Australian business leaders and global experts debate how to create a better world after COVID-19.
Property bump doubt as responsible lending laws dumped
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the new rules would let people dine out on Uber Eats and Netflix without having their loan applications rejected.
Andrews doesn't know who made key hotel quarantine decisions
The Victorian Premier does not know who made the disastrous decision to use private security guards in the state's hotel quarantine program, but says responsibility lay squarely with Health Minister Jenny Mikakos.
Who's coming to eat Macquarie, UBS's lunch?
For at least the past five years, UBS and Macquarie Capital have consistently been in the market's top three investment banking revenue earners. But now might be the moment to break that stranglehold.
The battle over Narrabri gas explained
Political pressure is strong for the NSW Independent Planning Commission to approve Santos' Narrabri gas project but doubts around risks to water, in particular, won't go away.
Fears of 'twindemic' as some countries run out of flu vaccine
Premier Daniel Andrews has apologised to Victorians over the state's botched quarantine program as he vows mistakes won't be repeated. Follow live here.
Jobs recovery to repair budget hit, but infrastructure underspend hits
A $1.7 billion underspend on infrastructure during the year also signals the difficulty the Morrison government will face trying to boost economic growth via state and territory governments.
Where to now for tech stocks?
While the sector offers the chance of owning a growth play in a low-rate environment, recent share price stalls are making investors more cautious about where they put their money.
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
You don't have to be a technologist to drive digital change
Savvy executives have learnt that if you hire and empower the right people, you can lead your company through digital change without having a degree in computer engineering or data science.
Executives hungry for micro-courses in time of upheaval
There's heavy demand for short courses on leadership through volatile times, but the traditional MBA still remains popular.
Big picture thinking essential to business survival in a crisis
Strategic thinking prepares executives for sudden shifts in the environment that no one could have anticipated, like COVID-19.
Now is the time for change leaders to step forward
Change leadership is about responding to the here and now, and there has arguably never been a time of more uncertainty for business than the coronavirus pandemic.
Inject breathing space into the working day to relieve stress
Executive roles involve everyday experiences of pressure and intense work. Experts say they have to build more rest and short breaks into their daily routines.
Companies
TikTok exec says it doesn't censor content with China in mind
TikTok has come under intense scrutiny due to its ownership by private Chinese company ByteDance and links to the Chinese Communist Party.
Banks surge on responsible lending wind-back
Banks and the Property Council have welcomed plans to remove ASIC from policing responsible lending laws, saying this will speed up loan approvals and bring investors back to the real estate market.
Consumers lash 'responsible lending' rollback
Consumer advocates have slammed the Morrison government's proposed credit regulation reforms, claiming it will get more Australians into debt they can't afford. Labor is lukewarm on the changes that won't start until March.
Westpac shareholders to foot bill for $1.3b penalty
Westpac is likely to shave $180 million off its final dividend in November due to the mammoth AUSTRAC penalty, as analysts suggest asset sales may be needed to boost capital.
Melco got confidential forecasts before Packer sale, inquiry hears
"It was guidance; it was not detailed financial information," Mr Packer's financial adviser Michael Johnston said.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Premier's online investment pays off
Premier Investments has come through the COVID-19 upheaval with record profits and record online sales. It is keen to dispel the idea it has relied on government subsidies and a rental payment strike.
Solomon Lew's Premier Investments threatens to shut 350 stores
The retailer warns that one-third of its stores in Australasia could be shuttered if landlords don't play ball, while in Britain it is closing 55 of 131 Smiggle stores.
Markets
Banks rally lifts stocks to best week since mid-August
The sharemarket advanced 1.7 per cent over the week as banks enjoyed a massive rally on Friday. Westpac's 7 per cent surge helped steer the S&P/ASX200 Index 1.5 per cent higher on Friday as the government moved to relax responsible lending rules.
ASX seals best week in six as banks rally
The ASX sealed its best week in six after banks rallied on the surprise easing of responsible lending guidelines. The benchmark index rose 1.7 per cent in five sessions.
- Analysis
- Sharemarket
COVID-19 rewrites how to value tech stocks
The digital disruption unleashed by COVID-19 has left investors grappling with how to value companies that offer exposure to the allure of fast-paced growth beyond the horizon.
Kogan targets new wave of e-commerce shoppers
Retailer Ruslan Kogan expects online shopping to hit 30 per cent of all retail spending in Australia and he thinks Kogan will capture a chunk of that.
Frazis confident tech will outlive market rout
The tech sector falls that have driven the Nasdaq down 12pc since early September present a credible entry point, according to Michael Frazis, although further declines are not out of the question.
Opinion
The buck stops with Daniel Andrews
I do not know who made the decision to use private security guards, says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, while laying the blame for the hotel security disaster on his health minister Jenny Mikakos.
BOSS Deputy editor
With the virus at bay, let's win back prosperity
Governments must seize the momentum from beating the virus to drive reforms that will lock in recovery.
Editorial
Why the RBA is delaying much-needed stimulus
It doesn't want to launch an enormous government bond-purchasing program on the same day that Treasury announces massive budget deficits that require record bond issuance.
Columnist
A tale of two legacies looms large as ex-PMs surface
The Morrison government is cleaning up Tony Abbott's energy and NBN mess while borrowing budget ideas from Paul Keating.
Political editor
Is our love affair with America over?
