The search is on for Australia’s fastest growing companies.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
This $3trn investor knows what to watch when it comes to Harris v Trump
It’s not long until early voting starts. This fortnight will be a big one for the presidential race, and the outcome will have a major impact on markets.
- Analysis
- US election
Kamala Harris’ big test this week: Policy or personality
All eyes will be on the vice president at the Democratic National Convention as she tries to keep momentum going in the race for the White House.
- Opinion
- US politics
Democrats now the American dreamers
Democrats have become the true believers in the American mission. Republicans will be more prudential in assessing foreign policy capacities, writes James Curran.
- Opinion
- Online gambling
Sponsorship money doesn’t grow on trees and less popular sports will lose out
As we saw when tobacco advertising was banned, elite sports had little difficulty is attracting new sponsors, but non-elite ones will struggle, writes Sinclair Davidson.
Deadly Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza, Lebanon despite truce talks
The new bloodshed came after the United States and its allies expressed optimism over ceasefire negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Ukraine blows up key Russian bridge in tactical push
The bridge’s destruction is a setback for Russian supply lines as Ukraine seeks to consolidate its territorial gains in the Kursk region of western Russia.
- Analysis
- Social media
Who’s afraid of Elon Musk?
Is the combative entrepreneur fanning the flames of far-right politics or is he just “an angry man screaming into a hurricane”?
Wealth Generation: News and views to help aspirational investors grow their wealth. In your inbox every Wednesday.
smart investor
Strategy that can boost retirees’ income by $308k gains traction
Actuaries modelled the effect of annuities on retirement income for couples with $2 million, $1 million and $500,000 in super.
- Exclusive
- Investing
What investors can learn from 30 years of markets data
Analysis by Vanguard Australia for AFR Weekend reveals how different asset classes have performed and a surprise top performer in the last financial year.
- Opinion
- Interest rates
Arrogant RBA boss should stop trying to muffle opponents
The haughty deputy governor of the Reserve Bank should focus on ensuring the central bank does not once again become a false prophet.
Couples go under the radar when it comes to gifting rules
It means they will not face age pension cuts when moving super between their accounts to maximise opportunities.
- Opinion
- Superannuation
Why superannuation is the ultimate antidote to market slumps
The tax benefits of superannuation are so great it’s difficult to lose money.
WEEKEND READS
China’s export-hungry car companies flocking to Australia
Australia could soon see 10 new car brands from the Asian giant, while an increasing number of familiar car companies are taking the made-in-China approach.
This school has joined the education revolution. What about your kids?
Australian schools are finally catching up with teaching that works after a multibillion-dollar boost to student funding failed to lift learning outcomes.
Rowland wins some, loses more in gambling advertising debate
Pointless non-disclosure agreements, an agitated backbench – miscalculations have marred long-overdue reform to wagering advertising rules.
Challenger disaster was the ultimate failure of corporate culture
An inside account of the doomed space shuttle shows why it remains relevant to understanding poor decision-making 40 years later.
This is how Trump can regain the lead
Seasoned political observers warn it’s too early to assume the Democrats will maintain the momentum gained since Kamala Harris became the presumed nominee.
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Companies
The beef baron, the waste magnate and the battle for Brisbane
A bustling weekend farmer’s market on the city’s fringes has emerged as a battleground in a stoush between two industry titans.
Strike at BHP-owned mine ends as workers win $48,000 bonus
BHP had previously offered a $US28,900 bonus per worker, compared with the union’s demand of 1 per cent of shareholder dividends from the mine.
AFR journalist wins Kennedy Award for second year running
The award for Outstanding Finance Reporting is the latest in a string of honours for the investigative journalist Neil Chenoweth.
In ‘diabolical trouble’ – How big wine brands fell out of favour
Wolf Blass, who set up his eponymous wine brand almost 60 years ago, says the cheaper end of the wine sector is in ‘diabolical trouble’ but the cycle will turn positive again.
ASX profits drift as regulatory expenses bite
The market operator’s CEO, Helen Lofthouse, accepted the “serious” nature of ASIC’s case but said the exchange was trying to look forward.
Telstra boss Vicki Brady retreats from the ‘telco for everything’
The era of hotchpotch acquisitions and experimenting with non-telco services such as selling energy plans is over.
A2 Milk strikes peace deal with Synlait, sending shares sharply higher
The agreement will allow the company to manufacture its infant formula for the first time, with investors hoping for wider margins and better returns.
Companies in the News
Search companies
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Markets
Wall Street smashes records to post best week this year
Equities extended their advance into a seventh straight session, with the S&P 500 seeing its best performance in such a span since October 2022.
- Opinion
- Federal Reserve
Five big questions for the Fed at Jackson Hole
The annual economics conference is a chance for Jerome Powell to reveal how he might change the way the Fed conducts monetary policy.
Consumer resilience surprises market as retailers thump profit season
The majority of stocks upgrading fiscal 2025 guidance so far are retailers, as investors turn more positive on the market’s most problematic sector.
GQG’s pivot away from tech stocks pays dividends
The firm attracted $16.8 billion of inflows in the first half, lifting funds under management to record levels as its funds extended their outperformance.
Miners boost shares; NAB gains, ASX Ltd falls on profit report
Shares add 1.3pc head for six straight sessions of gains. RBA hoses down rate cut hopes. NAB posts flat profit, warns on bad debts. ASX flags record revenue. Follow here.
Opinion
PM’s Gaza refugees become Dutton’s Hamas terrorists
The opposition leader would be within his rights to ask for greater screening of refugees from a war zone. But that’s not what he is really saying.
Columnist
Labor can’t hide gambling mess behind media
The government has used newfound concern with media company health as cover for fudged gambling policy.
