RBA expected to soften tone on rate rises amid Mid-East crisis
Shares are set to start lower on Monday and oil prices could bounce ahead of a possible RBA policy pivot on Tuesday.
Supermarket review considers ramping up fines for code breaches
An assessment of Australia’s food and grocery regulations will consider increasing penalties on the supermarket giants for bad behaviour.
Albanese flags Gaza demilitarisation as protests hit Sydney, Melbourne
A route to a Palestinian state might involve Hamas giving up its weapons, Mr Albanese said.
Record labels accuse radio networks of ‘smear campaign’ in fees row
The claims are an escalation of a long-running dispute over how much artists and major labels are paid when their music is broadcast.
- Opinion
- Supermarkets
The ACCC’s supermarket inquiry will only benefit Woolworths and Coles
The grocery giants have responded in an astute way – cutting meat prices. That could spell the end for the remaining independent butchers around the country, writes Karen Maley.
Private equity-controlled CFS makes a move on Perpetual; taps advisers
Street Talk can reveal the Jefferies and Gilbert + Tobin-advised wealth management group lobbed a bid for both of Perpetual’s units last week.
Burke flags fines for bosses that breach ‘right to disconnect’ orders
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says he’s willing to compromise with the Senate crossbench on facets of the government’s industrial relations reforms.
Breaking news on companies, politics and economics, in your inbox as it happens.
RBA’s new era
The RBA starts a new era on Monday. Here’s how it will play out
The RBA board will break new ground this week, by meeting on a Monday, holding a press conference and releasing its full economic forecasts earlier than usual.
- Opinion
- Monetary policy
Bullock’s interest rate communication job just got harder
The disclosure of RBA board votes and public remarks by board members will make it more challenging for Michele Bullock to control the central bank’s message.
- Analysis
- Australian economy
Inflation burden to linger as mortgage relief hopes flicker to life
Labor has reset the economic debate with its blockbuster tax cuts, but will the relief last long enough that voters forget Albanese’s broken promise?
No rate cuts ‘any time soon’: McKibbin
The former RBA board member has rubbished predictions from economists that interest rates could be cut as early as May, saying borrowing costs may still need to rise.
- Exclusive
- Australian economy
How Treasurer Jim Chalmers is rated by 10 economists
Leading economists surveyed by The Australian Financial Review were asked to assess the performance of Treasurer Jim Chalmers and rate him out of 10.
Get the latest business news on the go with the AFR’s new iOS app.
Companies
Sell-off looms as strategists warn earnings set to disappoint
The ASX is trading at all-time high, yet investment banks are warning investors may get ahead of themselves this reporting season.
Autobarn’s owner Bapcor spins its wheels with four CEOs in two years
Investment bank analysts are split on whether clients should be buying into the auto parts retailer and wholesaler. A new boss has his work cut out for him.
Loan competition among largest banks ‘diminishing’: Citi
Ahead of earning season, brokers say the major lenders, along with Macquarie, are consolidating their market share and growing faster than the broader sector.
PwC partner weighs defamation action over tax leaks allegation
A PwC partner the firm incorrectly publicly linked to its tax leaks scandal is planning to sue the firm for defamation after mediation talks failed.
Hoyts sale up in the air after Chinese businessman snaps up parent
The cinema chain’s chief executive, Damian Keogh, says a strike in Hollywood has had a material impact on the film slate this year and on box office takings.
Record labels accuse radio networks of ‘smear campaign’ in fees row
The claims are an escalation of a long-running dispute over how much artists and major labels are paid when their music is broadcast.
Lynas founder backs mooted rare earths mega-merger with MP Materials
Nick Curtis, now executive chairman of Northern Minerals, says he explored the possibility of a deal creating a critical minerals major more than a decade ago.
Companies in the News
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Markets
- Opinion
- Bonds
Expect a ‘verbal pivot’ from the RBA but no imminent rate cuts
A reduction in the cash rate some time this year is plausible, but there is still some distance to travel before arriving at any imperative decision.
Sell-off looms as strategists warn earnings set to disappoint
The ASX is trading at all-time high, yet investment banks are warning investors may get ahead of themselves this reporting season.
Wild swings ahead for lithium as producers ‘play chicken’
A sharp correction in the battery metal price has triggered more cut backs in output and analysts say investors should brace for even more volatility.
Bigger IPOs earmarked for second half, says ASX
With the sharemarket trading at all-time highs and central banks preparing to cut rates, companies are getting ready to go public.
Parsing the US jobs data: ‘Head-scratching numbers’
The early read is that a March rate cut is “dead”, perhaps May too, after hiring unexpectedly shifted into a higher gear to start 2024.
Opinion
The ACCC’s supermarket inquiry will only benefit Woolworths and Coles
The grocery giants have responded in an astute way – cutting meat prices. That could spell the end for the remaining independent butchers around the country.
Columnist
As billionaires vie for Paramount, a Network 10 sale looks more likely
What happens to Ten as David Ellison, media mogul Byron Allen and PE firm Apollo look at wresting control of Paramount from Shari Redstone?
Media and marketing reporter
Like Carter in 1980, America’s Iran options today are limited
The retaliatory strikes point to a toughening US position, with the Biden administration saying everything is on the table, but the reality is different.
Corporate advisor
The home-working revolution is harming young workers
Bosses who insist on a return to the office are demonised – but turning up is better for your career, especially if you are just starting out.
