Taxpayers cop $600m gas power plant in Hunter Valley
The Morrison government has dismissed energy industry protests and will proceed with the construction of a 660MW gas-fired power station in the Hunter Valley.
- Exclusive
- Oil
Indonesia pushes to reopen fractious maritime border talks
Oil and gas giants Woodside, Santos and Japan’s INPEX could be hit by any move to redraw the maritime boundary.
- Live
- Need to Know
British PM’s COVID-19 nurse slams government as she quits
The woman who provided intensive care to Boris Johnson when he was seriously ill with COVID-19 has attacked his government’s poor response to the pandemic. Follow updates here.
PM encouraging anxiety over potential for China conflict: ALP
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong will issue a stinging denunciation of Scott Morrison’s approach to foreign policy, saying he is more interested in domestic political gain.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Bragg starts crypto deep dive
Australia lags the world in regulating cryptocurrencies and digital assets, despite the threat these pose to the banking and finance sector.
Nuix says sorry to investors for share price flop
At an investors day following an investigation by The Australian Financial Review, Nuix chairman Jeff Bleich admitted the company wasn’t prepared for listed life.
China to ramp up iron ore mining on home soil
China’s state planner has accused Australia of disrupting bilateral trade, and suggested Beijing will deal with soaring iron ore prices by stepping up domestic exploration and production.
ONLINE TRADING
Boring is the new black for fintech investors
Online trading has become controversial for giving consumers unfettered access to markets, triggering the rise of ‘anti-Robinhood’ platforms betting on relative safety.
Waves of newbies wading into stocks
First-timers are throwing their hat in the ring as they struggle against an increasingly unattainable real estate sector and impossibly low interest rates.
Dividend yields likely to bounce higher
The big banks – long loved for their big dividend payouts, but disappointing in recent times – are favoured to pay out more.
Low-cost trading ups the ante
The surge in new retail investors during the pandemic delivered a shot in the arm to low-cost trading platforms looking to undercut traditional brokers.
How the smart phone has changed everything
The use of mobile phone apps has surged in recent years, helping a new generation into investing, but desktop computers remain a favourite of traders.
Companies
Nuix says sorry to investors for share price flop
At an investors day following an investigation by The Australian Financial Review, Nuix chairman Jeff Bleich admitted the company wasn’t prepared for listed life.
Crown threatened regulator, inquiry told
Crown Resort’s top legal counsel, Josh Preston, threatened to call the Victorian gambling minister, Marlene Kairouz, an inquiry heard on Tuesday.
Pokie reforms up the ante for Woolworths’ Endeavour Group spin-off
Crown Resorts’ move to cashless gaming has underscored the risks and opportunities for Endeavour Group, Australia’s largest poker machine operator.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Why Nuix will find trust hard to rebuild
Nuix says it will improve its transparency and governance. But its messy revenue model may make it hard for the company to set and meet financial targets.
CFO of delisted Chinese company jailed
The former chief financial officer of Chinese wellness group Traditional Therapy Clinics sentenced for manipulating his company’s stock on the ASX.
Macquarie Securities cops fifth fine in six years
The markets disciplinary panel has slugged Macquarie $126,000 and rapped the company on the knuckles for its “not unblemished” disciplinary history.
No coal, gas or petrol cars: the path to net zero by 2050
The International Energy Agency says countries must transform their energy systems to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Markets
Pockets of strong inflation starting to emerge
Building products company James Hardie Industries warned growing input costs globally were putting upward pressure inflation, but the RBA said it expects this to be temporary.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
‘Ponzi, Ponzi, Ponzi’: crypto’s dumb joke says plenty
The ‘endorsement’ of a minor crypto coin by a US internet celebrity highlights how parts of this sector have become a little more than a pump-and-dump game.
ASX advances 0.6pc as gold miners shine
The ASX closed firmer on Tuesday, bolstered by gains for gold stocks and a solid investor day performance from embattled software company Nuix.
Trapped Australian dollar frustrates bulls
The Australian dollar has gone nowhere for the better part of 5½ months, but strategists expect the currency to gain from here.
Racing commodity prices beginning to look ‘stretched’
After enjoying their strongest 12-month rally in almost 50 years, commodities including iron ore and copper are showing signs their valuations aren’t sustainable.
Opinion
Regrettable retreats into protection and intervention
For the government’s oil refining and electricity-generating interventions to be justified, they need to be integrated into an energy transition plan.
Editorial
Why the Reserve Bank isn’t worried about the so-called skills shortage
Unlike restaurateurs, the Reserve Bank appears relatively unconcerned that the closure of international borders will lead to a calamitous skills shortage.
Columnist
Coalition stands firm on keeping Fortress Australia closed
The Morrison government is keen to emphasise the risks of opening Australia’s borders. They are less keen on talking about accelerating the pace of the vaccine rollout.
Columnist
Netanyahu’s master plan for Israel and Palestine has failed
If he clings to power it would show the Israeli PM remains a master political tactician but the upsurge of violence has undermined his claim to be a statesman.
Columnist
Can the feds deliver on budget promises on the ground?
The Commonwealth is spending big on solving intractable social problems, but does it have the service know-how to make sure all the money makes a difference and avoid a very public failure?
