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- Analysis
- US election
The shadow of Trump hangs over the world
Even if Donald Trump doesn’t run, he is a threat to democracy in a fragile world still reeling from his last efforts to promote a nationalist agenda, writes James Curran.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Top investors name 11 long-term stock picks
Healthcare, digitisation and resources are the big themes that dominate the list of stock picks from top fund managers.
ASX 200 inches closer to record; Fortescue, BHP reset highs
The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.7 per cent to 7614.3 at the closing bell on Thursday. The benchmark is within 20 points of the record set in August 2021.
One of two Australians killed in Israeli strike linked to terror group
Acting Foreign Minister Mark Dreyfus confirmed two Australians were killed in Lebanon, and Hezbollah claims one of them is a martyred fighter for its cause.
Cathie Wood goes for massive shakeup of bitcoin holdings
One of the investment guru’s exchange-traded funds has dumped its shares in Grayscale and bought into ProShares.
- Opinion
- Managed funds
America’s top stockpicker is buying chips
Adam Benjamin’s fund is the top ranked mutual or ETF in the US and produced an 80 per cent total return in 2023. Here’s what he’s interested in.
Israel warns that time for diplomacy with Lebanon is ‘running out’
As rockets from Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces streamed in from Lebanon, Israeli officials said they were prepared to take the war to a second front.
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Chanticleer
EDITOR’S PICKS
TOP READS
LinkedIn is rotting our leaders, says Alan Joyce’s former speechwriter
Lucinda Holdforth reckons executives should focus on delivering results and ditch the bubble talk about authenticity and vulnerability.
- Analysis
- US election
The shadow of Trump hangs over the world
Even if Donald Trump doesn’t run, he is a threat to democracy in a fragile world still reeling from his last efforts to promote a nationalist agenda, writes James Curran.
Will you live to 100? The answer is in your blood
As a new study reveals similarities between the blood samples of centenarians, here are the lifestyle changes you can make to live longer.
‘Don pulls strings’: Meet the Albanese government’s key powerbroker
Don Farrell might not be in the prime minister’s inner circle, but his tacit support is vital.
Justin Hemmes’ $3b property empire outgrows nightlife roots
The billionaire has spent at least $900 million building a sprawling hospitality and residential empire. But there’s one business he is happy to leave in the shadows.
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Companies
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Top investors name 11 long-term stock picks
Healthcare, digitisation and resources are the big themes that dominate the list of stock picks from top fund managers.
- Exclusive
- Payments
Audits found flaws in Airwallex’s staff screening
PwC and Grant Thornton said the $US5.6 billion payments giant was not adequately identifying if staff had a criminal history or were subject to international sanctions.
The private capital deal makers who will shape 2024
The best operators know how to strike a deal, and in 2024, there’s plenty of dry powder and more pressure to deploy.
Anchorage snags David Jones at 75pc discount
Anchorage paid $92.5 million for the group in March, but financial accounts show the full value of the company and its assets was closer to $376 million.
Gerry Harvey says angrier shoppers are a bad sign for retailers
Economists says consumers could be about to go into their shells for up to six months after a hunt for bargains at post-Christmas sales.
Boart Longyear, floated for $2.35b, agrees to $543m takeover
The ASX-listed drilling company, once the second-largest IPO in Australian history, will go private after struggling for years as a minnow.
Victoria wipes Tennis Australia’s $43m COVID debt, fuels record profit
The Victorian government gave Tennis Australia a $40 million loan as it languished in the pandemic. Now worth $43 million, that debt has been forgiven.
Companies in the News
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Markets
- Opinion
- Managed funds
America’s top stockpicker is buying chips
Adam Benjamin’s fund is the top ranked mutual or ETF in the US and produced an 80 per cent total return in 2023. Here’s what he’s interested in.
Cathie Wood goes for massive shakeup of bitcoin holdings
One of the investment guru’s exchange-traded funds has dumped its shares in Grayscale and bought into ProShares.
Iron ore’s rise above $US140 to deliver larger budget windfall
A surge in the iron ore price to its highest level in 1½ years, pushed the $A to a fresh five-month high and puts Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ 2023-24 federal budget on course for a bigger than expected surplus.
Oil falls from one-month high at technical gauges flash weakness
Traders are focused on evening out positions before the new year, and low volumes are leaving prices susceptible to swings.
Euro rises to five-month higher, German yields plumb one-year lows
The euro has advanced 3.4 per cent this year, with much of the rally coming after signals from the Federal Reserve that it will pivot to rate cuts soon.
Opinion
The West must avoid populist backsliding on Ukraine in 2024
The West instinctively grasped what was at stake by backing the heroic Ukrainian resistance. The danger now is the message that would be sent by any weakening of Western will to stay the course.
Editorial
Australia needs a formal national security strategy
The government has reached a point where it can no longer avoid open discussion of fundamental questions about unpreparedness for strategic trouble ahead.
Geopolitical analyst
Odds for 2024 point to another close Labor win in 2025
A growing number of Australian voters are looking for genuine leadership in both major parties, but find them wanting.
Election analyst
Future for house prices hinges on what the RBA does next
As we move into the new year, the bellwether markets of Melbourne and Sydney are falling.
Columnist
Three lessons from my 50 years of forecasting
Confession: my crystal ball has been cracked countless times by purportedly unprecedented developments, writes Stephen Roach.
