The search is on for the 2025 Best Places to Work.
Inflation to hit three-year low, but don’t expect a rate cut: Bullock
Michele Bullock says she will ignore data tomorrow that is likely to show inflation back in target band, warning government energy rebates will not bring forward a rate cut.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Hard for RBA to cut rates without a breaking point
It’s nearly four years since we last had a rate cut. We could be waiting a while longer.
- Exclusive
- Executive shake-up
Macquarie’s Bingo secures $100m lifeline but loses CEO and CFO
The waste management group has been struggling under a heavy debt burden after being downgraded by S&P Global this year. In all, three executives will leave.
Markets cheer China stimulus, but pundits warn it’s no ‘bazooka’
Iron ore futures surged 6 per cent, triggering a rally in ASX mining stocks, but China’s latest support package may not have a lasting impact on commodity prices.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Did China fire the bazooka to stop the big bank run?
If it takes a bazooka to stimulate the Chinese economy, it will also take a bazooka to end the banks’ run.
- Exclusive
- Construction
Retail legend invests $100m in Ray White private credit push
Former Sanity Entertainment owner Ray Itaoui has joined the push by high-net-worth investors, family offices and institutions into private real estate credit.
What to know about Hezbollah (it’s more than just a militant group)
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is one of the most powerful militant groups in the Middle East and its initial manifesto listed the destruction of Israel as a key goal.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
POWER LIST
Australia’s most powerful people in property for 2024
Interest rates and construction costs are wreaking havoc and creating new winners and losers. Perhaps the biggest power shift is the fading influence of the CFMEU.
The 10 most culturally powerful people in Australia
What does it mean to be Australian right now? These 10 people made the biggest mark on our national culture this year.
The Gaza conflict ripped through the arts and ripped it apart
The conflict in Gaza hangs heavily over theatres and galleries, as animosities lead to a wave of resignations, donor withdrawals and boycotts.
The most powerful people in the consulting sector in 2024
As the fallout from the PwC scandal still looms large, smaller operations are moving in on the big four’s turf.
Trying to make sense of the US election? Spare a thought for our diplomats
Australian policymakers have an apprehensive wait to see whether they will be dealing with a Trump or Harris administration.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
Companies
Investors quit Woodside as shares languish
Dissatisfied investors say a share buyback would have been a better use of its capital than two US acquisitions.
PwC revenue slumps $820m after tax leaks scandal
Takings fell by more than a quarter to $2.35 billion in 2023-24, making it PwC Australia’s worst decrease ever, as the fallout from the crisis continues.
Cettire gets auditor’s tick of approval, adding $247m to valuation
A month after the online luxury retailer delivered unaudited accounts, worrying investors, Grant Thornton have signed off, sending the share price surging.
Aristocrat wins dragon game injunction against Caledonia-backed rival
The ruling prevents Light & Wonder from selling, leasing, or making money from its game Dragon Train in the US.
- Exclusive
- Rich List
Rich Lister’s Mexican chain locks in 400th location
Sam Prince’s will open Zambrero’s 300th store on Wednesday. Its next 100 locations are locked in.
- Updated
- Supermarkets
Woolworths, Coles faked discounts on hundreds of products, says ACCC
The regulator is suing the country’s two biggest supermarkets, claiming they told customers prices were falling when they were actually higher than before.
CBA crypto experiments held up in regulatory bottlenecks
Unanswered questions from a myriad of regulators are stifling Australia’s largest bank from advancing cryptocurrency and digital asset projects.
Companies in the News
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Markets
Traders up bets on RBA December rate cut, ignoring Bullock
The bond market is sticking with its prediction of some rate relief by Christmas, despite governor Michele Bullock saying that inflation remains “too high”.
Go long and let others take the risk: crypto fundies’ top strategies
Some of Australia’s best performing digital asset managers have told investors to ignore the noise when mulling a bet on cryptocurrencies.
Aldi the big winner from price gouging backlash
Investment banks warn of huge penalties and reputational damage after the ACCC alleged the supermarkets advertised specials that were cheaper weeks earlier.
ASX dips as banks and supermarkets sink; BHP rallies
Shares fall; Iron ore spikes on China rate cut; Light & Wonder dives after losing in Nevada; Cettire releases audited results. Follow updates here.
ASX in the ‘dividend doldrums’ as boards hoard cash
The Australian sharemarket had one of the sharpest declines in payouts in the world in the second quarter and the outlook is not much better, investors warn.
Opinion
ASIC sets off the crypto fire alarm, Canberra will have to respond
Delegates to this week’s Summit pleaded for clarity about how digital assets are defined under corporate laws.
Senior Reporter
Childcare must be made universal
The Productivity Commission’s review of early childcare and education is welcome. Australia needs to follow others and make childcare for all.
The National Party must help to fix up the farm that is Australia
Labor is only adding to sense of regression and decline in Australia. The Nationals can’t restore the country if they succumb to populism themselves.
Contributor
Coles and Woolworths score own goal on dodgy discounts
The big supermarket chains have already lost the public relations war over the ACCC’s allegations of fake discounts. What’s the next move?
Columnist
Dutton nuclear policy sell fails to add up the cost
The energy future of Australia requires details – and lots of them – so that voters can make an informed choice.
Editorial
Dutton’s nuclear folly is an economy wrecker
Under the Coalition, Australian manufacturing would face a decade of uncertainty and taxpayers would finance the renationalisation of electricity generation.