Columnist
Quitting NAPLAN would be a fail for Australian education
Opponents of standardised national testing ignore the international evidence that greater transparency improves the performance of school systems.
Contributor
Politics
Supply the key to housing crisis: PM
Scott Morrison says it is too early for the regulators to step in with macroprudential measures to discourage housing investors.
- Opinion
- Platinum Year
US-Australia alliance on China shows it’s best to go early, go hard
Not since the Pacific war has Australia been so completely in the hands of Washington, particularly on the issue of how far to confront China, writes Max Suich in the final instalment of a three-part series.
Business migrants need $1m more to secure investment visa
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke says changes to the investor visa scheme are aimed at attracting higher quality investment.
Victoria stamp duty hike ‘takes tax policy backwards’
The state’s budget move goes against recent efforts by other states, and even comments by Victoria’s Treasurer last year, to reform state funding.
- Exclusive
- Oil
Indonesia pushes to reopen fractious maritime border talks
Oil and gas giants Woodside, Santos and Japan’s INPEX could be hit by any move to redraw the maritime boundary.
SPONSORED
World
China Matters calls for revamp of foreign interference laws
Think tank China Matters argues Australia’s foreign interference laws threaten democracy and civil liberties.
China berates Australia, says it will ramp up domestic iron ore mining
China’s state planner has accused Australia of disrupting bilateral trade, and said Beijing will deal with soaring iron ore prices by stepping up domestic production.
- Opinion
- Australia's China challenge
Our shaky pillars of wisdom
Myths abound about what the US, Australia and China would do, and not do, when their relative advantages in global competition are threatened.
Companies pay to vaccinate millions of workers in Indonesia
Thousands of companies want to vaccinate 10 million people – and more are expected to sign on in coming months.
Singapore banking on Austin, Suga and Musk
With the World Economic Forum cancelling its summit, Singapore is hoping other international events will still go ahead.
Property
Charter Hall spends big on $780 million commercial portfolio
Charter Hall has bought big again with its latest $780 million property portfolio acquisition, taking its spending this financial year to $7 billion.
Office tenants will choose suburbs over CBD: Monark
Tenant demand is stronger in the ’burbs, says non-bank lender Monark, which has provided funding for four suburban and city fringe office projects.
Accor boss demands fixed reopening date
The country’s leading hotelier, Accor boss Simon McGrath says the tourism sector needs certainty about when borders will open.
Fortis secures inner Melbourne site for $130m office project
The Sydney-based developer is banking on strong demand for office space in Melbourne’s city fringe after unveiling plans for a $130 million project.
Developers count on downsizer rush from federal budget
The government’s move to make it easier to put a housing windfall tax-free into super will benefit wealthier home owners over less wealthy ones.
Wealth
- Opinion
- Big four
How the big four stack up
Dividends are now at levels far more sustainable than pre-coronavirus levels, reconfirming the banks as a long-term investment for income-seeking investors.
Reverse mortgages to ‘unlock’ $500b in home equity for retirees
The government will shake up its reverse mortgage product so more retirees can fund their post-work lifestyles while remaining in their home.
Early super withdrawals cost $4.7 billion in lost returns
The left-leaning McKell Institute says people who withdrew their superannuation missed out on an “investment windfall” from the stock market recovery.
Technology
- Exclusive
- Phones
Why Holcim is ditching computers for phones
With phones getting more powerful with every passing year, concrete giant Holcim is phasing out laptops and desktop PCs, for almost all of its staff.
- Opinion
- Tech crackdown
Market questions critical for curbing big tech’s abuse of power
Last week’s €100 million fine for Google’s abuse of power in the automobile market throws into stark relief a big question facing big tech: just what is a market?
- Opinion
- Venture capital
Maggie Beer spent half the company value to get on e-commerce train
Acquiring Hampers and Gifts Australia lets Maggie Beer Holdings double down on e-commerce while broadening its product base. So why was the price a mere 4.4 times earnings?
Work & Careers
Coffee giant claims to know the secret to a happy workplace
Nestlé hired a psychologist and commissioned research to find how to convince staff to return to work. Their conclusion was more coffee machines.
‘Not taboo to ask’: employers sign up to family-friendly push
Australia’s largest employers are signing up to be certified as “Family Friendly Workplaces” as offices adjust to the post-pandemic world.
Life & Luxury
Jeweller shares the love with a Pretty Woman collection
When the French house Fred agreed to make a diamond and ruby necklace for a risqué romcom starring Julia Roberts, it had no inkling of what a hit it would be.
Melbourne puts on the ritz with 80 Collins Street
The city’s new $1.5 billion precinct is a buzzy collection of offices, luxury shopping, restaurants, cafes, bars and a boutique hotel. Here are nine gems.
How a top kitesurfer invented the electric Fliteboard
A windless day inspired record-breaking kitesurfer David Trewern to create a company that has been capturing the imagination of watersport enthusiasts.
Richard Clapton wants 70-year-olds back on the streets
The ‘Girls On The Avenue’ hitmaker hopes a new album of hippie-era covers will remind his generation of their ideals.
A swag of snags – where Aussie English came from
The convict author of Australia’s very first dictionary would be delighted to know many “flash” terms from his day still linger on in our everyday lexicon.
