Chalmers to abolish 500 nuisance tariffs, clears way for gas tax deal
The Albanese government will streamline environmental approvals for resource projects, abolish 500 “nuisance” tariffs on imports from toothbrushes to tools.
Bull run to pause for a session after records tumble
Australian shares are expected to open weaker on Monday, after finishing at a record last week. The S&P/ASX 200 has broken intraday records six times this year.
- Analysis
- Enterprise IT
How Metcash’s $80m tech upgrade blew out by $200m
A plan to replace nine IT systems with one Microsoft platform is a case study in how not to manage a large-scale tech project.
PM shows signs of recovery as Labor ‘stops the rot’
The prime minister’s personal standing has begun to recover, and he’s more trusted than Peter Dutton despite his tax cuts broken promise.
- Exclusive
- Aviation
Investors’ scepticism grows as Qantas management sells strategy
The airline’s chief executive, Vanessa Hudson, faces her most significant test since taking the top job as she leads discussions with shareholders and brokers.
- Opinion
- Investing
Lessons from BlackRock’s Australian quant king
BlackRock’s Australian-raised super-quant on why factors may explain almost everything there is to know about beating the market.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
One of the world’s hottest themes is giving the ASX a miss
The exchange just hasn’t cracked it as a destination for the next wave of green electricity generators. Genex Power is the latest to be worth more in private hands.
- Driving With Tony Davis
- Motoring
Renault launches stylish new EV in Australia
Breaking news on companies, politics and economics, in your inbox as it happens.
monday media
This news start-up will lose half a million readers if Meta goes nuclear
The Daily Aus’ Sam Koslowski and Zara Seidler say they’ve spent three years building audiences outside of Meta’s platforms to prepare for moves to ban news.
How PwC helped Facebook argue its bill down in tax fight with ATO
The tech giant settled a long-running dispute with the tax office in 2017 for $31 million – here’s part of what PwC argued on Facebook’s behalf.
Antony Catalano wants to sell three of his biggest newspapers
The former Domain boss has discussed selling The Newcastle Herald, Illawarra Mercury and Canberra Times back to Nine.
Two halves of the Seven empire are at war over The Nightly
If the Anthony De Ceglie-led digital newspaper The Nightly falters, prepare for a long slow death. If it succeeds, Seven’s power shifts west.
- Exclusive
- Media & marketing
Onerous demands and threats: Inside Facebook’s secret media deals
Confidential until now, details of two agreements struck by Meta for news provide a glimpse into what the social media giant gained for its funding.
Get the latest business news on the go with the AFR’s new iOS app.
Companies
- Analysis
- Bulls & bears
Will this model keep working for fashion darling Cettire?
Share sales by the founder, opaque operations and a ballooning valuation: the luxury platform remains controversial with investors.
- Exclusive
- Investment banking
Julius Baer investors lodge UK complaint over Macquarie fund
Five people who tipped in about $23 million into a Macquarie-led fund have asked a UK regulator to investigate the group’s investment in Indian company Byju’s.
Embattled Star caught in HWL Ebsworth breach
Hackers stole 2.5 million documents from HWL Ebsworth clients last April. Some of Star’s customers and employees were compromised.
Dan Murphy’s stopped selling this beer after it refused Endeavour deal
Some Endeavour Beverages’ beers were taken off Dan Murphy’s shelves after it refused to sell its trademark to the listed Endeavour Group, claims founder Ben Kooyman.
‘Limiting it to obscurity’: Ainsworth investor slams strategic review
Ainsworth Game Technology, founded by rich lister Len Ainsworth, could talk itself private. A strategic review is infuriating some investors.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
One of the world’s hottest themes is giving the ASX a miss
The exchange just hasn’t cracked it as a destination for the next wave of green electricity generators. Genex Power is the latest to be worth more in private hands.
- Analysis
- Due diligence
G8 tries to escape childcare’s returns quagmire
The biggest listed player in childcare posted better profit results. But after years in the shareholder doldrums, many hurdles to consistent profit loom.
Companies in the News
Search companies
View stories and data from an ASX listed company
Markets
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
Generative AI – deepfake or justified hype?
Fake images of Taylor Swift and Joe Biden have raised ethical questions but generative AI’s broader adoption opens up huge opportunities for ASX-listed companies.
‘Yeah nah’: Australian Reddit users miss out on discounted IPO shares
The social media platform home to the WallStreetBets forum warns that its own users, to whom it is granting cheap shares, could cause price volatility.
Nvidia plummets in what could be a market ‘pullback’
How the $US200 billion intraday tumble in market value is met could prove key as to how fast a pullback in US equities is approaching.
Why this fund manager is buying up Chinese debt
Muzinich’s Mel Siew believes that Beijing’s stimulus measures will eventually work, so he’s piled into Chinese high-yield bonds that are exposed to the domestic economy.
Why chocolate is about to get a lot more expensive
A supply squeeze has sent cocoa prices to record levels just before Easter, and olive oil and coffee are at highs, creating another headache for central banks.
Opinion
Investors find a fresh reason for jubilation
Investors have abandoned hopes of a volley of rate cuts this year, but they remain hopeful that strong US economic activity will boost corporate profits.
Columnist
Politics, business must focus on aspiration, growth and security
There has been no major enduring, productivity-enhancing economic reform since the Howard-Costello GST package more than two decades ago.
Editorial
Labor is modernising the economy
The Albanese government will make our economy more productive by easing compliance costs on business where we can, we will abolish hundreds of nuisance tariffs.
Federal treasurer
Joe Biden must rally voters around a rebounding economy
The octogenarian US president went for full relaunch at the State of the Union address, but he has yet to make his strongest card work for him.
