Yesterday
Nations try ‘banding together’ in new global trade era
Officials around the world are dashing to diversify their economies. But the fight between the US and China casts a long shadow.
March
How Trump shattered exuberance for the US economy
The predicted US slowdown is remarkable in that it is largely a self-inflicted wound driven by the administration’s own policies, rather than external shocks.
China steps up stimulus amid escalating trade war
Premier Li Qiang warns that “changes unseen in a century are unfolding across the world at a faster pace”.
Reining in the ‘golden age of private credit’
The formerly niche sector is steaming ahead in Australia, but potential investors are being urged to do their homework.
February
Debt-laden Victoria could be paying $15m per match to host NFL
The Victorian government claims hosting LA Rams is a coup for Melbourne, but NSW Premier Chris Minns says his state was asked to pay a ‘king’s ransom’ for the fixture.
Macquarie pivots to private credit, shutters US debt business
The financial services giant will no longer provide traditional loans in the US, having exited the market in Europe. It wants to focus on private credit.
January
IMF lifts global growth forecast on stronger US demand
“The big story is the divergence between the US and the rest of the world,” IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said.
Opposition savings from housing, green energy funds in doubt
Senator Jane Hume says the Coalition will interrogate Labor’s billions of dollars tied up in funds for housing, clean energy and manufacturing, but admits they may be difficult to unwind.
Super admits its size is a risk but says ‘what is the alternative?’
The managers of Australia’s $4.1 trillion retirement savings pool say they are best placed to invest in banks and private lending despite warnings from the RBA and IMF.
This is where the next financial crisis could emerge
Private funds, which include venture capital, private equity, private debt, infrastructure, commodities and real estate, now dominate financial activity.
Trump’s ‘Maganomics’ will damage growth: economists
Surveys of more than 220 economists in the US, UK and Eurozone showed most respondents believed his protectionist shift would outweigh the benefits of his policies.
Rich democracies need an acute crisis to trigger real change
It is almost impossible to sell voters on drastic reforms until their nation is in acute trouble. The chronic kind isn’t enough.
December 2024
IMF warns Australia; Rich Lister charged; Families sell $180m hotel
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
The new world order looks like mercantilism
The chaotic politics of the past 16 years masked the steady development of a new economic order, but trade and the economy aren’t zero-sum games.
November 2024
IMF warns Australia and APEC on budget spending
Managing director Kristalina Georgieva told leaders while it was “remarkable” that inflation was retreating globally without recession, “in many countries it is not reflected in public sentiment”.
Inside Canberra’s hidden $180b spending boom
Australia’s budget numbers are increasingly a mirage as billions in spending are labelled as ‘investments’ to improve the fiscal optics.
October 2024
Super system potshot a chance to double down on Keating’s vision
While we should not let the International Monetary Fund dictate how ordinary Australians’ savings are invested, it does have a point worth talking about.
RBA to hold tight even as inflation hits 3½-year low
Michele Bullock is expected to look through data on Wednesday showing inflation fell to 2.9 per cent in September.
Record tax take won’t stop decade of deficits: IMF
The IMF forecasts federal and state government revenue will reach a record 36.4 per cent of GDP in 2024, but the tax take won’t be enough to cover increased spending.
$3.9 trillion super sector a risk to stability, warns IMF
It’s too easy for Australians to move funds in the $3.9 trillion superannuation sector into high-risk investments such as private equity, the International Monetary Fund has warned.