Australians divided over economy like never before

• ANALYSIS
• Michael Heath

Australian companies and consumers are divided as never before over their judgment of the nation's economy.

More countries in line for ratings cut this year: S&P;

Some of the big economies with negative outlooks on their ratings include Brexit-bound Britain and still triple-A Australia.

The treasure map for Sydney real estate investors

• COMMENT
• Michael Pascoe

In various city towers, bureaucrats are pondering to whom and when they should gift hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps even billions, by the stroke of a rezoning pen.

Home loans to investors fall to lowest level in 12 months

• Eryk Bagshaw

Tough new regulations are pushing investors out of the housing market and allowing first-home buyers to creep back in, figures show.

'Lots of wiggle room': RBA harks back to WWII to make rates decision

• Michael Heath

It's rarely discussed but is being increasingly used by the RBA when making interest rates decisions.

'Play money is important': How the avo generation is hooking into the sharemarket

• Jessica Irvine

So, you've given up the dream of home ownership – for the moment, at least.

Melbourne, Sydney property prices continue rise

Melbourne led the way in property price growth over the past week, while Sydney also saw a rise, according to the latest CoreLogic property data.

The very expensive Abbott promise Turnbull is keeping

• COMMENT
• Michael Pascoe

One of the legacies of the Abbott era could cost Australia $500 billion over the next decade.

How Treasury lost the plot on economic reform

• COMMENT
• Ross Gittins

Treasury will continue to flounder and its influence wane until it switches its goal from smaller government to more effective government.

The suburb with Melbourne's highest-earning households

• Bhakthi Puvanenthiran, Craig Butt

Park Orchards has a median weekly household income of $2660, which is $250 more than that of half of Toorak's households.

The rise of creative industries in the Australian economy

• Rachel Clun

New research is aiming to show the economic impact of Australia's creative industries, and the hot spots for jobs in that sector.

Census 2016: Life in Australia's oldest and youngest towns

• EXCLUSIVE
• Eryk Bagshaw

There are no hills in Tea Gardens, barely a single two-storey house and only 67 babies.

Australia falls behind Cameroon, Burkina Faso on tax

• Eryk Bagshaw

Australia is set to become the world's largest exporter of gas but its level of resource tax transparency falls behind Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Mongolia, a new global report has found, as the country forfeits billions of dollars in tax to multinational mining giants.

Gaming. The shocking reason young men are walking away from work

• Peter Martin

A team of researchers in the United States might have cracked one of the biggest mysteries in economics.

Australia cuts export forecast after iron ore falls

Australia has revised down the value of its resources and energy export earnings in the financial year ended June by 4.6 percent, or nearly $10 billion, due largely to falling prices for iron ore, its most valuable export.

The 'dismal' science's seven secrets to happiness revealed

• Podcast
• Jessica Irvine

In truth, economics has much to teach us about the pursuit of "utility" or happiness.

No need to fear a housing bubble, says HSBC economist

• Emily Cadman

Soaring home prices in Australia's biggest cities are driven by strong demand and a lack of supply, rather than being a sign of a "bubble," according to HSBC Holdings local chief economist Paul Bloxham.

Enormous rise in tax take to power return to surplus

• Peter Martin

Australia's return to budget surplus will be built on the back of a 14 per cent increase in the income tax take.

How the Aussie dollar kept the RBA's hands tied

• ANALYSIS
• Peter Martin

The Reserve Bank has disappointed commentators hoping for a hawkish stance by keeping rates steady.

Year of sitting still: RBA keeps cash rate on hold

• Peter Martin

The Reserve Bank has kept its cash rate on hold at 1.5 per cent.

'What gets measured, gets done': How companies get female boards

• Nassim Khadem

It's a pretty simple concept that some of corporate Australia is yet to grasp: companies that set and measure gender diversity targets are more gender diverse.

Services and manufacturing deliver strong growth

• Myriam Robin

A key leading indicator of Australian economic activity showed the economy growing strongly in the second-quarter.

Sydney, Melbourne prices bounce back in June

Sydney and Melbourne property prices rebounded in June after a pullback the month before.

ATO accused of taking 'belligerent' stance in disputes

• Nassim Khadem

Individuals and small business taxpayers are still encountering ATO officials who take an "unnecessary, belligerent stance" when it comes to resolving disputes, one of Australia's largest accounting bodies says.

Get ready for interest rate rises - but not overnight

• COMMENT
• Jessica Irvine

Last Monday, an article appeared on the Lowy Institute's "Interpreter" blog under the relatively benign headline: "Rising interest rates and the RBA".

Why this was the year economists all got wrong

• Peter Martin

Mining millions, but weak growth. No wonder our panel failed to predict 2016-17.

Pick a card. The chance of a recession is 1 in 5

• Peter Martin

Australia faces a "small but non-zero" chance of a recession in the next two years according to the BusinessDay expert forecasting panel.

A ray of light as economists feel better about Trump

• EXCLUSIVE
• Eryk Bagshaw

One year on, and the mood about Trump has changed.

Rate cut just as likely as a rate rise, economists predict

• Eryk Bagshaw

Australia is more likely to face an interest rate cut than an increase in the year ahead, a survey of 25 economists by Fairfax Media has revealed, as low wage growth, a high Australian dollar and a cooling housing market push the Reserve Bank towards a new record low cash rate.