Most Australians would greet a Biden victory with relief. But that may not be enough to remedy the fear that the United States has changed for the worse.
Contributor
Reframe 'energy week' as the global problem it is
What's going on globally in climate and energy should be keeping directors, senior management and shareholders of energy intensive companies awake at night.
Companies editor
Politics
‘Worst in my time’: Lew says Victoria needs special help
Australia's road out of the pandemic has been made much harder by Victoria's quarantine mistakes, as e-commerce prepares for a record next few months.
- Analysis
- Telecommunications
NBN may yet prove to be a $60b lame duck
NBN Co's plan to spend $4.5 billion upgrading the network will bring it closer to Kevin Rudd's original vision, but two big uncertainties remain: 5G, and cost.
Border opening gets the South Australian tills ringing
From ScoMo to school holiday families, South Australia's tourism industry gets a boost as NSW heads south.
Why $2b in bank fines was necessary
AUSTRAC boss Nicole Rose slides into a seat at RAKU restaurant in Canberra and barely stops for the niceties before she starts talking about money laundering with the Financial Review's Pamela Williams.
Victoria police trial COVID-19 saliva tests
A pilot study using saliva testing has turned up two positive cases of COVID-19 at Victorian police stations.
SPONSORED
World
Boris Johnson fights to hold a pandemic-stricken UK together
As the second wave hits Britain, the Prime Minister is struggling to fend off a fresh independence push in Scotland and soothe Brexit unease in Northern Ireland.
Staying out of Trump's 'mosh pit' means learning the lessons of 2016
Next week will see the first of three debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump but at the moment the President is dominating the political agenda.
- Analysis
- Protest
Thai protesters take aim at 800 years of royal tradition
Never before has the monarchy has been challenged so openly, and the demands are formidable.
Trump melds campaign with Supreme Court pick
Trump has used the vacancy to appeal to battleground-state voters and as a rallying cry for his conservative base.
Navalny’s assets frozen on orders from 'Putin's chef'
The Kremlin has clearly no plans to let up on its pressure against the opposition leader, even as he attempts to recover his health.
Property
Let them come back to the CBD: office bosses
City office tower owners say more can be done to encourage workers back into the Sydney CBD.
Home Consortium bulks up ahead of convenience REIT float
The Daily Needs REIT will float in late November and hold a seed portfolio of 16 supermarket-anchored malls worth about $800 million.
- Exclusive
- Victoria residential property
Serial renovator flips Toorak digs for $25m
Landscape designer who has made a side career in renovating Melbourne homes and selling them has chalked up another deal.
Fast food, service station, childcare centre defy auction blues
Private investors brushed aside economic worries to bid fiercely for a portfolio of essential services investments.
Cate Blanchett's $12m Sydney apartment sold
The largest apartment in historic 1923-built landmark building The Astor was bought from Wizard Home Loans founder Mark Bouris five years ago for $8 million.
Wealth
Pandemic dilemma for SMSF property investors
Strategies to protect DIY super fund investments as eviction moratorium and mortgage holidays expire.
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
RELX's size and diversity cushioning the COVID-19 blow
The UK-listed company is moving into adjacent opportunities and geographies to provide new growth avenues on the other side of the pandemic.
Bob Ingham: Empire builder
Over almost a century, the Rich Lister's life took in the rise of a small poultry farm into a national icon and vast property and horse-racing holdings.
Technology
Microsoft chief: the world is learning to work again
Digital efficiency, staff isolation and cyber security are among the biggest challenges for businesses in the COVID-19 era, a panel including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella heard at the Australian Financial Review's Reshaping Australia Dialogue.
Amazon unveils flying security camera, game streaming service
The company also announced a car surveillance product at its annual September devices launch event, held virtually for the first time, which sent its shares up.
- Exclusive
- Networking
LinkedIn unveils new look
LinkedIn is due to reveal a new look on Friday featuring a new search function and improved messaging, as well as the global rollout of LinkedIn stories which has been tested in the Australian market since June.
Work & Careers
'You can’t ignore us': Sheryl Sandberg on closing the gender pay gap
Trailblazers from around the world who have pushed for pragmatic solutions in their own fields tell us what works – and what more needs to be done.
If you don't gossip, you can't be trusted
It's fun, subversive and speaks truth to power – but it cannot be done online, so the loss of it amid the coronavirus is proving particularly hard to bear.
Life & Luxury
Qantas sells 1000 fully stocked bar carts as COVID grounds 747 fleet
Delivered to your home, a loaded, full-size trolley from the stricken airline is going for $1474.70 – see what they did there? Here’s what's inside.
Eggs cues the typos: We rote this review by hand on the new iPad
Despite the slow going, the eighth-generation handwriting system is without a dots the best we've ever seen on any device. Doubts, not dots!
Watch the new Tesla Model S Plaid tear around the track
CEO Elon Musk announced the tri-motor version of the electric car this week. This new footage shows it completing one of the fastest laps of this track ever.
Australian cricketer Dean Jones dies in India
The former batsman was in Mumbai to cover the Indian Premier League when he reportedly collapsed in his hotel room, with fellow cricketer Brett Lee trying to revive him.
The accidental historian of fashion's inflection point
Paris-based documentary filmmaker Loïc Prigent enjoys the kind of access to designers most can only dream of – and he's never been in higher demand.
