Skip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footerHelp using this website - Accessibility statement
  • Advertisement
    AUDUSD0.6746
    0.0012 (0.18%)0.18%
    SPI 2007,897.00
    -44.00 (-0.55%)-0.55%
    S&P/ASX 2007,997.70
    17.30 (0.22%)0.22%
    All Ords8,207.60
    12.80 (0.16%)0.16%
    NZX 504,740.05
    -16.59 (-0.35%)-0.35%
    Hang Seng17,511.08
    -58.49 (-0.33%)-0.33%
    Nikkei38,062.92
    674.30 (1.80%)1.80%
    View all

    The search is on for Australia’s fastest growing companies.

    Enter now.

    ASX to slip, Perpetual names new CEO, Charter Hall eyes dividend lift

    Shares to fall; Lower LNG prices hit Santos; new chiefs at Perpetual & Atlas; Data#3 profit soars; Superloop & PEXA narrow losses; Healius deeper in red. Follow updates here.

    Latest Posts

    Last updated 7 mins ago

    Anthony Scaramucci’s time in the White House was brief but very memorable.

    Scaramucci warns Trump must be ‘torn into pieces’ to end MAGA-mania

    Donald Trump’s one-time chief spinner believes Kamala Harris will win the election, but the former president could run again in 2028.

    Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda are among the missing.

    Prominent lawyer’s haunting post before superyacht tragedy

    The Clifford Chance legal partner was aboard tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s boat to celebrate their marathon courtroom victory when it sank off the coast of Sicily.

    Cannon-Brookes’ Sun Cable given go-ahead

    Government approves world’s biggest solar project; Jetstar faces legal action for COVID-19 refund failures; Liberals call for Cbus ban from HAFF; Watch Democratic National Conference day two. Follow live updates.

    Term deposit rate cuts may fund the next ‘mortgage war’

    The nation’s largest banks are beginning to ratchet up loan discounting once again, driving them to punish savers to protect margins.

    The office property saga isn’t over. Here are the next five twists

    Dexus chief executive Ross Du Vernet sees signs of a bottom forming in the workspace market. But there’s a hell of a lot still to play out.

    Video of Foxtel boss Patrick Delany’s Nazi salute emerges

    The footage shows the chief executive imitating a pose infamously struck by former soccer goalkeeper Mark Bosnich in 1996.

    Advertisement

    EARNINGS SEASON

    Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher at this year’s annual general meeting in April.

    Santos’ profit slides as LNG prices soften

    Core net profit slid 18 per cent, but the energy giant declared a record interim dividend of US13¢ a share, which is up 49 per cent.

    Property giant Dexus has tweaked its dividend ratio so it has more capital available to move quickly if an opportunity presents itself.

    Dexus’ big move and the other result that caught our eye

    The property giant gives itself more wriggle room, Reliance Worldwide gets investor hearts racing, and Vicinity Centres goes further upmarket.

    Yancoal’s 20pc crash is about more than a missing dividend

    Queensland and NSW’s big coal miners have their eyes up, knowing consolidation makes sense and could create value for investors.

    Yancoal withholds dividends to hoard cash for M&A spree

    The cashed-up miner has declined to pay dividends ahead of “potential corporate initiatives”, triggering a massive slump in its share price.

    Ansell declares PPE glut over, sheds almost 10pc of its staff

    Shares in the medical gloves group jumped as the chief executive confirmed 1330 jobs had been cut as it ramps up automation.

    HIGHER EDUCATION AWARDS

    Higher Education Award winners RMIT’s Professor Tianyi Ma,  former vice chancellor of Monash University and RMIT Margaret Gardner, and Newcastle University’s vice chancellor Alex Zelinsky.

    In face of disruption, unis offer scalable, powerful solutions

    Universities are being disrupted, but their contribution to society is profound, as the winners of the Higher Education Awards show.

    Professor Margaret Gardner has been awarded the 2024 AFR Lifetime Achievement Award.

    Just like our athletes, Australia’s unis overachieve

    Professor Margaret Gardner, the only vice chancellor to become a state governor, has been awarded this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

    La Trobe’s pioneering model to transform healthcare

    The winner of the industry engagement award used COVID and a pinch of serendipity to create a world-leading virtual medical emergency model in Melbourne.

    A 50pc improvement: Unis turn the tide on disadvantage

    The winner of the community engagement category is reversing the fortunes of disadvantaged children in a partnership that has lifted HSC results.

    This special paint could save lives from bushfires

    New paint technology developed at UNSW to help fire-proof homes is a joint winner in the Higher Education Awards research commercialisation category.

    The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.

    Sign up for the free Life & Leisure newsletter

    Companies

    McConnell Dowell is behind the Bridgewater Bridge construction in Tasmania due in 2025 – and is looking to list on the ASX.

    The ASX’s next big float is a South African construction giant

    Aveng will spin out its Australia and New Zealand business McConnell Dowell and examine listing on the ASX next year.

    Evie Networks’ EV charging station at Seven Hills, Sydney.

