Growth slump could fuel inflation and spending blowout: central banks
Low productivity growth could prolong inflation and lead to an economic slowdown, generating social unrest and causing a blowout in government spending, the Bank for International Settlements says.
- Analysis
- Residential property
Three reasons the housing supercycle is just getting going
Residential property seems to have a remarkable ability to keep appreciating, whatever the weather. It will probably defy gravity even more insolently in the coming years.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
The death of IPOs is just the start. The whole world’s going private
A world where ordinary investors hold private equity alongside their share portfolio? Wall Street giant Marc Rowan thinks it’s coming as the world goes private.
The Middle East is fraying Australian business and political ties
Muslims, Christians and Jews in Australia have long been linked across business, politics, sports, arts and charity but this weekend’s protests are pushing relationships to the limit.
The housing policy choices facing voters
What are the choices facing voters in 2025 and which policies will actually help address the shortages of supply in Australia’s hectic property market?
Is there any rhyme or reason to credit card surcharges?
From absolutely no fee to more than four per cent, paying for a coffee can suddenly become very costly. These cafés explain why they charge what they do.
‘We’re coming to get you’: How my family survived the Hamas massacre
The gripping, true story of how Israeli journalist Amir Tibon and his family were rescued on October 7 by his father, a retired general.
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Smart investor
Would your family trust survive a black sheep attack?
Trusts are the go-to structure for asset protection and inheritance planning but as more wealthy families are discovering, they’re not bulletproof. Experts weigh in on how to prevent costly showdowns.
- Opinion
- Property downsizing
Four tips for upsizing super with downsizer contributions
If you’re 55 or over, you may be able to make a downsizer superannuation contribution to boost your retirement savings by up to $300,000.
Tweaking the 3pc buffer rule misses the real problem with housing
Reducing the mortgage serviceability test would allow more borrowers into the market. But the test is only one part of a much gnarlier problem.
- Opinion
- Super Q&A
At last, Labor has a plan for legacy pension exits
After years of delay, the federal government has produced regulations that will release retirees from restrictive legacy pensions.
My son is off to uni. Should I give him a credit card for emergencies?
Set clear guidelines around what constitutes an emergency. Does a late-night taxi ride home from the pub qualify?
weekend reads
On the brink: Israel, Iran and the rising threat of regional conflict
Although there have been skirmishes this week, the Middle East’s two biggest antagonists remain keen to avoid a hot war. That might not be possible.
The plan to save Australian lives with nationwide DNA screening
An ambitious vision to introduce mass genetic testing to the entire Australian adult population is being hailed as a solution to the country’s healthcare crisis. But can the health system cope?
Saving Amy: how a DNA test identified cancer risk
Like other women in her family, Amy Soulsby was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Her only regret is that she didn’t do the genome test earlier.
- Analysis
- US election
‘No one is in charge’: Why the Middle East is heating up US election
Presidential nominee Donald Trump is jumping on foreign policy to attack rival Kamala Harris with voters to head to the polls in weeks.
Iran is losing. That may matter more than Israel’s mistakes
During my deployment in Iraq, I learnt an important lesson about the West’s jihadi enemies: Defeat demoralises them.
The hotly anticipated lists of who wields the most overt, covert and cultural clout in Australia.
Companies
Platinum lets in Phil King’s Regal in anticipation of higher bid
The three-decade old global equities firm founded by veteran stock picker Kerr Neilson has agreed to give its would-be suitor access to non-public information.
Why just three teams keep winning the NRL title
Just three teams have won the NRL since 2018, but the AFL premiership has been shared between six clubs in that time. Here’s why.
Fortescue in court win over Element Zero
The Federal Court refused a request by former Fortescue executives to invalidate a search-and-seizure mission against them.
Hancock scion looks to Arctic Circle for next big copper discovery
A company backed by John Hancock, grandson of Lang, has found copper grades of up to 64 per cent in far northern Canada.
