July 2023
- Opinion
- Opinion
Consumers in hibernation as spending pressures bite
As borrowing becomes costlier, mortgage repayments increase and essentials become more expensive, consumers have reined in spending.
- Paul Zahra
- Opinion
- Harvey Norman
Retailers should never let a good crisis go to waste
After enjoying bumper sales growth during the pandemic, retailers are well-placed to use the consumer spending downturn to prepare for the rebound.
- Sue Mitchell
Winter has come as retailers prepare to do battle
Faced with a long, deep spending downturn, retailers are cutting costs and dusting off productivity plans put on the backburner during the pandemic.
- Sue Mitchell
Recession odds increase, as analysts forecast how downturn will look
The Reserve Bank of Australia is engaged in a delicate balancing act, which economists warn could end in recession.
- Michael Read
The top stocks to ride out the retail slump
Stock pickers and analysts say the consumer discretionary retail sector is under pressure as low and middle-income earners are whacked by rising living costs.
- Tom Richardson
Rising interest rates force a two-speed retail economy
One analyst says a discretionary spending slowdown could last for up to 18 months, with cost-of-living pressures building up.
- Simon Evans
Fine dining and $500 bottles of tequila – where people are still spending
Cost of living pressures are denting sales of certain services – but not all.
- Carrie LaFrenz
June 2023
Five things you need to know to protect from cyber threats
Hackers use several strategies to gain initial access, including exploiting known cracks in software, using phishing, ransomware and scams.
- Updated
- Therese Raft
- Opinion
- Amazon
How AI can help make humans more productive
Generative AI helps enable new capabilities that are now more accessible for consumers and for businesses.
- Updated
- Rada Stanic
- Opinion
- Opinion
Tech crowd takes its dose of reality and knuckles down
There will be more high-profile failures in Australia’s technology start-up sector before the market recovers its appetite for risk, but plenty of companies will emerge stronger.
- Paul Smith
Survival of the fittest as ‘zombie’ start-ups stagger through winter
The private tech scene is splitting into two camps, with strong well-capitalised start-ups bulking up and zombie firms looking for a way out.
- Paul Smith
Meet the woman leading Australia’s AI industry into the US
Barb Hyman had two passions when she launched her booming recruitment AI business - diversity and data - and she reckons the US offers better opportunities for both.
- Hannah Wootton
How AI will change the labour market
Digitisation, automation and AI are having a profound impact on labour markets, with low-skilled jobs or those involving repetitive tasks at greater risk of being replaced by AI.
- Nicki Bourlioufas
How ethereum survived its biggest test
For months, thousands of investors had been pledging their ether – in a process called staking – anticipating the forthcoming rewards.
- Jessica Sier
Why genuine robo-advice remains a myth
Your financial adviser might already be dabbling in ChatGPT, but an AI-enabled advice experience still seems some way off.
- Matthew Smith
Generative AI replaces crypto as tech’s latest gold rush
The world’s biggest software companies - Google’s Alphabet, Microsoft, China’s Baidu, Salesforce and Meta itself - have swarmed into the space ChatGPT opened.
- John Davidson
The AI stocks that offer smart investors opportunity
Nvidia, Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe and Australian tech giant Canva are all flagged as businesses that can harness AI to improve products and grow profits.
- Tom Richardson
May 2023
Businesses take baby steps towards renewables
Businesses are walking the walk for the energy transition that Australia as a nation is committed to – but it’s not easy.
- Updated
- Alexandra Cain
Inflation dampens post-pandemic wanderlust
Tourism is back with a vengeance but rising inflation and interest rates are threatening the spending power of many travellers.
- Updated
- Mark Eggleton
Healthcare challenges far from over
The worst of the pandemic may be over but the medical system is yet to recover from the severe challenges it faced during the past three years.
- Updated
- Agnes King