Today
The ‘credit cycle that never was’ will limit RBA rate cuts
After the pain of 13 hikes, there is still a real question as to how much more support the central bank can really provide in this easing phase.
Liberation Day or Capitulation Day? Markets brace for pain
On the eve of Donald Trump’s big tariff announcement, investors are frantically trying to work out if enough bad news is priced in.
Yesterday
Forget 60/40. Here’s Larry Fink’s new portfolio for a $108trn prize
The BlackRock boss says capitalism hasn’t failed, it just needs to help more people. And he thinks he knows how to achieve this.
The battle to save Healthscope is about more than money
The fight over the hospital giant will pit heavyweight deal makers against each other. And questions of politics and social licence will make it complicated.
The 5 big risks facing markets right now (that are not Donald Trump)
While the focus is on Donald Trump’s tariff announcement, investors are dealing with five big secular shifts, and a more pressing problem lurking.
March
These two issues should frame the election. Don’t hold your breath
Tension between Australia’s cost-of-living crisis and our record household wealth lies at the heart of this federal poll. Real, long-term thinking is needed.
Here’s Blackstone’s next big target in Australia
Just months after spending $24 billion to buy AirTrunk, Blackstone president Jon Gray has another big Australian market on his agenda.
The curious case of the company with half its market cap to give back
Nine Entertainment looks certain to pocket $1.4 billion from the sale of Domain to US group CoStar. What it does with the cash will be the subject of fierce debate.
Car tariffs more proof that Trump’s new world order is coming
Just two weeks after the US president bought a Tesla from Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker, he hit the products coming out of its factories.
Inflation data brings two rays of housing crisis hope
Wednesday’s inflation data strengthened the case for another rate cut and contained another slice of good news on housing.
US consumers are freaking out. Australian investors should worry
Donald Trump’s tariffs have smashed confidence at the same time as household wealth has taken a whack from falling shares. April 2 looms larger by the day.
Just like the ASX, Chalmers’ pitch is mired in Australian mediocrity
The ASX’s malaise is also evident in the ‘lay-buy’ budget. But solutions require the sort of courage and long-term thinking lacking in business and politics.
Don’t be fooled by the sudden burst of tariff bullishness
The outbreak of hope that greeted Donald Trump’s announcement that he may give “a lot of countries breaks” on the levies looks to be built on shifting sands.
James Hardie’s $14b bet exposes gulf between Aussie and US investors
The industrial logic of James Hardie’s big bet on US giant Azek is sound enough, but the price is already worrying investors.
‘Peak fear day’ is coming for markets. Our super sector is exposed
Donald Trump calls it “liberation day” but the date of his next big reveal on tariffs comes at a risky time for Australia’s large superannuation funds.
How Solomon Lew will win the tariff war amid ‘worst conditions in 62 years’
Consumers are feeling stressed and conditions are tough, but the retail guru is still looking for growth.
Macquarie’s Viktor Shvets sees a world on fire. Here’s how to play it
Investors have been slow to wake up to the scale of change Donald Trump is trying to engineer, in part because it seems so wild. But inertia could be costly.
Why the ACCC can’t limit Coles and Woolies’ power
The two supermarkets will cop more scrutiny on their practices and globally impressive margins, but their long-term market position and power will stay intact.
This single word just sparked a sharemarket pop
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has kept rates on hold, citing extreme uncertainty. But his use of one particular word to describe tariff-related inflation shocked investors.
Rebellious robots and trapped stock: Inside Myer’s warehouse woes
Myer’s executive chairwoman Olivia Wirth is making reasonable progress on her turnaround of the retailer – but she’s got two problems.