CBA arm banned from charging ongoing fees
Commonwealth Bank's financial planning arm has been banned from charging fees for ongoing services just hours before the release of the banking royal commission's final report.
Boral’s problems: bad luck or bad management?
The high hopes Boral investors had for earnings growth have literally been washed away over the last 12 months.
The bankers sweating on the Hayne report
It will be a tense wait for more than a dozen financial services industry heavyweights on Monday, as they sweat the final recommendations of the Hayne royal commission.
Time for Canberra to fix encryption mess
New encryption laws were horribly rushed, leaving business with a mess of political making. Now is the time to start fixing them.
Markets Live: Banks suddenly swing upwards
The S&P;/ASX 200 was down this morning, but at 11am the banks suddenly changed direction and are now leading a rise in the ASX 200.
Is it time to short the big banks?
The bear case against the big banks is well appreciated, but hedge funds and brokers don't believe it's priced into the sharemarket.
No mercy for the banks, says Shorten
Banks could again become political punching bags with Labor dismissing Coalition concerns about a credit squeeze as an excuse to go soft on the banks.
Banks will be forced to engage more with investors
The banks will be forced to engage more deeply with institutional investors throughout the year to prevent second strikes on their remuneration reports.
Boral tumbles on profit warning
Boral's shares slumped over 6 per cent after the building materials company cut its profit forecasts, citing infrastructure delays.
Devil in the detail on ASX childcare stocks under ALP
G8 Education has been a sharemarket winner from late October with a 70 per cent rebound on renewed confidence that an oversupply issue has been tamed.
Battle lines drawn on energy 'demand response'
Energy users such as BlueScope Steel are arguing for the opening up of the demand response market but retailers are standing in their way.
Can Wattle Health regain $200m in lost value?
Wattle Health is punting on a new organic brand called Uganic to try to restore some of the $200 million in sharemarket value that has disappeared from the company.
Lunar New Year to reveal truth about Chinese consumers
The week-long Lunar New Year holiday will provide the next litmus test of the resilience of the Chinese shopper.
Investors should brace for a wild ASX ride
Argo Investments steered clear of paying a special dividend but joined in the pile-on against the ALP's proposed dumping of franking credits refunds.
M&A; deals total $US275b in January
Investment bankers worldwide logged $US275 billion of mergers and acquisitions last month, the best start to a year in two decades
What happened in markets before the bell
Australian shares are poised to open higher though traders are awaiting the release of Commissioner Hayne's report.
The hidden art of the merger arbitrage deal
Luke Cummings has built a merger arbitrage fund to deliver returns in all markets by betting on outcomes of takeovers.
Opinion
Boral’s problems: bad luck or bad management?
The high hopes Boral investors had for earnings growth have literally been washed away over the last 12 months.
Time for Canberra to fix encryption mess
New encryption laws were horribly rushed, leaving business with a mess of political making. Now is the time to start fixing them.
Hayne is unlikely to upend SME credit
Bankers are scared stiff that Commissioner Kenneth Hayne might change the rules and require them to conduct detailed feasibility studies before they approve a small business loan. This is unlikely.
Shorten must swap the populist for the PM
The Opposition Leader must reverse out of his populist dogmas if he is to lead a successful government
Indonesian FTA in limbo
Chances of Australia and Indonesia signing off on their Free Trade Agreement before the federal election are slim.
Labor mulls NBN write-down ‘trigger’
Federal Labor has signalled it could support a NBN Co "trigger" to slash the value of the national broadband network.
Crossbench unmoved by Morrison's asylum backdown
Crossbench MPs are unconvinced by changes to asylum seeker medical transfers, leaving the Coalition at risk in Parliament next week.
'Not everyone better off': Labor returns fire
Federal Labor will launch its economic assault on the government today by urging voters not to be fooled by headline claims about a strengthening economy.
Furphys abound in franking credits debate
There've been many silly things written about Bill Shorten's plan to abolish cash refunds on franking credits. But we think this takes the cake.
Nissan U-turn is a no-deal Brexit ‘warning sign’
UK business secretary Greg Clark admits cancellation of new model in Sunderland by the Japanese automaker is ‘very bad news’.
Set against shaky global picture, US economy looks good
Why is the United States doing so well? And will the sluggish global economy eventually depress US exports and economic growth?
Pilots kept in dark over Boeing changes
Boeing is facing questions whether it played down or overlooked the potential dangers of keeping pilots uninformed about changes to a critical element of the new 737 Max's software.
Hockey warns Trump against 'pyrrhic' China trade win
Australia is warning Donald Trump not to succumb to a "sugar hit" trade deal with China that lets slip thornier structural issues.
The tricky business of reporting in China
The role the media plays in a diplomatic crisis should not be underestimated. When China is involved it becomes even more pronounced and the lines between journalists' ethics and independent reporting can become easily blurred.
Personal Finance
Choppy waters for beach home investments?
If it's just for lifestyle, now may be an opportune time to buy. But if maximising financial return is the driver, look elsewhere.
Find your super fund in the top performers
In an exclusive to AFR Weekend, research house Chant West has released the full performance list for calendar 2018 of growth funds. How has yours performed?
Insurance brokers fret impact of commission ban
Australia's general insurance broking industry faces a blanket ban on commissions.
Eight women dominate top boards
Eight powerful women dominate the boards seats on our top 200 companies, undermining claimed improvements in gender diversity.
Work smarter: focus on impact, not effort
In a world of ever-fiercer competition, there is no value in simply conducting activities. Get your people focused on impact.
Changing of the guard needs younger, more flexible workers
Outmoded sectors in need of reinvention are seeking the talents of a generation raised with the internet.
Where to for Australian bank brands
Australian banks will need to invest in their brands to repair reputational damage caused by the Hayne royal commission.
Lifestyle
'Healthy' burger king's $1b overseas play
Grill'd founder Simon Crowe says he's ready to put his money where his mouth is – launching a series of growth initiatives he hopes can boost the revenue of his empire.