Asia watcher
Latest legal trial shows Trump still has to be defeated politically
Democrats need to realise that the pursuit of the former president through the courts only serves to fire up his never-say-never base.
Editorial
Politics
Coalition enlivened by Labor’s ‘mid-term blues’
Young voters, women over 40 and aspirational workers will set the political tone for the coming election battle, which begins now.
- Analysis
- Carbon challenge
‘Blackout’ Bowen: the man conservatives love to hate
The energy minister has been a top performer for Labor, winning blockbuster carbon and energy battles against all odds. But he has plenty of fights ahead.
Warning for consultants: PwC fallout is not over yet
Senator Deborah O’Neill, who helped expose the full extent of the PwC tax leaks scandal, says the industry will continue to be under scrutiny in 2024.
COVID-19 warning ahead of New Year’s Eve parties
Case numbers are soaring across Australia, with experts warning that low testing rates mean infection rates are much higher than official tallies suggest.
- Exclusive
- Superannuation
Big super spends lots of your money on promotion. Here’s where it goes
New transparency laws reveal for the first time where industry super funds put money for ads and sponsorships. The Tigers and unions are big winners.
SPONSORED
World
Doubts over Israel’s ability to destroy Hamas grow
Israel has vowed to dismantle the group responsible for the bloody October 7 attack, but critics say that goal is unrealistic.
- Analysis
- US election
The shadow of Trump hangs over the world
Even if he doesn’t run, he is a threat to democracy in a fragile world still reeling from his last efforts to promote a nationalist agenda.
Whisky and the coal mining ‘shack’: Taiwan election is not only about China
Beijing is far from the sole issue debated at rallies, press conferences and on television talk shows where the uncensored exchanges are a major contrast to China.
- Opinion
- Russia-Ukraine war
Ukraine doesn’t need all its territory to defeat Putin
If Vladimir Putin decides to freeze the war, Ukraine should not pass up an opportunity to end the bloodshed.
Microsoft, OpenAI sued by New York Times for copyright infringement
OpenAI has faced criticism for scraping text widely from the web to train its popular chatbot; this is the first legal challenge to that practice.
Property
The suburbs where house vendors are amassing $1m profits
Vendors in Sydney’s sought-after suburbs reaped more than $1 million gross profits on average amid tight supply and strong demand according to CoreLogic.
Where house prices are going in 2024, and the best time to buy or sell
Homebuyers could have a rare chance to snag a good deal in early 2024 across Sydney and Melbourne, but the opportunity won’t last, property experts say.
Rising costs add burden to weak new home construction
The hunt for a replacement product to the engineered stone that has been a standard feature of newly built Australian homes is only adding to the challenge of rising costs.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Australia’s top 10 luxury property deals of 2023
Sydney’s eastern suburbs dominated this year’s list, which totalled more than half a billion dollars.
The man who made millions selling Christmas
Tim Clarkson has carried on a 130-year-old family business by being the biggest player in the $50 million-plus Christmas decorations market.
Wealth
- Opinion
- Investing
Five adjustments for a better performing portfolio in 2024
The No 1 task for investors embarking on a new year portfolio reset should be to check their allocation to Aussie bonds.
How do I convince my future wife a prenup won’t kill the romance?
Family lawyers set out why it’s important, and how to do it without ruffling feathers.
- Opinion
- Portfolio diversification
The best five assets to buy in 2024, and three to dump
With inflation remaining high and markets fluctuating wildly, active investors stand to gain the most.
Technology
Apple wins appeal court bid to pause US watch ban
The ruling allows Apple to resume selling its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US at least until another review in about two weeks time.
Is a $3745 app-controlled mattress topper a sound sleeping investment?
The Eight Sleep Pod Cover is great at collecting data but is missing a trick on helping you make sense of it all.
Collapses, workplace shake-ups and phone outage chaos: 2023’s top tech stories
Take a look back at the biggest tech stories of the year – as well as our reporters’ favourites.
Work & Careers
Wave of productivity: How surfing adds billions to the economy
Board-riding CEOs Brooke Farris and Nick Nicolaides say hitting the water is good for their work, backing a study that estimates surfing contributes about $1.9 trillion to the global economy.
Good at tech, bad with people: Is Gen Z getting a bad rap?
They are the cohort profoundly touched by the pandemic and questioning the value of so-so jobs. But are they really that different from other generations?
Life & Luxury
LawConnect hails ‘dream’ Sydney to Hobart underdog win
The perennial bridesmaid has claimed Sydney to Hobart line honours, finishing less than one minute ahead of its rival Comanche.
My parents thought I was studying. Confessions of a Bollywood star
A high achieving “proud north-westie” from Melbourne, Pallavi Sharda went to Mumbai alone to see if she could make it as a performer.
The hottest tickets for NYE (if you’re quick)
If you don’t have plans for New Year’s Eve, here is a list of some of the most exclusive tickets and reservations still available.
Vale Bill Granger, Australia’s sunniest chef
Few people have the ability to bring instant sunshine into a room, but chef and restaurateur Bill Granger had it in spades. He also changed the way Australia thought about our food, and ourselves.
The chilling truth of a $12,500 ice bath in your home
Our dubious tester immersed herself in this health trend – and immediately started saving to buy her own ice bath.
