NSW pushes for testing, isolation shake-up as system overloads
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pushed calls to produce more rapid COVID-19 tests back at the states as NSW hopes to shift thinking on the virus.
![In a note, Fundstrat Global said its base case is for the S&P 500 to rise to 5100 in 2022. [It was at 4784.50 near 1pm in New York.]](http://web.archive.org./web/20211229191333im_/https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.1453%2C$multiply_4%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_2/t_crop_custom/c_scale%2Cw_280%2Cq_52%2Cf_auto/ae75979db07b41e060db411ded316d37a941dde1)
ASX to edge up, Wall St fluctuates
Australian shares are poised to open modestly higher as US stocks struggled to extend their 2021 gains. Bitcoin steady.
- Live
- Need to Know
Acute phase of pandemic could end in 2022: WHO
WHO chief Dr Tedros is worried about a “tsunami” of cases as both delta and omicron circulate around the globe. Follow updates here.
Top nine merger deals of 2021
It was the year of the mega-deal as corporate Australia rejoiced in bigger and bigger deals with Afterpay’s $39 billion triumph topping the list.
China’s tech moguls see $110b of wealth evaporate in 2021
It’s been the toughest year for China’s 10 richest tech tycoons since 2012 amid wide scale crackdowns by Chinese regulators.
$2.3b power cable between NSW-SA gets green light
The $2.3 billion power interconnector hooking up NSW with South Australia has been granted environmental approval by the SA state government.
Atlassian’s heirs? Dovetail shapes as Australia’s next big thing
Benjamin Humphrey and Bradley Ayers quit Atlassian to build one of the country’s hottest start-ups, with some tipping it for much bigger things.
How to negotiate the new world of work. Expert advice in your inbox every Thursday.
smart investor
The survival guide to income investing
In a world of near-zero cash rates, minuscule bond yields and government hyper-stimulus, we highlight yield opportunities you may not have thought of.
How ETFs became the tool of choice for young investors
Exchange-traded funds have become a global investment phenomenon. Their main selling points? Low fees and the underperformance of active fund managers.
- Opinion
- Smart Investor
Ten factors to rate your wealth by
Here’s a checklist of important points to take into account when planning your retirement income and assessing the quality of your portfolio.
How to invest in residential property - without buying a house
With property prices rising again, some investors are seeking a slice of residential real estate via new-age crowdfunding and investment funds.
How to find treasure in the sharemarket’s trash
Contrarian investing has been out of fashion for more than a decade, but its time may have come as growth stock valuations run hot and the pandemic throws up buying opportunities.
The Financial Review has provided the first draft of the history of Australian business, and the nation, over the past seven decades.
Companies
Whispir signs $1.32m deal with Singtel
Whispir stock jumped 6 per cent after inking a $1.32m contract with Singtel to replace the regional giant’s core SMS notification systems across 21 countries.
Frontiers in finance: new adventures in DeFi
We hung out with some local DeFi developers to look through the hype to determine the impact decentralised technologies may have on the financial system.
Elon Musk’s Starlink global internet creeps onto NBN’s turf
Starlink is causing waves among regional households but it’s unclear whether the NBN is bracing for the threat of Starlink’s full commercial arrival.
Australian Open could mark a changing of the guard in men’s tennis
The ‘big three’ players remain gridlocked on 20 grand slams each but their era of dominance is under threat.
PE hotshots: The top 20 under 40 in 2021
The rock stars of the industry are slowly changing and, finally, more women are rising towards the top.
Online shopper frenzy tempered by last mile
The boss of Wesfarmers, which owns Bunnings, Kmart and Target, says the pandemic compressed three years of online growth into one.
ESG poised to drive more energy upheaval
After an unprecedented year of M&A across the energy sector, the pressure to decarbonise is expected to drive more deals in 2022 – but the pickings will be thinner.
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Markets
Bitcoin showcases seesaw nature yet again
The volatile token was relatively steady after having plunged 7 per cent the previous day; it’s on track for its worst monthly performance since May.
Turkey doubles down on lira deposit plan even as currency slides
The yield on 10-year government bonds has surged since the central bank began slashing rates in September, to a record high of 24.9pc on Wednesday.
Musk nears Tesla share sale target with $1.4b offload
Musk has been offloading Tesla stock since asking his Twitter followers in November whether he should sell.
Asian shares slip amid lingering omicron worries
Asian shares mostly slipped Wednesday, as worries lingered about the omicron variant’s potential damage to the regional economy.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Equities looking good for 2022
Widespread caution about the impact of the omicron variant of COVID-19 cannot subdue the positive sentiment about global equities markets.
Opinion
An election beckons, with all still to play for
It is unclear who will win the 2022 federal election. It is only too clear what kind of post-pandemic budget and reform task they will face.
Editorial
Here are four big ideas for Australia to consider in 2022
There are win-win reform gains to be had in industry policy, taxation, social spending and super. Why don’t we take them?
Contributor
Don’t let the China hawks frighten you
China will become more powerful -- but any hostile reach towards Australia will always be limited by technology and regional politics.
Contributor
It’s time for Scott Morrison to govern, except he never will
Politics for Morrison’s Coalition is about scheming to stay in power, while Australia starts regressing into its old insular ways, writes Geoff Kitney.