    Evie Networks puts foot down on EV chargers

    The company isn’t letting concerns about grid capacity constraints or a slowdown in EV sales derail plans to have almost 1100 chargers at 372 sites next year.

    APA is studying pipelines that would transport gas from exploration ventures in the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory.

    APA Group faces activist action over Beetaloo pipeline

    A shareholder resolution lodged by Market Forces driven by climate concerns comes as APA’s board is facing the risk of a “second strike” at its October AGM.

    Christian Stracke, president and global head of credit research at Pimco, says investors are moving into more asset-based financings.

    Billions in private capital increasingly exposed to soured loans: Pimco guru

    Christian Stracke, the firm’s global head of credit research, said investors are leaning towards new forms of private capital, particularly asset-backed deals.

    Global Lithium fights shareholder move to axe directors

    Global Lithium is resisting a push led by businessman Liaoliang Zhu to remove two board members, including former Rio and Fortescue executive Greg Lilleyman.

    Fortescue counsel backs 22-day spying mission on Element Zero

    Private investigator reports were detailed but justified in seeking search and seizure orders, said Fortescue’s lawyer.

    New Zealand regulator lambasts banks for ‘sporadic’ competition

    The NZ Commerce Commission called for open banking to be “fully operational” within two years and for the government to invest more capital into its Kiwibank.

    Companies in the News

    Search companies

    View stories and data from an ASX listed company

    Markets

    Economists expect the Australian dollar to climb throughout the year.

    Aussie dollar’s rebound brushes off China woes

    The $A has staged a powerful recovery from the market rout to climb above US67¢ despite the collapse in iron ore prices. Strategists expect the rally to keep going.

    Brokers are turning bullish on Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue.

    Why Chris Kourtis just sold BHP and bought Fortescue

    Investors and analysts are starting to warm to the longtime ASX pariah, despite the slumping iron ore price.

    What happened overnight? Wall Street’s rally ran out of steam

    Australian shares were set to open down. The S&P 500 was modestly lower after an eight-day advance. Gold set a record. Copper steadied.

    Markets should be afraid of whoever wins the US election

    Donald Trump wants a say in monetary policy, and Kamala Harris is flirting with economic populism. Markets are right to be jumpy ahead of November’s election.

    Investors are buying up gold stocks before the first US rate cut

    The precious metal is the standout commodity this year, jumping 21 per cent to fresh records on expectations that the US dollar will weaken. It has also lit a fire under ASX-listed producers.

    Opinion

    Vice chancellors feel the political heat

    Universities say they are in crisis after Labor’s cap on overseas students, but the education minister says his priority is getting more equity students into the system.

    University scapegoats still need to get houses in order

    The Higher Education Summit heard a system based on decades of massive expansion, loan-funded students and big injections of foreign students is at a watershed.

    The AFR View

    Editorial

    The AFR View

    For inflation to fall fast, Labor must boost productivity, not hobble it

    The Albanese government may not have caused the problem, but its policies help determine why the interest rate pain will last longer here.

    Ed Shann

    Economist

    Ed Shann

    Tax agent code shouldn’t invade right to mental health privacy

    These new obligations will disincentivise seeking mental health treatment and cause fear that a diagnosis could trigger disclosure rules and hurt business.

    Ainslie van Onselen

    CEO, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

    Ainslie van Onselen

    The campaign controlling the memes shapes the reality of the election

    While Donald Trump remains the king of mass media co-option, Kamala Harris is fast mastering memetic warfare, writes Whitney Meldrum-Hanna.

    Whitney Meldrum-Hanna

    Strategic advisor

    Whitney Meldrum-Hanna

    Markets should be afraid of whoever wins the US election

    Donald Trump wants a say in monetary policy, and Kamala Harris is flirting with economic populism. Markets are right to be jumpy ahead of November’s election, writes Chris Giles.

    Chris Giles

    Contributor

    Reports

    Higher Education Awards

    The Higher Education Awards highlight the tremendous contribution that the Higher Education sector makes to Australian capability, prosperity and society.

    Advertisement

    Politics

    CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith: “We take the allegations seriously, but we don’t succumb to trial by media.”

    CFMEU mulls High Court challenge, employers also face scrutiny

    CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith is not ruling out a High Court challenge to legislation forcing the union’s construction divisions into administration.

    Shelley Faubel and Greg Bisinella say East Melbourne has been inundated with aircraft noise. They want a third runway decision so flight paths can be redesigned.

    Why Melbourne’s third runway is now Labor’s time bomb

    The airport CEO warns inaction will hurt consumers, as the political weaponisation of aircraft noise threatens to once again become an election theme.

    The RBA said it considered lifting the cash rate to 4.6 per cent this month amid concerns over a forecast lift in economic growth and persistently high inflation.

    Growth resurgence to keep interest rates higher for longer: RBA

    The RBA said it considered lifting the cash rate to 4.6 per cent this month amid concerns of a forecast lift in economic growth and persistently high inflation.

    Albanese seals new defence pact with Indonesia’s Prabowo

    Australia will lock in deeper military ties with Indonesia amid rising regional tensions with China.