AustralianSuper goes big in New York searching for prime investments
The country’s largest industry superannuation fund has moved two executives to the United States and made a string of high-level appointments.
Qatar rebalances the scales in a long game of revenge against Qantas
A decade long drama between the Gulf carrier and the national carrier ultimately led to the blockbuster Virgin Australia deal, shaking up the aviation sector.
- Exclusive
- Agriculture
Ed Peter’s Duxton stops investors withdrawing from flagship farm fund
The asset management house founded by the prominent South Australian businessman is already selling several of its assets out of its other portfolio companies.
Companies in the News
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Markets
S&P 500 rallies on extended ‘US economic exceptionalism’
All three major US benchmarks were higher as September’s jobs report far exceeded expectations. US 10-year yield spikes towards 4pc as rate cut bets reset.
Goldman lifts 12-month S&P 500 target to 6300
David Kostin’s optimism for US equities reflects a decision to revise significantly higher his expectation for corporate earnings growth in 2025.
‘An A+ jobs report’: Wall Street pares rate bets
September’s jobs data exceeded expectations, putting to bed talk of an imminent recession and leading to a rethink of how fast rates will drop.
- Updated
- Petrol prices
Petrol price spike threat as Israel ponders hit on Iranian oil fields
The rising threat of a regional war in the Middle East also scuppered the ASX’s three-week winning streak, which had sent the local bourse to record highs.
- Opinion
- Hybrids
Trading regulatory risk in the $40b hybrid sector
Investors are puzzling over what to do with their hybrids following APRA’s proposal to phase out the sector.
Opinion
Donald Trump’s secret sauce - he just gets very lucky
From The Apprentice to Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, something always seems to turn up for Trump. But every gambler knows his luck will run out.
US columnist
Housing is starting to shape our future politics
Politicians have a big incentive to start fixing structural blockages to property ownership – their own future might swing on it.
Editorial
How faraway conflicts are turned into divisions at home
Peter Dutton has accused the Albanese government of appeasement on the Middle East. But its positions reflect the same limitations felt in Washington.
Columnist
Trading regulatory risk in the $40b hybrid sector
Investors are puzzling over what to do with their hybrids following APRA’s proposal to phase out the sector, writes Christopher Joye.
Columnist
Australia’s politics of protest is on full display
The country might be well out of target range in the Middle East but its suddenly fragile social fabric is being severely tested.
Columnist
Qatar-Virgin deal finally the right result for consumers
Petrodollars underwriting a more competitive aviation sector is not new for Australia or many other countries. And it’s something that should be welcomed as ultimately giving consumers the best chance to benefit from meaningful competition.
Editorial
Politics
Voice architect says Labor should have delayed referendum
Megan Davis, who helped draft the landmark 2017 Uluru Statement, says Indigenous Australians lost out to misinformation and lies.
Revealed: Which super fund directors earn the most
Payments to directors at one fund outstripped those of comparable size by more than half a million dollars, despite delivering worse returns than most of their rivals, analysis by AFR Weekend shows.
‘No tolerance for illegal behaviour’: police issue protest warning
Australian police forces issued a rare joint statement warning people planning to attend pro-Palestine rallies at the weekend there will be no tolerance for illegal behaviour.
Dutton’s awkward moment selling nuclear to ‘no thanks’ Queensland
On Peter Dutton’s first appearance on the Queensland election campaign, he says he plans to work on changing Crisafulli’s mind on nuclear energy.
X wanted to avoid exploitation rules because it’s not Twitter any more
Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has won the latest court battle against Elon Musk but faces more hurdles as the tech billionaire fights her attempts to regulate the internet.
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World
PM rushes to ramp up Beirut exodus
The federal government is ramping up efforts to bring Australians out of Lebanon, chartering Qantas to repatriate citizens in coming days as Israeli airstrikes come perilously close to shutting Beirut’s airport.
US jobs growth blows past estimates, jobless rate falls to 4.1pc
Nonfarm payrolls increased 254,000 in September, the most in six months, leading traders to pare bets on a half-percentage point rate cut in November.