Contributor
Intractable bargaining changes a one-way street to inflexibility
The proposed regime means unions could wait for the minimum bargaining period to elapse, knowing the FWC will be arbitrating with one hand tied behind its back.
Contributor
Project delays put Australia’s Japanese hydrogen hopes at risk
Uncertainties are jeopardising Australia’s chance to become a major hydrogen supplier as Japan is poised to up investment in green energy tech.
Chairman and CEO of IEEJ
Politics
Supermarket review considers ramping up fines for code breaches
An assessment of Australia’s food and grocery regulations will consider increasing penalties on the supermarket giants for bad behaviour.
PM fast-tracks debate over tax cut broken promise
Anthony Albanese has released the proposed law early so he can quickly legislate the backflip.
Burke flags fines for bosses that breach ‘right to disconnect’ orders
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says he’s willing to compromise with the Senate crossbench on facets of the government’s industrial relations reforms.
Australia avoids ‘iceberg’ but debt on track to hit $1.4 trillion
Total government debt could be worth as much as 58 per cent of GDP by 2027 according to a new paper from the Centre for Independent Studies.
A fight over a bauxite mine may launch a new era for land rights
The High Court will decide the third great native title case this year, a decision that may overturn every land title in the Northern Territory for 67 years.
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World
Albanese flags Gaza demilitarisation as protests hit Sydney, Melbourne
A route to a Palestinian state might involve Hamas giving up its weapons, Mr Albanese said.
How this mother with IRA links plans to lead Northern Ireland
Sinn Féin said Michelle O’Neill will govern “for all” after she was sworn in as first minister on Saturday, the first time a nationalist has held the post.
- Analysis
- US election
Biden wins first primary as bond with black voters frays
The US president notched up an easy win to all but ensure his party’s nomination. But whether he has captured enough of the crucial black vote is unknown.
Chile’s fires sweep into urban areas killing scores
Firefighters are struggling to contain forest fires in the centre and south of the country caused by El Niño weather patterns.
UN donor funding cuts ‘irrational’, says agency chief
The head of the UNRWA is seeking emergency funding from the Gulf after the crisis sparked by claims staff took part in the Hamas attacks on October 7.
Property
Auctions start 2024 with ‘an absolute cracker’ of a weekend for sales
The auction year is off to a strong start with almost three in four homes listed selling at the weekend, but experts say a wave of stock could temper the pace.
Vineyards on the market as succession plans wither
More listings are hitting the market as adult children leave the sector and business conditions get tougher.
Rate relief spurs rosy outlook for REITs
The outlook for the ASX-listed property stocks has turned decidedly bullish as the sector heads into its annual earnings season.
Foreign grip on London’s luxury homes tightens as UK buyers wait
Rising borrowing costs, economic uncertainty and the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation have driven a slowdown in overall UK house sales.
Big Sydney office tower deal could be tonic for deal-starved market
The mooted sale of a stake in 255 George Street could help kick-start a transactions market which has been stranded in a stalemate over appropriate pricing.
Wealth
- Opinion
- Superannuation
Three ‘tricks’ to get $2m into your super in a year
Maximising contributions after selling a small business can add $2,062,500 to your retirement savings.
We can’t afford new tax on $3m super – should we transfer property?
Sometimes it’s worth accepting “the devil you know” when it comes to Division 296 tax management strategies.
How to get an extra $1.7m into super if you’re selling a business
Once owners of a small business decide it’s time to sell, knowing the rules around capital gains tax may mean no tax on the sale and getting more into super.
Technology
- Exclusive
- Healthcare
Ozempic maker wants copycat products banned in Australia
The $600 billion drugmaker Novo Nordisk has become one of Europe’s largest companies off the success of its weight loss drug.
Cloudflare says Atlassian server briefly hacked in November
Internet-security company Cloudflare said one of its Atlassian servers was accessed over several days by what it believes that was a nation state attacker.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Why the magnificent seven aren’t equally magnificent
Profit results from five of the magnificent seven tech stocks have underscored their dominance. But there are differences in the outlooks and valuations investors must study.
Work & Careers
Aboriginal rights trailblazer Lowitja O’Donoghue dies
Aboriginal rights trailblazer Lowitja O’Donoghue, who played a pivotal role in native title laws and was the first Aboriginal person to address the UN, has died.
Office mandates offer no financial benefit and staff hate them: study
Return-to-office mandates upset workers and fail to significantly improve business performance, an analysis of S&P 500 firms has found.
Life & Luxury
‘Taylor has topped it’: Swift trumps Aus Open, NYE in hotels gold rush
Accommodation bookings in Sydney and Melbourne have jumped on this time last year, even as room rates double.
Think you know this week’s news? Answer these 10 questions
Have you been paying attention this week? Test your knowledge across politics, business and world news.
Jill Dupleix reveals how to make Ho Jiak’s sweet and sour snapper
Junda Khoo left investment banking to build a restaurant group built on his love of spicy street food.
Watch me lose my job on TikTok
The boundary between the personal and professional has been well and truly broken.
The people choosing not to have kids because of climate change
As global temperatures continue to race past previously acceptably levels, Millennials are grappling with the question: ‘Can I promise my child a future?’
From the gallery
BOSS Financial Review
HR bosses reveal this year’s biggest people problems
- Euan Black, Patrick Durkin and Sally Patten