    Industrial laws stifle private sector collaboration

    Industrial relations laws are stopping universities better collaborating with private experts, says Macquarie Uni’s vice chancellor.

    SPONSORED

    World

    Antony Blinken leaves for Egypt after talks with Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Blinken warns time running out as bodies of six hostages recovered

    The US Secretary of State left the Middle East without a ceasefire deal, as Israeli authorities discovered the bodies in an overnight operation.

    Rescue teams and divers returned to the site of the storm-sunken superyacht.

    Search resumes for UK tech mogul missing in yacht sinking

    Deep-sea divers with Italy’s firefighter corps resumed their search for six passengers including Mike Lynch, missing after a superyacht sank off Sicily’s coast.

    President Joe Biden waves after delivering the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.

    ‘I gave my best’: Biden defends legacy as he passes torch to Harris

    One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed to give a graceful exit to the US president.

    Onus on Hamas as Israel backs plan to break ceasefire impasse

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the proposed accord “a bridging agreement” and acknowledged that not everything was spelt out in detail.

    Did Bayesian’s 72m mast cause it to sink?

    The superyacht was one of the 50 largest sailing yachts in the world, and her mammoth mast supported a total sail area of almost 3000 square metres.

    Property

    David Jones and Coles are the key tenants at Claremont Quarter in Perth’s western suburbs.

    The two Perth mall deals that have revived the retail market

    The Claremont Quarter sale brings the dollar amount of Perth malls transacted this week to $627 million.

    Dexus posts $1.5b loss as office values tumble

    The fund manager and investor expects a drop in earnings in the 2025 financial year amid a challenging commercial property sector.

    Peter Huddle in Vicinity’s flagship Melbourne mall, Chadstone.

    Chadstone owner Vicinity beats guidance as occupancy rates rise

    The mall landlord reported operating earnings of 14.6¢ per security after saying in February that it would hit the top end of its guidance of 14.5¢.

    Ingenia reveals five-year plan for settlements growth

    The developer of affordable accommodation for downsizing Baby Boomers wants to focus its own capital on the core land lease business.

    Signature scents and saltwater spas: The ‘hotelification’ of offices

    Business districts in the US are doing whatever they can to get workers back – including resort-like office spaces that beat the comfort of their homes.

    Advertisement

    Wealth

    The absence of a credit score is not an automatic dealbreaker.

    Can I get a mortgage without a credit score?

    Credit scores are a shortcut used by credit providers to assess your history in repaying debt. But what happens if you don’t have one?

    What property investors need to know about the mean, median and mode

    Property investors need to know the three main statistical metrics and how they each offer a unique perspective on market values.

    Stability is great for portfolios – if you know where to look

    Poll outcomes across the developing world appear to support growth as the US election looms.

    Technology

    ANU vice chancellor Genevieve Bell at the AFR Higher Education Summit on Tuesday.

    How to use AI in unis – and spot ‘very bland’ cheats

    Banning AI was an understandable knee-jerk response, says ANU vice chancellor and tech expert Genevieve Bell. But it won’t work.

    Why an Aussie firm spent $1.5m on a ‘Drive to Survive’-like rally doco

    In a branding strategy inspired by the success of influencers such as MrBeast, SafetyCulture founder Luke Anear is using YouTube to increase audience reach.

    Go1 co-founders Chris Eigeland and Andrew Barnes 

    Investors back ‘unicorn’ Go1 CEO swap, as IPO plans emerge

    The founding CEO of $3b Queensland tech firm Go1 will step down in a move backed by its early investors, with his co-founder taking sole charge of the run to an IPO.

    Work & Careers

    ‘Crazy’: doubling uni graduate rates in current economy a big ask

    Labor’s plan to dramatically raise the number of Australians with tertiary qualifications is “exceedingly ambitious”, says one of the UK’s leading educators.

    Strategy firm wins work by focusing on traditional advice

    Kearney says it has found its “sweep spot” by assessing the “essential rightness” of prospective projects and clients.

    Advertisement

    Life & Luxury

    Ben Adler from Jewish band Chutney.

    Melbourne Symphony crisis deepens

    The MSO is scrambling to review itself after its musicians called for the sacking of the managing director and chief operating officer following a guest pianist’s cancellation for onstage Gaza comments.

    Richie Allanson and Iain Murray with their 100 percent carbon fibre 9AM, showing the radical new keel.

    ‘In a class of its own’: a radical new racing yacht sets sail

    Two driving forces of Australian sailing have come up with an ingenious new type of craft, with a specially designed keel.

    The hunt is over. Our Father’s Day gift guide is here

    We’ve got special scents and secret sauces, plus smokin’ barbecues and surfer rugs. Look no further for inspiration.

    Jean Paul Gaultier at his Cyber show in 1995.

    No press, please: Why some big names in fashion don’t talk

    When you buy high fashion, you’re buying into the designer behind it. So how come some say so little?

    This off-grid Himalayan walk will re-boot you from $1225 a day

    Crawling not running towards the end of the year? Book this 6-day trek in remote northeastern India for a reality check, and a nature-fuelled recharge.

    From the gallery