Two forces will shape Coles' Mark of Cain
As Coles chief Steve Cain prepares to unveil his strategy reset in mid-June, the group's latest sales numbers show him juggling twin priorities.
Pay day: Shorten hands out the loot
Labor has lifted the temperature ahead of the May 18 federal election with a $6.9 billion spending blitz targeting the cost of living and a threat to regulate childcare fees.
Huge loophole in law to ban commissions
AustralianSuper says a huge loophole has been written into draft regulations that were supposed to eliminate trailing commissions.
- Live
- Federal election
Shorten lashes 'Coalition of the unwilling'
Bill Shorten has lambasted the Liberals' preference deals with the UAP and One Nation, calling them a "coalition of the unwilling". Follow our live updates here.
- Live
- Markets Live
Viva Energy takes $35m hit from high oil price
S&P/ASX 200 drops 15 points in early trading, as high oil price sees Viva Energy shares drop 5.5 per cent.
Inside Lacaze's Malaysian nightmare
A seismic shift in Malaysian politics has left Amanda Lacaze facing a fractured coalition government and some old enemies with powerful new connections.
- Analysis
- Monetary policy
Wanted: a new ‘superhero’ at the Bank of England
Political uncertainty around Brexit will weigh heavily on the selection of Mark Carney’s replacement.
Business
Viva Energy profits hit by oil spike
In its third profit warning in five months, the oil refiner has warned of a hit to retail earnings of up to $35 million in the four months ended April.
Port Kembla LNG import project gets green light
The import terminal could start bringing extra gas into NSW by late next year, potentially in time to avert looming shortages.
Coles' same-store food sales up 2.4pc as fresh prices rise
Higher prices and demand for fresh food has pushed the supermarket's food sales up - with a little help from those plastic stick-on figures.
Seek takes equity stakes in FutureLearn and Coursera
Online job-search site Seek 'scales up' its platform by splashing out $142 million to buy stakes in online education and workplace businesses.
Dividend cuts on the cards for banks
Customer compensation and the potential for dividend cuts are front of mind for bank investors this week.
ACSI calls for directors to face annual elections
The peak super investor body has called for sweeping changes to the corporate governance regime, including the annual election of directors and a binding vote on pay.
APRA warns climate uncertainty 'no excuse
APRA has told financial services companies there is now "no excuse for inaction" on climate change, warning financial risks will arise as the climate warms.
Markets
South African helium play pitches ASX-listing
An emerging South African helium and LNG producer is set to kick off its run at the ASX-boards.
Gold worth billions is being smuggled out of Africa
High prices are luring Africans into prospecting for gold. But huge volumes are smuggled out through the Middle East.
The threat to fledgling retail bond market
The risk of class action is scaring all but a few trustees away from the retail corporate bond and debt markets.
Nikko's Brad Potter loves finding rock-solid value
The former mining geologist says the banks are cheap, despite their challenges, and is taking a close look at Rio and BHP.
- Opinion
- Stock picking
How to beat genius investors
What the Long-Term Capital Management collapse and Challenger space shuttle have in common is that even the smartest people can fail to see a disaster unfolding.
Opinion
Victoria is looking up for the Coalition
More than two weeks in, the Liberals are now hoping to end up only two seats down in what had looked like the electoral black hole of Victoria.
Columnist
Shorten spends $230m a minute
Bill Shorten spent $230 million a minute on Sunday as he revealed what Labor believes will be the dividend from its proposed tax hikes.
Political Editor
Blowing the whistle on Porter's failure to intervene
A Tax Office whistleblower is facing 161 years in prison for calling out a misuse of power against small businesses but Christian Porter won't intervene.
Business columnist
Super-major shipper flexes muscle with DP World Australia
Havng just lost market leadership in the Australian container business the new boss of Dubai Port's Australian outpost promises a "reset" of strategy.
Columnist
Politics
Hanson to put Labor last in four key seats
Pauline Hanson has significantly lifted the Liberals' chances of retaining four seats, including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's Queensland seat of Dickson.
Morris wants tax breaks for carbon cuts
We ask leading Australians what they would do if they were prime minister. Yolanda Redrup talks to Kate Morris, the chief executive of Adore Beauty.
