RBA rate cut threat to banks, warns NAB
NAB chief Philip Chronican has warned that an RBA rate cut would only further squeeze bank margins, profits and lending capacity without doing much to boost the economy.
AMP's plea for time as customers flee
AMP's long suffering shareholders can expect to see improved results in three years, chief executive Francesco De Ferrari says.
Workers face $20b pay cut from superannuation rise
New analysis by the Grattan Institute shows increasing superannuation to 12 per cent will cost workers $20 billion a year in take-home pay.
Morrison defends his climate policy as cost free
Scott Morrison says his plan to reduce emissions will have no impact on the economy because taxpayers will foot the entire bill.
ASX poised to rise, Macquarie on deck
Australian shares are poised to edge higher at the open. Macquarie Group is scheduled to report full-year results.
Did activists push the media into fake news over 'Watergate'?
Energy Minister Angus Taylor may be the first victim of a national election story that was created and prosecuted on Twitter.
- Opinion
- Federal election
Rudd and Gillard unite against common threat
While Malcolm Turnbull hightailed it to New York and Tony Abbott is in witness protection, two old foes have come together for Bill Shorten.
Business
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
AMP looks to 2022 recovery
AMP got through its annual meeting without losing its chairman or a suffering second strike on remuneration but a deeper problem remains - rising fund outflows.
NAB cuts dividend as Hayne inquiry costs bite
NAB has sliced its interim dividend by 16 per cent, the first cut in five years, as customer compensation costs surge.
- Opinion
- Lithium
Kidman cashes in on Wesfarmers' electric dreams
Five years ago Martin Donohue went looking for Western Australian gold and found the world's third-biggest lithium deposit.
Wesfarmers' lithium deal looks easier than Lynas
Just weeks after being spurned by Lynas, Wesfarmers' chief Rob Scott unveils another idea to put the company on the fast track to the electric-car future.
Woolworths food, liquor, BIG W sales rise faster than expected
Brad Banducci is more confident about the year ahead after "neutralising" Coles and taking share in liquor and department stores.
British lawsuit against NAB, Clydesdale hits court
Banks now have 28 days to respond as claims management company RGL says it's gunning for hundreds of millions of pounds.
FOMO is putting M&A back on miners' agenda
The adviser to takeover target Kidman Resources said bids like the one lobbed by Wesfarmers this week would stoke further mergers and acquisitions.
Markets
Buy the Aussie: Tempus
The Aussie will strengthen about 5 per cent to US74¢ by year-end, said Juan G. Perez, senior foreign-exchange trader at Tempus.
Tesla seeks $2.9b from stock, bond offerings
The equity and debt sales come after Elon Musk overestimated the ability of the Model 3 sedan to generate enough cash for the company to be self-sustaining.
- Opinion
- Monetary policy
The Fed muddled its inflation message: Duy
With a single word - "transitory" - Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has sprung the "dove trap".
Greenback gains on falling rate-cut expectations
Interest rate futures implied traders see about a 49 per cent chance the Fed would lower key lending rates at year-end, according to CME Group's FedWatch program.
Macquarie's chief economist says RBA set to cut
Former central banker Ric Deverell believes 'soggy' growth and weak inflation trending lower are likely to push the RBA to cut by 25 basis points next week.
Opinion
Rudd and Gillard unite against common threat
While Malcolm Turnbull hightailed it to New York and Tony Abbott is in witness protection, two old foes have come together for Bill Shorten.
Political Editor
'Cul de sac of history' versus 'credits for Kazakhstan'
Bill Shorten is pushing Labor's climate change policies to try to define the impression of a government ready to deal with the economy of the future rather than the past.
Columnist
An embarrassing campaign of social media sideshows
At the same time as social media plays an outsized and distorting role in the election, the first TV election debate played a diminished one.
Editorial
Woolworths shrugs off Coles' toy bump
The sales jump that Coles enjoyed from its March quarter toy promotion has done little to dent Woolworths sales momentum.
Columnist
Politics
Labor plan to mandate 'healthy' recipes
Fat, sugar and salt in some of Australia's favourite foods could be reduced as part of Labor's war on waistlines.
Labor to talk up Asian engagement plans in Darwin
Labor has chosen Darwin for the launch of its policies on Asian engagement, covering education, diplomacy and the arts.