Editorial
Australia’s under-investment in ASEAN is about them, not us
South-East Asian nations need to become attractive to foreign investors through deregulation and establishing independent and incorruptible legal systems.
Columnist
The energy transition requires trusted financial markets
The lack of readily available hedging tools to manage the huge systemic changes involved makes progress towards net zero that much harder.
Contributor
Reports
Women to Watch 2024
This article is part of the Women to Watch special report on the next generation of leaders, published on 8 March 2024.
Politics
What voters really mean when they say the cost of living is hurting
Nearly three-quarters of voters say making their household budget stack up is the biggest issue occupying their mind.
Half of $195b toll hit on Sydney drivers will come from WestConnex
Excerpts of a review into NSW toll roads shows drivers will be slugged $195 billion by 2060, but major roads remain clogged at peak hour.
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
Board exodus: Vic government start-up fund spent $22m to invest $74m
Three directors of the state government-funded $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria venture fund are quitting amid calls for the fund to be wound up.
‘No immediate danger’: Festivals cancelled as south-eastern states swelter
Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and NSW are experiencing the worst forecast heatwave of the year, throwing festivals and major events into chaos.
Urgent fix needed to ward off foreign investment ‘drought’
Big business wants federal Labor to review settings for overseas capital, including in renewables projects, amid warnings of a foreign investment drought.
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World
US dispatches aid ship to Gaza after Biden vows to build pier
The logistics support vessel is “carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies”, the US Army said.
Sweden and Canada resume funding UN’s Palestine aid agency
The countries were among those that suspended payments to UNRWA after accusations by Israel that some of its employees had been involved in the October 7 attacks.
US passes long-delayed deal to fund crucial Pacific Island agreements
Although the three island nations involved are tiny, they span 4000 km across the Pacific, providing critical access for the US to operate in the Indo-Pacific region.
China’s indebted provinces meet state bankers to discuss debt relief
Many local governments are grappling with billions of dollars of off-balance sheet debt, stifling their ability to deploy new investments.
Biden: Netanyahu ‘hurting Israel’ by not preventing civilian deaths
Bowen pans opposition’s ‘nuclear fantasy’; No need for PM to ‘turn up’ in Israel: Farrell; More than 30 Houthi drones shot down by US, UK. Follow updates here.
Property
- Exclusive
- Industrial
Industrial property hits $300b and will surge ahead of offices
Once the ugly duckling of the commercial real estate, the value of prime industrial property is expected to surge above $400 billion over the next decade, leaving the office and retail sectors trailing in its wake.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Rich Lister to sell South Yarra penthouse
Former Sonic Healthcare chairman Michael Boyd is offloading his luxury Melbourne bolthole, while Rokt co-founder Ben Voltz is selling his Toorak home ahead of Sydney move.
Return-to-work policies are the latest culture war flashpoint
Remote work pits workers versus management, white versus blue collar, left versus right. The debate is turbocharged by social media and everyone has a hot take.
Berry estate may fetch $24m in second sale in 202 years
Historic Coolangatta Estate on the NSW South Coast includes a resort, award-winning vineyard and a popular wedding venue.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Inside the $80m trophy home set to test Melbourne’s record
The southern capital’s residential sales record could soon be topped, with the arrival of a contemporary Toorak trophy home that has a guide of $75 million to $82 million.
Wealth
It’s divorce season. This is what to do about money
The end of summer holidays and return to work is a peak period for couples to reassess their marriage. Here are 10 financial and tax issues to keep in mind.
- Opinion
- Ageing
Aged care providers publish what they spend on food, care and wages
The new tool is designed to hold aged care providers to account for how they manage their budgets. But it’s only as good as the data provided.
How do I protect my elderly mother from scammers?
The trick to discussing scams is to avoid pointing the finger or suggesting your mother is naive.
Technology
- Analysis
- Software
How Ian Narev copied CBA’s tech success at Seek
Seek’s recent tech upgrade is being talked about as an exemplar case study. Involving 1000 people including 350 engineers, the project came in on time and under budget.
- Analysis
- AI
AI is a threat to human dominance
For the first time, humans will have to deal with another highly intelligent species – and preserving our autonomy should be humanity’s chief objective.
- Analysis
- Competition
Google’s plan to dodge day in court over ‘killing’ Aussie start-up
It is six years since an arbitrary ruling by Google killed a $200m Melbourne start-up. Now, its founder’s costly crusade for justice hangs on a US judge’s ruling.
Work & Careers
Cranbrook in turmoil after headmaster resigns
Nicholas Sampson resigned as headmaster of the elite private school after its council became aware of allegations against a teacher of “extremely concerning past conduct”.
How the legal system went to war with itself
The chief prosecutors of NSW, Victoria and the ACT are all under fire over how they run cases.
Life & Luxury
- Driving With Tony Davis
- Motoring
Renault launches stylish new EV in Australia
The Renault Megane E-Tech is a handsome new addition to the growing list of pure battery vehicles on the market.
How Ryan McGinley shot Troye Sivan: star photographer in the spotlight
The New York-based artist has road-tripped with Brad Pitt, hung out with Kate Moss and got Troye Sivan to strip. Now he’s in Melbourne to explain what drives him.
- Analysis
- Film awards
And the Oscar goes to … a movie most people have seen
The clear best-picture favourite “Oppenheimer” is steam rolling toward the kind of big-movie dominance the Academy Awards hasn’t seen in two decades.
- Edition
- Style
AFR Magazine – March issue
How the $8.8b Chemist Warehouse deal was done | Crypto investor reveals his rare car collection | Why a Rolex is about to get easier to buy Includes the new
- Exclusive
- Tourism
Swift Lift: Domestic travellers splashed $170m during Taylor’s tour
The average interstate and regional concert-goer spent $500 including $37 on clothing and accessories and another $120 on attractions.