- Exclusive
- Federal election
'Meltdown': Labor's triple wage hit for retailers
Retailers say Labor's bid to rush through increases in penalty rate cuts could create one of the biggest costs shocks for small business in a decade.
Shorten's $500m boon for childcare workers
Labor will give as many as 100,000 childcare workers a 20 per cent wage rise – nine times wage inflation – if Bill Shorten wins the May 18 election.
Sussan Ley fights protest vote in Farrer
Sussan Ley has the kind of electoral margin most politicians only dream of but a high-profile local challenger has changed the game in Farrer.
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World
Go Midwest, urges US-Australian business group
America's Midwest heartland is full of opportunities for Australian firms and investors because the region shares many of the same strengths and skills sought after by Australian exporters.
Spain's Socialists set to win vote as far rightists enter parliament
Sunday's election was the third time that Spaniards have gone to the polls in less than four years as the country tries to reboot its economy after the GFC a decade ago.
Lessons in Trump's 'animal spirit' economy
Donald Trump's economy started 2019 with a bang, vindicating Jerome Powell's decision to hike rates last year. But as in Australia consumers are the weak link.
- Opinion
- Brexit
Political limbo puts Theresa May's leadership on the line
With Brexit talks stalled, the twitchy Tories are itching for a trigger to remove the Prime Minister.
- Opinion
- Kim Jong-un
Trump’s North Korea fiasco makes all the wrong choices
There may be no good answer to the challenge of North Korea, but there are plenty of bad ones. Trump seems eager to grasp them all
Real Estate
How to pick the bottom of the property market
Property watchers say rising auction clearances, more people borrowing and more banks approving credit are signs the market is nearing bottom.
Drought no dampener as deals surge 22 pc to $3.3b
In Victoria, the value of farmland sales nearly doubled in 2018 to over $1 billion while the Queensland market surged 60 per cent to $1 billion.
Skills shortage to the rescue as residential work slows
The home-building slowdown will reduce construction employment, but not as much as could be expected.
Land & Homes Group expects 'negative cash flows'
It expects to get funding for its Brisbane projects – if the apartment market improves.
Rental affordability worst in six years
Without more homes and better security of tenure, the issue of aged renters will become a very expensive problem for governments.
Personal Finance
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
The unloved retail stocks that could be a good buy
Given the harsh realities facing the retail sector, missed opportunities abound for investors looking for undervalued growth companies.
How Labor's super changes will hit you
Not worried about 30 per cent tax on your super? Think again because the net is wider than you may expect.
Lower rates a big problem for savers
A cut to official interest rates could slash the incomes of retirees and small businesses.
Technology
SAP's finances show it is growing into the cloud era
SAP has grown its cloud business in Australia, in an important sign that its huge investments globally are getting the software giant back in the game.
Airbnb gets MadeComfy with local start-up
Deal with short-term rental management firm is the latest in a series for the global short-stay giant.
- Opinion
- Telecommunications
Are second-hand phones any good?
Why would you want an old phone, when the new ones are so good? One word: price.
Leadership
UK renews its bid for a bigger share of the global student market
Proposed legislation would reinstate the right of overseas students to work in Britain for two years.
Australia's IP at risk as global patents swamped by collusion
University research shows intellectual property is plagued by anti-competitive behaviour.
Lifestyle
Would you pay this much for a candle?
Potent perfumes, elaborate holders and heritage appeal are driving scented-candle prices ever higher.
The most famous designer you’ve probably never heard of
Trailblazing Italian Michele de Lucchi has been resisting convention since 1980.
'Avengers: Endgame' obliterates film opening record
Chris Hemworth's latest film, Avengers: Endgame, shatters world records for a film's opening weekend, raking in $US1.2 billion globally.
How a Gutenberg Bible came to be locked in a vault in Tokyo
There are only about 50 surviving copies of the 180 or so Bibles made by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1450s. The story of one of these rare books is told in a new book.
Chef plants ideas for hemp-based food's potential
Health nut and cook book author Michael Moore believes that hemp-based food products have a big future.
