Energy crisis puts rocket under base metal prices
Energy shortages in China and across Europe have led to output cuts across the base metals sector, driving prices to record levels.
Powell, a statesman who influenced the course of the Iraq war
Colin Powell, 84, who died COVID-19 complications, rose from humble origins in Harlem to become the US Secretary of State during tumultuous times marked by war.
What’s up with market traders at the big four banks?
While Australia’s big banks may be home loan factories, their market trading units have also been reliable money spinners. But, some banks market divisions are not performing as well as expected.
Staffing crisis hits Australia’s top accounting firms
The nation’s Top 100 accounting firms are responding to the tight labour market conditions by raising pay and increasing bonuses – but it still isn’t enough.
- Live
- Markets Live
Tech’s rebound lifts shares; BHP posts ‘mixed quarter’
Traders lift RBA rate hike bets. Brambles Q1 sales up 11pc, warns on labour shortages. BHP sticks to production guidance. Bitcoin jumps. Metals prices fall.
- Live
- Need to Know
Relationship a ‘red flag’: sports bureaucrat tells ICAC
Victoria looks at mix of home, no quarantine for overseas arrivals; the ICAC hearings into Berejiklian continue today; New Zealand reports record new case numbers. Follow the latest here.
Goldman Sachs anoints metals and mining head for Australia, NZ
Goldman Sachs has appointed Melbourne-based banker Gavi Friedland to run its important metals and mining sector coverage team in Australia and New Zealand.
Accounting firms offer pay bumps and flexible work amid a struggle to retain and attract staff. In your inbox Wednesday morning.
START-UPS
- Exclusive
- Mergers & acquisitions
Ex-AFL star sells start-up for $205m after just four years
The recent boom in Brisbane-based tech company success continues as former Adelaide Crow Brad Moran sells CitrusAd to French giant Publicis Groupe.
She built a $47m fortune by 35 – here are her seven tips
Jane Lu, 35, started from nothing and created a business worth $47 million in 10 years, and doesn’t think she’s special. Read her tips for success and listen to her story on episode 2 of the How I Made It podcast.
- Exclusive
- Life after Lockdown
Muso helps bands score post-lockdown gigs
Muso, a software platform that helps musicians find gigs and venues find artists to put on shows, is banking on a post-lockdown boom after raising capital.
- Exclusive
- Funding
Start-up raises for ‘end-of-life’ digital platform
Westpac’s Reinventure fund has led a $3 million round in digital will provider Safewill, which has plans to build a platform to safeguard your digital life when you’re gone.
- Exclusive
- Funding
Hospitality tech in the money as restaurants learn lockdown lessons
Mobi, a start-up that helped chains such as Oporto and Red Rooster control their online operations, has raised $10 million as restaurants keep a digital focus post-lockdown.
Companies
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
BHP’s reminder it’s not all woe in iron ore
BHP is taking its foot off the pedal in iron ore. It’s a reminder that the commodity’s price plunge doesn’t tell the whole story.
- Exclusive
- Cars
Mercedes-Benz dealers launch $650m lawsuit
Australian Mercedes-Benz dealers have launched a $650 million legal action against Mercedes-Benz Germany.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Forrest v BHP: the start of green M&A fights
BHP and Andrew Forrest’s battle over a small Canadian nickel hopeful isn’t going to be the last M&A fight sparked by the energy transition.
BHP iron ore output slumps
A shortage of train drivers and a heavy maintenance schedule means BHP is likely to export less iron ore in 2021 than it did last year.
NSW’s rail networks won’t cope with freight surge
Networks may not be able to cope because its transport agencies are not accountable for delivering on plans to put more goods on trains, the state auditor-general has warned.
Lockdowns and competition dent Tabcorp revenue
Tabcorp’s revenue has been dragged down by lockdowns shuttering brick and mortar shops and competition from Australians flocking to online bookmakers.
Companies in the News
Search companies
View stories and data from an ASX listed company
Markets
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
LIC fight pits Wilson against Moore
Two leading fund managers – Geoff Wilson and Paul Moore – have taken their battle for control of a listed investment company to the Takeovers Panel.
Is the army of lockdown traders here to stay?
As lockdowns hit, a wave of people turned to day trading. But as the world enters post-lockdown life, the question confronting trading platforms is whether any of the surge in trading can outlast the coronavirus crisis.
Investors rush to hot reopening stocks as lockdowns end
Companies that suffered through the pandemic have become popular sharemarket trades as Sydney and Melbourne exit lockdowns.
What happened in markets overnight
Australian shares are set to fall when the market opens, despite US stocks extending their rally. Oil pared from its session highs, easing fears of inflation.
Bitcoin price eyes record high as ETF products near launch
Flagship US securities exchanges could offer the public exchange-traded funds designed to track the bitcoin price on a synthetic basis from this Monday.
Opinion
The great interest rate debate takes another turn
Stephen Grenville’s claim that he wants interest rates to actively be pushed up because it is “inevitable”, is like saying we’re all going to die some day, so let’s stop taking care of ourselves.
Contributor
Politics is often counterintuitive, and climate action is no different
Barnaby Joyce looks every bit the man who knows he has to deliver something that every sinew of his body disagrees with.
Political editor
Why you shouldn’t underestimate the underclass
They are damaged, lacking in trust and discipline, and highly self-interested. But the poor are still a force that Australia needs to properly harness.