Labor to guarantee NDIS with new future fund
Labor 's NDIS Future Fund will be seeded with the $1.6 billion the Coalition will not spend on the scheme next year.
Australia could restart a domestic car industry: Abbott
The man who oversaw the demise of car manufacturing in Australia has raised the prospect of a new domestic industry if the world moves too quickly towards electric vehicles.
International permits vital to reducing carbon pain: Fisher
Dr Brian Fisher, whose costing of Labor's climate policy has been hailed and attacked, says whoever wins government must adopt international carbon credits.
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World
Trump's second Fed nominee hits the fence
Stephen Moore is out of contention for a Federal Reserve board seat after allegations of misogynist writing saps support among Republicans.
Bank of England keeps powder dry as Brexit fog lingers
An inflation pickup isn't expected until 2020, delaying the need for an interest rate hike.
UK risks intelligence isolation over Huawei, analysts warn
Five Eyes partners' opposition to Huawei has lost a valuable ally in the sacking of the UK's Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, a China hawk.
Fly less, cut meat, no diesel: UK's roadmap to zero carbon
British people need to fly less, drive electric cars, eat little meat and turn their home thermostats down to 19 degrees Celsius in order to rein in greenhouse gases damaging the planet.
- Analysis
- Venezuela crisis
US commitment to regime change in Venezuela tested
Donald Trump has made removing Nicolas Maduro from power one of his top foreign policy efforts. But regime change will not be straightforward.
Real Estate
Residential property losses worse than during GFC, warns UBS
Investment bank UBS says house price falls show no sign of bottoming out, while Morgan Stanley has warned the economy is starting to see the employment impact from the slowdown in residential construction outlook.
Commercial property sours for the first time since 2015
Retail sentiment took a big hit in the first quarter and the outlook for hotels also worsened, NAB's Commercial Property survey showed.
Dexus seals the deal on record $1.48b Collins St sale
Listed fund manager Dexus has officially sealed the deal on Melbourne's biggest property sale.
- Exclusive
- Commercial real estate
Charter Hall buys Bourke Street building for $192 million
Property fund manager Charter Hall expands in the Melbourne CBD after buying an eight-storey A-grade office building.
QT hotel to fill Newcastle's former David Jones building
Event now has four new QT hotels due to open before the end of next year, including hotels in Adelaide and Parramatta.
Personal Finance
Priority urged for aged care pay rises
Unions and employers are urging Labor and the Coalition to announce a short-term fix to aged care wage increases ahead of the royal commission.
Got $1m? Here's what it'll buy you across Australia’s capitals
What a $1 million budget can buy in Sydney, even in the cooling market, still pales in comparison with what can be snapped up in other cities.
Vacancy rates rise in every capital city
Falling property prices have allowed more first home buyers to enter the market, driving up the number of vacant rentals around the country.
Technology
How technology is disrupting spying
Changes in technology, politics, and business are all transforming espionage. Intelligence agencies must adapt - or risk irrelevance.
'Election manifesto': 17 recommendations to bolster innovation
Better tax incentives for investors, more funding for AI PhD students and visas for computer science grads are some of the policies the IT sector want to see.
Uber Australia grosses $785m, pays $8.5m tax
Uber's local arm made a gross profit of $785 million but most of it was wiped out by a service payment to its US parent.
Leadership
Labor boost would help legal aid tackle big guns
Labor has added another $20 million for community legal centres to its access to justice package.
Training sector reform needs a huge shift in federal-state relations
The skills sector's problems relate to selfish actions by state and federal policymakers and political leaders.
Lifestyle
How one family saved a Whitsundays haven from havoc
An ill wind blew Laureth and Wayne Rumble good when they decided to build a sustainable resort on a cyclone-hit island.
The best gift I ever gave Mum
Looking for inspiration for Mother's Day? Take your cue from a florist, a jeweller, a gold medallist and more.
Eighth-generation 911 Cabriolet corners the comfort market
Nerves take a back seat as the latest Porsche handles hazards with ease, writes Tony Davis.
Why watch brands love the female wrist
Timepieces for the feminine forearm can be more stylish, colourful and add more bling while still mastering the mechanics.
Is winter coming for HBO after Game of Thrones?
The Game of Throne has transformed flagging cable channel into a powerhouse but can it survive