S&P reaffirms AAA, warns on spending
Australia's budget position is still too weak to justify a sudden relaxation in spending restraint or sudden tax cuts, said Standard & Poor's.
McGrath denies ASX listing breaches
McGrath has denied it had breached Australian Securities Exchange listing rules for not disclosing the company had been operating at a loss.
GetSwift doesn't seem to get it
It's hard to know what's most extraordinary about GetSwift's latest little battle with the sharemarket operator.
Dastyari resignation paves way to Senate for Keneally
Senate president Scott Ryan has confirmed Labor's Sam Dastyari has formally resigned from the chamber, paving the way for Kristina Keneally to take up the seat.
NSW train strike off after Fair Work suspends action
The NSW government has achieved a major decision that could stop its rail workers from ever taking significant industrial action.
ASX slides, $A shines
ASX investors ended a holiday-shortened week on a downbeat note, while the Australian dollar briefly vaulted back over US81¢.
Chinese still in race for AWE
AWE's Chinese suitor has lodged its bidders statement for the oil and gas player, despite the target's deal with rival Mineral Resources.
Renewables investment dwarfs record
Fresh evidence has emerged of the sheer volume of investment flowing into new wind and solar projects, with more to come.
Myer to reassess intangibles after DJs value slashed
Myer will reassess the value of almost $1b in intangibles in March after South African retailer Woolworths slashed the value of David Jones by $712m.
ASX extends GetSwift suspension
The ASX has extended the suspension of GetSwift's shares, despite the company responding to the exchange's queries.
No let up for Rio Tinto in fraud case
The theatre in Rio Tinto's fraud case battle with the US corporate watchdog is obvious, but so is the regulator's determination.
The year that broke Quintis
A plan to grow sustainable Indian sandalwood on the grandest scale the world has ever seen ended badly for Quintis investors this past week. But it's not over yet.
Markets: ASX retreats, $A jumps
The ASX sported small losses on the last trading session of a holiday-shortened week, while the Aussie dollar jumped higher.
Australian dollar shoots higher
The Australian dollar surged more than 1 per cent, before easing, after US officials signalled their openness to a weaker greenback.
Wall Street chiefs retain optimism
Wall St is betting that global central banks will be able to tap their policy brakes mindfully, averting a market or economic crash.
Trump advisers back weaker $US
The US dollar fell to a three-year low after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin endorsed a weaker greenback.
Opinion
Five questions facing corporate giants
The year clearly starts with real sense of optimism among directors and executives, but that here are five key questions that will confront our biggest companies in the year ahead.
Australia's dirty petrol needs to get cleaner
The government is moving more to get cleaner cars on the road than electric cars, but a long delay won't help.
'If you're holding cash, you're going to feel pretty stupid'
Some of the world's most astute market observers have adopted a decidedly cautious tone in their utterances at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Anti-ageing is the next start-up boom
Extending life expectancies to more than 150 years will change everything from property prices to population forecasts, says Harvard geneticist David Sinclair.
Health premiums to rise again
Medibank and NIB will increase private health insurance premiums by slightly less than the federal government's approved rate in the latest round of rate hikes.
Citizenship-doubt MP in government sights
The government "won't hesitate" to refer a Labor MP to the High Court over citizenship doubts, says Leader of the House Christopher Pyne.
Why consumers are in a good mood
Stronger consumer confidence is ostensibly good news for retailers following a tough year in 2017, but analysts and investors remain divided about the outlook.
Five ways to resolve the Australia Day debate
There are several models we could follow to make Australia Day universally accepted, but they all required an idea of what our nation actually is.
Rescued trade deal about more than economics
The TPP resurrection represents a critical step towards building a trading system in which the region doesn't immediately fall into China's hands.
India locks in the quadrilateral dialogue to counter China
India will not step back from the Quad, or closer security ties with the US, which it sees as key to countering a belligerent China
Trump to speak to Mueller 'under oath'
President Donald Trump says he is looking forward to testifying before Special Counsel Robert Mueller and would like to as soon as possible.
London 'men only' business charity turns into gropefest
Young women charge they were sexually abused at a prestigious London 'men-only' charity event for politicians and business chiefs.
Toys R Us to close 182 US stores
Toys R Us has announced plans to shut nearly 200 stores across America, creating opportunities for others to pick up a larger share of the toy business.
EU fines Qualcomm $1.5b for exclusive Apple deal
The EU is fining Qualcomm $1.5 billion for paying Apple for five years to only use its chips, blocking out rivals such as Intel
Personal Finance
The best Australian share funds of 2017
The latest Mercer survey reveals the roosters and feather dusters among Aussie equity managers in 2017.
The man on a mission to future proof advice
Financial planners in Australia have no idea just how under threat they are as the Age of Vanguard dawns, says Joe Duran.
SMSF guide to pension inheritance
Inhering super from a partner on their death has become a major challenge that requires being across the new rules.
New Socceroos coach named
Dutchman Bert Van Marwijk has been named as the new Socceroos coach.
'I don't believe conflict with China is inevitable'
As Liberals go, Jim Molan is a rolled-gold political rock star. But the former general tells lunch with the AFR that he's no puppet of the conservative right.
How to agree to have sex
Not every man is Harvey Weinstein. #MeToo is forcing societies to make complicated moral judgments about sex, consent and feminism.
How to play the reputation game
In the age of social media managing your reputation has become more important – and much harder – than ever.
Lifestyle
Gifts and treats for the start of the working year
Brighten up, these long days won’t last forever, so best fill them with all things striking and fabulous.
