- Opinion
- Chanticleer
NAB's black mark against board
Shareholders of National Australia Bank have good reason to feel completely let down by the board and management of the bank over the past five years.
Pros and cons of investing in unicorns
Backing a successful start-up can provide very generous returns for investors who get in early but up to four of every 10 companies backed by venture capital fail. Here's what to look out for.
- Analysis
- Indonesian election
Jokowi's legacy depends on the next five years
Embracing conservative Islamic figures and the old elite didn't work for Indonesian's president Jokowi, and a bold second term is required to cement his legacy, writes Angus Grigg.
- Live
- Markets Live
CSL, Cochlear, ResMed weigh ASX
Australian shares are trading slightly lower through the afternoon trade with healthcare stocks weighing the benchmark index.
'Malicious': Shorten slams climate claims
Bill Shorten has hit back at Coalition challenges over the cost of Labor's policies on reducing climate emissions, labelling attacks as "intellectually dishonest" and "malicious".
- Opinion
- Federal election
Underdog ScoMo has a shot
The election will be much closer than political pundits project, only because Labor’s platform has given the PM a chance of pulling off a minor miracle, writes Christopher Joye.
Fast growth tracking app details ASX IPO plans
Its app for monitoring the whereabouts of loved ones has been a hit in the US; now Life360 has confirmed its plans to wow Aussie investors in an IPO next month.
Business
Business conditions, confidence weaker
Business activity indicators have "deteriorated more seriously" than indicators on employment, according to the latest quarterly NAB Business Survey.
NAB remediation bill hits $1.1 billion
National Australia Bank says it will cop an extra $525 million after-tax hit through new customer remediation costs, mostly related to its wealth arm.
GrainCorp blames trade tensions for $40m hit
Grains division woes provide more ammunition for critics of the grain handler's planned malt demerger.
Fortescue iron ore prices jump 47pc
The Pilbara-based miner received an average price of $US71 a tonne ($99 a tonne) in the March quarter.
Sanjeev Gupta steps up steel expansion
The British billionaire is setting up a new corporate structure where steel plants in the UK, Europe and at South Australia's Whyalla will sit under one roof.
Suppliers call for intervention over supermarkets
Industry sources say the big supermarket chains are threatening to cut off suppliers who are seeking price rises to cover costs.
Bubs pens equity deal with pharmacy giant Chemist Warehouse
The deal will put all the organic baby food products on the shelves of the nation's largest pharmacy retailer and will give it access to the vast Chinese market.
Markets
Jerome Powell adopts an inflation stance Janet Yellen shunned
The Federal Reserve chairman and his colleagues have put policy on hold until sub-par inflation rises convincingly.
Pinterest tops IPO target range to raise $US1.4 billion
The share offering reportedly values the San Francisco-based company at about $US12.7 billion, Including restricted stock and options.
What happened in markets before the bell
US stocks had earlier eyed a return to all-time highs on the back of upbeat Chinese data that eased concerns about the health of its economy.
Job ads slide again ahead of key employment data
The growth in job ads is slowing but still at high levels the latest SEEK employment report shows.
Qualcomm gains $US30b in value after Apple settlement
Resolving the dispute with Apple could help the chipmaker return to market dominance in the 5G network market.
Opinion
NAB's black mark against board
Shareholders of National Australia Bank have good reason to feel completely let down by the board and management of the bank over the past five years.
Columnist
Labor suddenly looks exposed
Labor, as one MP put it, suddenly feels as though "we've got our arse hanging out in the breeze''.
Political Editor
Australians deserve a better post-Easter election campaign
Indulging voter complaints may prove one way to win an election, but such a narrow campaign lets Australians down.
Editorial
BHP plants copper acorns in Ecuador and Canada
Andrew Mackenzie has seeded the future oaks of BHP's global mining estate.
Columnist
Politics
Frydenberg hits back at ALP states' fears over $40b in 'secret cuts'
Josh Frydenberg has warned the states their ability to raise revenue would be hurt by Labor's $387 billion in higher taxes choking economic growth.
Senator who killed company tax cuts quits
Tim Storer, the Senator who cost the government its company tax cuts, has quit politics after 14 months.
Labor channels Gen X, Y discontent
Underlying the election battle between Labor and the Coalition over taxes and climate change is an intergenerational fight over income, wealth and the future.
