numbers and types of items bought will sober up any retailer who ate their aunt's Christmas sherry trifle.

Amazon ships itself to speed up

Amazon's Prime Air cargo planes are flying nearly full, taking business away from FedEx and UPS.

The curious tale of the 1-Page CEO who resigned but didn't

A woman who headed a one-time tech darling that specialised in software for one-page resumes is insisting she will not have to draft up her own CV.

$45 million a day: Warren Buffett's golden year

In a year when populists won power across Europe and the US, the world's wealthiest people are ending 2016 with $330 billion more than they had at the start.

The most-read Sydney Morning Herald stories of 2016

When it comes to the most-read Sydney Morning Herald stories of 2016, nothing could trump Donald Trump

ASX retreats from 2016 highs

Shares dipped in early trading as investors trim their holdings in the major banks and a host of listed trusts trade without the rights to their distributions.

Is the global economy gaining momentum?

Amherst Pierpont Global Strategist Robert Sinche discusses industrial production, momentum in the global economy and its impact on currencies.