Columnist
Tough business lessons from the pandemic
Ultimately, the great lesson of 2021 is to be certain of uncertainty, and wary of any suggestion that the worst is over.
Columnist
Omicron alarmism defies the science. Most of you can get on with life
The high probability is that omicron will disappoint the alarmists and frustrate those of a hairshirt puritan character who almost seem to want lockdowns as a form of self-flagellation, writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.
Contributor
Politics
National cabinet to discuss close contact definition, testing delays
NSW has 50m rapid tests on order as cases double every three to four days in the state; Vic to distribute 34m free rapid tests; records broken as Qld reports 1589 cases, SA records 1471. Follow updates here.
The plan to make COVID-19 normal
Two years into the pandemic, state governments work on plans to return life to near normal. Getting the timing right, however, is the risky part.
Three forces will shape the economy in 2022
The virus, US inflation and the reopening of the international border to foreign workers will be crucial for the country’s economic performance in the year ahead - and the election.
Nearly three in four NSW residents wary of scrapping stamp duty
Most NSW residents would be reluctant to pay a land tax instead of stamp duty because they are worried a future government would increase the tax rate.
Small business: backbone of the economy or a burden?
Politicians of all persuasions praise the importance of small businesses to the economy and shovel taxpayer money their way, but one economist is pushing back.
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World
Prince tries to stop sex case by saying accuser lives in Australia
In a court filing, Prince Andrew said Virginia Giuffre has lived in Australia for all but two of the last 19 years.
The Queen’s mortality: the elephant in 9m British living rooms
The Queen’s traditional televised Christmas message drew its largest audience in several decades, as many tuned in perhaps expecting it may be her last.
‘Conspiracy of everything’ - QAnon lives on without ‘Q’
The conspiracy movement has taken on a life of its own that no longer requires predictions from its shadowy leader.
No quick fix in sight to Australia’s China conundrum
The closure of a landmark restaurant in Shanghai shuts another door on Australia-China relations, but big business has not given up on the world’s second-largest economy.
Transport industry braces for another year of chaos
As omicron infections surge and governments tighten restrictions, logistics companies around the world, from global giants to small firms, can’t find enough staff.
Property
Cream of the crop: 12 of the year’s biggest farm deals
In a year during which farmland values and commodity prices soared, Rich Listers and fund managers joined wealthy farming families in chasing trophy assets.
How $32.5m mansion sale triggered huge year in prestige property
Seven’s Bruce McWilliam fired a starter gun on the strongest trophy home market ever when he sold his Point Piper investment property.
The top five property deals of 2021
Australia’s commercial property markets remained remarkably buoyant through 2021, with a slew of significant deals despite the uncertainty.
Coastal areas top most profitable regions to sell a home
It has been a bumper year for Sydney’s northern beaches and eastern suburbs home sellers, many of whom pocketed more than $1million in profits.
Viral TikTok video shows off ‘the smallest apartment in New York’
Would you live in a seven square metre unit with no bathroom for about $2200 a month? This musician’s clip about doing so has been viewed 24 million times.
Wealth
How you can boost your super in 2022
Whether you’re starting out or close to retirement, make the most of strategies in the new year to help you get more in retirement.
How to help your child buy a home without losing yours
Questions to ask before you step in as Bank of Mum and Dad to fund your kids getting into the property market.
Real-life succession: Rupert’s daughter-in-law Kathryn gets political
Having sold out of the company, if not the family, Kathryn and James Murdoch are using the proceeds to try to reinvigorate America’s struggling democracy.
Technology
Apple offers up to $250,000 in bonuses to retain top talent
Apple is waging a talent war with companies in Silicon Valley and beyond, with Meta emerging as a particular threat.
Crypto glossary: the what’s what of crypto
Some off us have decidedly avoided the rampant speculation and breathless commentary, so we might be a bit behind on our glossaries.
- Opinion
- Virtual reality
It’s awkward being a woman in the metaverse
Connecting with people in virtual reality is fun and exciting, but it’s also intense, tiring and often awkward.
Work & Careers
2021 was the year women roared
Poor behaviour towards women is nothing new, but there has been a far greater willingness over the past 12 months for women to speak out.
These CEOs have solved work/life balance
Top female leaders are among the CEOs pushing back against the pressure of trying to balance professional and private lives by changing the question.
Life & Luxury
10 TV shows you may have missed in 2021
We’ve all spent a lot of time watching telly this year but a few gems may have escaped your notice. Here are our picks.
2022 is a big year for big films
January will see the year off to an exceptionally strong start and if the cinemas only manage to stay open, we’ll have something good to remember.
Why we should all play more games
Games create a safe space where the normal rules and reality of our world are suspended and replaced by an alternative set.
Opera Australia CEO’s first job is to save the show
As Fiona Allan settles into the country’s largest performing arts company, she’s rolling up her sleeves to go into battle for the COVID-19 ravaged Australian arts industry.
For the head of the Takeovers Panel, libraries are a family affair
Alex Cartel, one of the country’s top deal makers, has a deep personal connection to the State Library of Victoria stretching back almost 50 years.