Shorten 'superficial' on policy, PM says, after super gaffe
In an interview with the AFR while on the campaign trail, the Prime Minister vows to leave no stone unturned as he launches a raid on Labor's Tasmanian seats.
Budget update fails to quell row over tax cuts
The pre-election budget update has done little to settle the political row over tax cuts and how they will be paid for.
SPONSORED
World
It's now or never for Jokowi to fix Indonesia
Unofficial results show Jokowi defeating his rival, but the bigger question now is whether he will learn from the missteps and take tough measures to get Southeast Asia's biggest economy humming.
Wesfarmers' former UK hardware chain expects to break even this year
Losses at Homebase, the UK hardware chain sold for £1 by Wesfarmers last May, have fallen 80 per cent, but some have questioned whether the turnaround is sustainable.
US and China plan further rounds of trade talks
Robert Lighthizer and Steven Mnuchin are scheduled to fly to Beijing for face to face talks that bolster hope of a trade deal by late May.
Jokowi set to consolidate with second-term win
After an bitter seven month campaign, President Jokowi is on track to win a second, five-year term as worries persist that his challenger will not accept the result.
Peruvian ex-president dies after shooting himself in raid
Alan Garcia, who led the country for a total of 10 years, shot himself after police arrived to arrest him over a bribery investigation.
Real Estate
Justin Hemmes' $170m property portfolio
Justin Hemmes is known for building a sparkling hospitality empire, but meantime he has quietly amassed a residential portfolio with a focus on water views.
Melbourne buyers face valuations shortfall
Veteran valuer Tony Kelly says he is starting to see valuation shortfalls of between $20,000 to $25,000 for land purchased in late 2017 and early 2018.
Former Dick Smith headquarters to become $750m office hub
The site at the entrance to Macquarie Park’s new Metro station was purchased for $30 million in 2006 from retailer Dick Smith.
Opal Tower tenancy chaos leads to calls for NSW help
Lobby groups hear harrowing stories of the conflict caused by building defects such as those at Opal Tower.
Melbourne West still the best for housing
Rockbank-Mount Cottrell was one of 12 Melbourne locations to rank in the Top 20 building and population hotspots list.
Personal Finance
At $32b, Labor's super policy will be memorable for retirees
Bill Shorten might have failed to mention $32 billion in super changes, but they won't be forgotten by those in or near retirement.
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
Alphabet's momentum will keep investors happy
Google is a leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning, both areas that have huge untapped commercial opportunity.
Savers rates fall eight times more than mortgages
Savers need to shop around or expect low returns.
Technology
Investors wave through MYOB takeover
Investors voted to send the company, which creates tax and accounting software, into the hands of private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts on Wednesday.
Quantum computing pioneer was a physics dropout
Michelle Simmons was Australian of the Year for her revolutionary quantum computing work, but admits she was more attracted to English and history when she was at school.
Disclosure cloud over Afterpay's US growth push
Afterpay is touting the US as its big growth opportunity. But recent disclosures cast doubt on how much of its US operation it actually owns.
Leadership
Can a boy from the bush save financial advice?
Viridian founder Glenn Calder says there's a better way to provide financial advice but insists the system has to be commercially viable.
- Exclusive
- Freedom of speech
Lecturer Tim Anderson sues Sydney University over sacking
A controversial academic fired over swastika slides has launched legal action that could have broad ramifications for freedom of speech in the workplace.
Lifestyle
- Opinion
- Wine & spirits
Mead in Australia: a long-forgotten drink makes a comeback
Once thought fit only for medieval tankards or Viking drinking horns, honey wine is being revived and refined by local makers.
The power of prayer
Breakthrough is an authentically moving entry in the genre of faith-based films, powered by a gripping lead performance.
Why you should stop counting calories
The more we probe, the more we realise that tallying calories will do little to help us control our weight or even maintain a healthy diet.
How Porsche is facing up to Tesla
Poor emission values and high fuel consumption have always been part of the Porsche DNA. Until now.
Braised sweetbreads at the Olympics of cooking
Months of intensive training for Australian chef Michael Cole and his apprentice Laura Skvor are distilled in 5½ crazy, loud hours at the Bocuse d'Or.