Editorial
Whatever happens next, Iran is in poor shape to fight anyone
Iran is under acute social, political and economic stress. Its rulers will be under pressure if they retaliate against Israel, or if they don’t.
Corporate advisor
Arrogant RBA boss should stop trying to muffle opponents
The haughty deputy governor of the Reserve Bank should focus on ensuring the central bank does not once again become a false prophet, writes Christopher Joye.
Columnist
Professors and populists all get inflation wrong
Despite what a Nobel prizewinner and Jacqui Lambie might think, growth is the only serious answer to inflation.
Editor-at-large
Why Telstra’s latest strategy shift might pay off
Why Vicki Brady wants to keep Telstra’s infrastructure assets close and growing even if mobiles remain today’s success story.
Columnist
Reports
Wealth - Sustainable investing
This special report looks at the growing movement to support natural capital and options for investors to balance returns with greening their portfolios.
Politics
NDIS comes in $600m below budget as reforms bite
Budget measures to cap growth in the National Disability Insurance Scheme are beginning to bring the cost of the scheme under control.
Call for medical supply overhaul after IV fluid shortage shock
Health ministers met on Friday to discuss a critical shortage of IV fluid bags which is raising questions about Australia’s ability to source medical supplies.
Clean and green but are the new climate tsars conflict free?
Matt Kean’s dual gigs show how limited expertise has brought investors and policymakers uncomfortably close.
Bullock says inflation is not Chalmers’ fault. Voters disagree
Reserve Bank boss Michele Bullock has softened the bank’s previous warning that government spending is contributing to inflation, in a shift that will help shore up relations with treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Foreign student cuts risk recession, business and tourism warn
They say that by slashing international student numbers the federal government is risking an industry that contributes $48 billion to Australia’s GDP.
SPONSORED
World
Hurricane-hit US home building slides for a fifth month
Aside from the weather, the housing market remains constrained by higher mortgage rates and house prices.
Trump refuses to tone down personal attacks on Harris
The former US president said he is “entitled” to assail his Democratic rival despite Republican and donor advice that he stick to economic messages.
Bibles, crypto, clubs: Trump’s new revenue streams
Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosure lists more than $1.5 million in crypto holdings as he courts the industry.
Young, Instagram-friendly heir becomes Thailand’s new PM
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old daughter of the political power broker Thaksin Shinawatra, is becoming prime minister at a chaotic time.
China squeezes Western militaries with export ban on weapons metal
The Commerce Ministry announced it will restrict exports of a mineral used in a wide range of products from batteries to weapons in the latest trade war salvo.
Property
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Adam Blumenthal knocks down price to sell Rose Bay penthouse
Founder of EverBlu Capital Adam Blumenthal and wife Annabelle Shamir have sold their Rose Bay penthouse after almost a year on the market.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Coal king takes Qld property spend to new heights
There’s been movement at the top end of Brisbane’s apartment market as M Resources’ Matt Latimore and deal maker Tony Quinn buy up penthouses.
Flat convenience spend, rising costs hit Charter Hall retail REIT
Charter Hall Retail REIT starts 2024-25 on a downbeat note after issuing soft earnings guidance, but its distribution will stay intact.
- Updated
- Earnings season
Goodman sets out its transformation from warehouses to data centres
Chief executive Greg Goodman says demand for data processing and storage is “next level” as he maps out the next five years for the landlord.
This property trust just wiped 8pc off its office tower values
The office manager still maintained an upbeat outlook, pointing to the NSW government and more corporates enforcing return-to-office requirements.
Wealth
- Exclusive
- Investing
What investors can learn from 30 years of markets data
Analysis by Vanguard Australia for AFR Weekend reveals how different asset classes have performed and a surprise top performer in the last financial year.
The ATO has this overlooked property tax in its crosshairs
Small-scale property developers need to be aware that GST is applicable in certain circumstances. Read the 10 tips for mum and dad developers.
Should I pay my children to stay off social media?
The right age for children to start using social media is a topic of hot debate.
Technology
We can’t control deepfakes, tech giants say
Fake AI images and videos flooding social media thanks to Elon Musk’s xAI firm. Microsoft and Amazon say we may need new laws to stamp out the worst ones.
Apple finally opens up tap-and-go, but banks remain very wary
In a decision seemingly forced by a European antitrust deal, the US tech giant said access to the payment functionality would be granted to outside developers.
Cisco slashes jobs, looks towards AI and cybersecurity
Cisco, the biggest maker of computer networking equipment, gave a bullish revenue forecast, but also announced plans to slash jobs as part of a strategy shift.
Work & Careers
- Exclusive
- Industrial relations
Sparkies’ industrial action delays $23b in hospital, homes, roads
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital redevelopment is the latest project, along with thousands of homes, to be delayed by the Electrical Trades Union pay dispute.
Small business owner fears for future as sparkie bans hit rural NSW
The Bermagui resident was due to open her wedding and events business in weeks. But industrial action by power workers, spreading across NSW, has thrown everything up in the air.
Life & Luxury
The comic cynicism of the celebrity academic
A new, celebrated novel makes fun of academic fame, university politics and self-entitled students.
Everyone is angry at Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, even its musicians
The MSO’s decision to cancel a guest pianist for his Gaza war commentary, then backtrack, has united pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activists in disdain.
Caviar in business class? Why bother with first
The luxury is typically only afforded to first class travellers, but Qatar Airways says it will offer it to customers on the 14-hour flight to and from Doha.
For $5600, you’d want to keep the bottle this rare cognac comes in
Beyond French liqueur, this week we’ve sourced seductive fashion, chic homewares and smoky scents.
This Aussie quit his career to open a luxury resort in Greece
It’s no coincidence that it took Australians to tackle the challenge of opening Gundari in such a secluded island location.