Former Labor minister and economist
Reports
Executive Education - lifelong learning
This special report looks at lifelong learning, focusing on the impact and efficacy of leadership courses designed for top-tier managers and business leaders.
Politics
‘Beyond our capacity’: Wong warns Australians in Lebanon
Beirut’s airport is on Israel’s target list but would only be hit if Hezbollah keeps attacking Israel, an IDF expert has warned.
Coalition nuclear policy relies on coal for longer than experts expect
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has conceded that the Coalition’s nuclear policy relies on an extended use of coal power and a sharply increased role for gas power.
Why do I have to pay more for others’ free childcare?
Readers’ letters on who bears the cost of childcare subsidies; bitcoin going mainstream; the BCA and populism; the cost of nuclear energy; CFMEU members’ fears; and the benefits of hip replacement.
ASIC wants crypto start-ups to hold financial services licences
The corporate regulator will appear at the AFR Crypto and Digital Assets Summit on Monday with a warning to developers in the polarising sector.
Only Labor can form majority government: Albanese
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stepped up his stability pitch to voters by disparaging the Greens as a party of extremists
SPONSORED
World
Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire after Lebanon suffers 500 killed
As thousands of people fled southern Lebanon, Israel’s military says it would do “whatever is necessary” to push Hezbollah away from Lebanon’s border with Israel.
- Analysis
- Israeli-Palestinian conflict
As fight with Hezbollah heats up, people of Gaza fear being forgotten
Palestinians fear miserable conditions in Gaza will become permanent. Most of the population is homeless, with hundreds of thousands in unsanitary tent camps.
Netanyahu’s polls rebound after aggressive Israeli operations
The recovery in his party’s fortunes has become more pronounced since the end of July, when Israel assassinated senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in Beirut and Tehran.
China unleashes stimulus blitz to hit annual growth goal
The central bank announced a cut to the amount of money banks must hold in reserve, taking it to the lowest level since at least 2020. It also cut a key policy rate.
- Updated
- Middle East tensions
Thousands flee in Lebanon as Israeli strikes kill 500
Benjamin Netanyahu warned civilians to “get out of harm’s way” as the attacks caused the largest one-day death toll for decades.
Property
Ex-Brookfield CFO seeks $50m for equity push into housing projects
Andrew McVeigh says he has investors lining up to commit to a new equity fund that will invest a portfolio of development projects.
RBA decision to hold on rates won’t help home buyers: experts
The housing market won’t get much of a boost from the RBA’s decision to keep rates steady, although some investors may be willing to jump in early.
- Exclusive
- Hotels
Hospitality empire on brink as Adelphi Hotel put in administration
Virtical group, which exploded on to the Sydney and Melbourne pub scene last year, has lost control of its two biggest assets.
Sell in the first two weeks, or wait? They sold, for $2.35m
There were many people looking, but few buying. When the vendor of this Sydney home secured two potential buyers, they acted. Quickly.
‘Pay to stay’: Average Sydney hotel room rate to hit $426 by 2033
Sydney will be the standout hotel market over the next decade as occupancy rises to 86pc and few new hotels are completed to keep up with demand.
Wealth
Perks, points and fees: How to choose the right credit card
Understanding the four credit card types will help you make smart choices.
Let others take the risk: crypto fundies’ top strategies
Some of Australia’s best performing digital asset managers have told investors to ignore the noise when mulling a bet on cryptocurrencies.
The $1 rule, and 43 other easy ways to be better with money
Not everything about money has to be hard. We asked experts for their top tips on how to be better at saving, budgeting and investing.
Technology
Inside Elon Musk’s mushrooming security apparatus
The world’s richest man has long cultivated a devil-may-care persona. But in private, he has increasingly barricaded himself behind a growing phalanx of armed bodyguards.
ASX hopeful Evolt 360 reveals plans to cash in on Ozempic boom
The founders of body scanning company are hoping to list on the stock market before Christmas, backed by investors including Regal, Soul Patts and Perennial.
Digital debt collector worth $350m after big money raise
Business booms for InDebted when cost-of-living hits consumers. It has attracted new investors, including a super fund to back a rare valuation increase.
Work & Careers
- Opinion
- Gender equality
Young women are leaving men behind (and not only at uni)
Females are now not only more likely than males to be caring for family members, but also to be in work or full-time education.
Australia’s most powerful deal makers in 2024
If investors step up and hit the bid on those valuations, the market will see real momentum. If not, it will be the same painful conversation about dry powder next year.
Life & Luxury
The reason Gen Z is so obsessed with ageing
TikTok is driving anxiety among younger generations, but are there healthier ways to prevent looking old before your time?
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Wine & spirits
If you don’t know about fiano yet, it won’t be long
From growers to drinkers – this resilient and versatile grape variety is so popular that it’s on track to overtake pinot gris.
Our fashion editor’s guide to shopping in New York City
Personally researched and painstakingly compiled, it will save you time and possibly even money. Your retail therapy journey starts here.
Cripps, again. But Brownlow standouts may not be who you think
Carlton’s Patrick Cripps blew the competition out of the water at AFL’s highest individual accolade. Here’s a closer look at the history of Australian rules’ highest honour reveals a startling fact about this year’s finalists.
- Gadgets With John Davidson
- Digital Life
Can a robot be too human? This one can
Ecovacs’ latest robovac cleans more like a human does than anything we’ve ever seen. But that’s not always a good thing.