Columnist
A jagged tear in the sterling reputation of ‘Saint Gladys’
Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian will be interrogated by ICAC. It’s another example of the blurred line between the personal and public interest in politics.
Columnist
Will your growing wealth make you work shy?
As the NSW and Victorian economies reopen, Australian workers could follow the lead of their US counterparts and drag their feet in getting back to work.
Columnist
‘Sophisticated investor’ tag may have passed its use-by date
A better-functioning financial services sector may not need archaic and arbitrary gates to keep the supposedly sophisticated and the unsophisticated separated from each other.
Editorial
Politics
Mood shifts to net-zero deal within days
Barnaby Joyce has accepted Scott Morrison could forge ahead with a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 without the imprimatur of the Nationals.
Palaszczuk opens Queensland border for Christmas
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged Queenslanders to get vaccinated ahead of them being reunited with families and friends for Christmas.
Vaccine rush leading to reduced sickness as Australia reopens
The rapid and widespread uptake of vaccines gives experts optimism that the health impact of reopening state and territory economies and borders will be far lower than predicted just a month ago.
Berejiklian tells ICAC she didn’t suspect former boyfriend was corrupt
The former NSW premier told ICAC she didn’t suspect Daryl Maguire of corruption, as the watchdog heard of input from Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres.
What to expect at the ICAC over the next two weeks
NSW’s anti-corruption watchdog has begun public hearings into its investigation, which has now turned on former premier Gladys Berejiklian.
SPONSORED
World
Johnson calls on nations to harden climate goals
While the UK expects to welcome about 120 world leaders to Glasgow, it’s contending with some key no-shows.
Britain logs ‘concerning’ number of COVID-19 cases
Experts call on the government to ramp up booster jabs and vaccination of children, as hospitalisations also start to climb.
Colin Powell dies from COVID-19 complications
The US Army general rose to become his country’s first black secretary of state and styled himself a “reluctant warrior”.
US TV network ratings dive after prime years of Trump and trauma
After years of skyrocketing ratings, networks face a breathtaking fall back down to earth as the news cycle calms due to the end of Trump’s presidency and an easing pandemic.
Russia breaks off ties with NATO in retaliation for spy row
Russia has closed the NATO office in Moscow as it reacts to the expulsion of Russian diplomats in Brussels.
Property
Macquarie seeks new NYC digs (after 53rd year of US profit)
Macquarie Group is on the hunt for one of the top 10 new office space leasing requirements in Manhattan that could cost as much as $689 million as it rapidly expands its US operations.
This apartment just set a Queensland record of $16.1m
The impressive $13.5 million sale of a luxury flat in Noosa Heads was topped by a nearby three-level unit overlooking the main beach.
Worst is over for Melbourne and Sydney apartment landlords
Apartments in CBDs suffered large declines in rents during the pandemic, but are poised to see strong rental growth as the lockdowns end and the border reopens.
Di Pilla’s HomeCo fund strikes $3.2b merger with Aventus
Both listed property trusts have fared relatively well through the disruption and their merger is timed to perfection to take advantage of the reopening bounce.
Sydney premium strata office prices surge as owner-occupiers buy up
Why rent when it’s cheaper to buy and there’s a great tax break on your investment? Prime Sydney strata offices are in strong demand and prices are rising.
Wealth
- Opinion
- Investing
Do female investors have a perfectionist problem?
Money coaches say women have less invested than men because they are afraid of not getting it absolutely right.
- Opinion
- Property investment
How much to spend on your renovation
There’s a fine line between adding value and overcapitalising – here’s how to work it out.
Tax shortcut for work-from-home claims extended
Rules allowing taxpayers to speed up their annual tax return have been extended to June 2022.
Technology
- Exclusive
- Mergers & acquisitions
Ex-AFL star sells start-up for $205m after just four years
The recent boom in Brisbane-based tech company success continues as former Adelaide Crow Brad Moran sells CitrusAd to French giant Publicis Groupe.
Apple launches new AirPods with longer battery life
The technology juggernaut also unveiled a music plan that works exclusively through Siri and different colours for its HomePod mini speaker.
The new MacBook Pro is the biggest overhaul in years
The tech giant’s shares rose as it also unveiled M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that are 70 per cent faster than its M1 predecessors and far outgun those from Intel.
Work & Careers
- Opinion
- Workplace
Beware, workers are about to pivot with their feet
The workplace is going through a Great Realignment because of the pandemic, which has made many employees rethink what their jobs mean to them.
American workers who didn’t quit are now going on strike
Many of those who didn’t join The Great Resignation are now joining picket lines, as widespread work stoppages reflect growing frustrations among the labour force.
Life & Luxury
#Boatlife: The families selling up to live – and work – at sea
A growing armada is taking advantage of the remote labour practices ushered in by COVID-19 to escape the rat race for a life of marine adventures.
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing lots of these machines
Eijiro Tsukada has designed a device intended for the global colonisation of the home, office and cafe, one cup of perfectly made matcha tea at a time.
- Opinion
- Review
Samsung v Apple: Which watch won in our test?
Both watches will help (or hinder) you getting through your day in pretty much the same way, but only one is worth dying for.
Some of Australia’s greatest surf photos are now collected in one book
A new book of photographs documents Australia’s ongoing love affair with a life on the ocean waves.
Paspaley turns deep-sea treasures and tattoos into fine jewellery
The brand’s new collection features rare, pristine Pinctada maxima pearls alongside precious finds their divers have retrieved from the depths.