Musk to attend Trump rally at Pennsylvania shooting site
America PAC, the billionaire’s political action committee, has already spent more than $100 million on pro-Trump canvassing and field operations this year.
‘Economic cold war’: EU pings tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars
Germany and its car makers opposed Brussels’ move, fearing it will further stifle European demand for EVs and also prompt painful retaliation from Beijing.
Jobs report, strike resolution offer Harris lift on economy
The September jobs report, which exceeded all expectations, is the latest in a drumbeat of good economic news for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Property
Housing investors borrow at highest level in more than two years
Home loans, like housing prices, lay bare the differences between Australia’s distinct residential markets.
- Exclusive
- Property market
Richard White and girlfriend welcome baby amid stoush with ex-lover
The year-long stoush with the Double Bay wellness entrepreneur spilled into the open after the WiseTech Global founder served her with a bankruptcy notice.
Scott Farquhar and Kim Jackson sell Point Piper’s Elaine for $130m
Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar and his wife Skip Capital’s Kim Jackson sold their unused waterfront mansion Elaine in Point Piper for about $130 million.
- Exclusive
- Luxury property
Byron’s designer holiday retreat Ohana set to smash North Coast record
Nestled where the forest meets the sea and next door to Chris Hemsworth, the Broken Head retreat is considered among the best parcels of land in Australia.
Why Australia is building fewer – not more – homes
Australia needs more new homes but the post-pandemic surge in costs makes development viable only when targeting downsizers and empty nesters.
Wealth
How the ATO caught taxpayers cheating on ‘lifestyle’ assets
The Tax Office has provided The Australian Financial Review with exclusive details about some recent investigations.
Tweaking the 3pc buffer rule misses the real problem with housing
Reducing the mortgage serviceability test would allow more borrowers into the market. But the test is only one part of a much gnarlier problem.
How to know if it’s time to sell shares
Sometimes it’s best to sell slowly; at other times quicker is better. Experts weigh in on how to know when it’s time to sell.
Technology
Local investment minnow snags spot in $9.6b OpenAI capital raise
The firm behind ChatGPT closed the largest private investment deal this week, giving it a valuation of $229 billion – on par with Goldman Sachs and Uber.
X wanted to avoid exploitation rules because it’s not Twitter any more
Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has won the latest court battle against Elon Musk but faces more hurdles as the tech billionaire fights her attempts to regulate the internet.
- Updated
- Courts
Billionaire Richard White attempts to bankrupt alleged former lover
Lawyers acting for Double Bay wellness entrepreneur Linda Rogan say WiseTech Global founder’s legal claim against her is an “abuse of process”.
Work & Careers
- Exclusive
- Workplace
Return to work programs let talent shine, narrow gender pay gap
Jo Reardon says going back to banking after five years was daunting but a return to work scheme helped her thrive at the Commonwealth Bank.
NSW appoints 26 new senior counsel, but only eight are women
The figure is still well above the overall levels in the senior ranks of the Bar, where only 16 per cent of silks are women.
Life & Luxury
All the fabulous looks and fantasy of Paris Fashion Week
From bubble hems and beaded blouses to the return of the bumster, The Australian Financial Review’s fashion editor shares the highlights from the shows.
Sacked orchestra chief may have to pay pianist $18k
Jayson Gillham is going after the Melbourne Symphony’s former managing director, and current COO, as part of his discrimination suit against the orchestra.
Can a Millennial overcome a mortal dread of cruising?
After 15 years of saying no to cruises, the time finally came to walk the gangway to meet those towel animals and other weird traditions.
No wonder Coppola had to pay for Megalopolis with his own money
This Roman orgy of a film, 40 years in the making, warns of end of days for America – but more likely just means the end of the director’s career.
Mary Shelley would approve of this Frankenstein show
The monster loses his Hollywood green skin and goes back to his roots in a new production from Shake & Stir Theatre.
