Animal spirits stirring: Business confidence unexpectedly soars
The stars are aligning for the economy: business conditions and confidence have unexpectedly jumped, with employment conditions particularly encouraging.
The Economy
Memo Scott Morrison: there ain't no jam jars
What's this about a "locked box"?
Labour 'flexibility' has come at a cost: underemployment
For all the signs that our economy is on the mend, two influential reports on Friday highlighted the soft underbelly of Australia's labour market.
'Snails eat our mail': The best excuses the ATO hears
Top excuses for why people did not lodge a tax return on time included: "My client can't lodge because she is currently at the North Pole".
Reserve Bank chief gently reproves Turnbull's failings
Reserve Bank chief gently reproves Turnbull's failings.
Why your name may be ruining your life
Does a name's position in the alphabet affect anything outside the Yellow Pages? The idea isn't so far-fetched, new research shows.
Australia's new political divide: 'globalists' versus 'patriots'
There is a new political fault line emerging in Australia, and it cuts across the traditional progressive and conservative divide.
Reserve Bank, Treasury, IMF at odds over growth, in accord over company tax
The Reserve Bank's assessment came as the International Monetary Fund called on the bank to keep interest rates "accommodative" and to be prepared to ease further, if warranted.
'Stand ready': IMF calls for vigilance on housing risks
Tougher restrictions on bank lending may be needed if Australian house prices or mortgage debt accelerate again, the International Monetary Fund says.
RBA chief predicts Trump could boost economy
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has implored Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to borrow more to spend on infrastructure.
The $63b question: What Trump's tax plan means for Apple
Apple was slugged with an $18b fine by the EU last year but the company will be smiling if Donald Trump's US tax plan gets off the ground.
Mining tailwind to benefit households
Households, particularly those in Queensland and Western Australia, will see some benefits of the lift in commodity prices, HSBC says.
Guard dogs, Xbox consoles: hot tax breaks claimed by small business
Guard dogs and x-box consoles are among the items that over 154,000 small businesses have claimed as tax breaks for equipment used in the workplace.
US cattlemen seek Trump help to beat Australia
US cattle lobby was disappointed with Mr Trump's decision to axe America's role in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
'Out of control': Concern over Australia's $1 trillion mortgage debt pile
Australians' private debt has soared to 187 per cent of income from 70 per cent in the early 1990s. The RBA might be starting to get worried.
Deep divide over Australia's economic path
At the start of the year, economists seem more divided than ever over Australia's growth outlook.
Centrelink keeping track of monthly investment performance
The government is looking for a new data base providing monthly updates on investment returns, which could allow it to reduce or increase the Centrelink and pension benefits it pays out as markets rise and fall.
Reserve Bank leaves rates on hold at 1.5%
The Reserve Bank of Australia has left its cash rate steady for the fifth consecutive board meeting as it prepares to release forecasts showing economic growth picking up and inflation climbing from 1.5 per cent to more than 2 per cent.
Early shoppers take heat out of Christmas sales
Australians spent more than $25.6 billion in December, but sales for the month dipped 0.1 per cent, confounding hopes for bumper Christmas sales.
Warning of bump for Trump next year with slide into recession
US President Donald Trump's economic honeymoon could come to an end as soon as next year, senior London fund managers have forecast, with the US at risk of plunging into recession.
Christmas sales fell short as Aussies looked for bargains
Official retail sales statistics for the all-important pre-Christmas period fell significantly short of expectations, not because Aussies bought fewer items but because we paid less for them.
Is Australia's property boom showing signs of crumbling?
After a long pause, the auctioneer commissioned to sell a northern Sydney beach-side apartment for in excess of $800,000 puts his gavel away, unable to entice a single bid.
Wrongly accused of fraud and evasion by the ATO? IGT wants to know
The Tax Office's processes for forming decisions about whether taxpayers are guilty of fraud or evasion are "not sufficiently robust and may lead to unfair outcomes", according to concerns raised with the Inspector-General of Taxation Ali Noroozi.
Investor home loans the fly in the ointment for RBA
Like a rabbit caught in a spotlight, the Reserve Bank board is all but certain to remain frozen on Tuesday, not knowing which way to jump.
Australia a one-trick pony or unicorn? 27 economists weigh in
The Reserve Bank board faces little pressure to adjust rates at its first meeting for the year on Tuesday after the BusinessDay Scope forecasting panel predicted a rarity - an entire year of steady rates.
The people who saw crazy 2016 coming
In most years there’s room for one forecaster of the year. But not in 2016. Hardly any of our panel picked the dive in Australia’s growth rate to 1.8 per cent or the dive in the cash rate to a record-low 1.5 per cent. Wage growth was lower than all but the most pessimistic of the forecasts, and house prices ended the year far higher than the highest.
Mining's economic contribution not as big as you might think
With Malcolm Turnbull desperate to keep burning coal for electricity, just how important is the mining industry to our economy?
No budget bonanza: Forecasting panel sees weak year ahead
Few of Australia's leading economists expect the government to deliver the cut in the budget deficit promised.
'General glumness' to keep shares flat, say economists
The BusinessDay Scope panel have a rather circumspect view on where the ASX200 will end up by the end of 2017.
Trump simply doesn't get it
Donald Trump doesn't get it, apparently is incapable of getting it.
Small Business
Adore Beauty sells stake to Woolworths then buys it back
Kate Morris has bought back her business from Woolworths less than two years after selling 25 per cent to the supermarket giant.
'The unions won't be happy': Kate Carnell calls for small business award
The Small Business Ombudsman says a simple award is needed as workplace relations legislation is too complex for small business.