Today
Fentanyl could be key to China-US trade stand-off
The deadly drug is a bargaining chip as both sides look for a way to de-escalate a trade war that is expected to drag down economic growth around the world.
EU eyes closer ties to trans-Pacific bloc as Trump jolts trade order
Plans to build stronger links between Brussels and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership have gained momentum.
100 days in: These global fundies have outperformed under Trump
Doug Tynan’s GCQ, Brisbane funds house Hyperion and Stephen Arnold’s Aoris are leading the pack.
ASX to climb ahead of major bank results and ‘confession season’
Futures indicate that the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is set to rise 0.4 per cent, or by 32 points, to 8280 at the opening bell on Monday.
Not invested in bonds? Here’s why you should be in this climate
Even if Trump walks back much of his tariff agenda, a 10 per cent global levy and 60 per cent on China would still hit the US economy. For investors, that means it’s time to play defence.
Yesterday
Emerging market stocks roar back a month after tariff shock
Equity benchmarks in India, Mexico, Brazil and South Korea have recouped all of their losses since the tariff shock and are among the best performers globally.
Warren Buffett’s favourite valuation indicator flashes buy signal
The billionaire’s metric known as the “Buffett Indicator” indicates equities are cheap, but critics argue it may ignore the effects of high interest rates.
This Month
Investors brace for ASX reality check as ‘confession season’ looms
Fund managers are preparing for a wave of earnings downgrades to hit the bourse next week as companies shift guidance at the Macquarie conference.
China signals it is open to trade talks with US
China’s commerce ministry urged US officials to show “sincerity” after three months of tensions and tariffs.
US, China to talk; Investors nervous for election; Australia led by numpties
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Apple and Amazon have no idea what’s coming
Big tech earnings are holding up well for now, but it’s clear Amazon, Apple and other tech giants have little idea of how a protracted trade war might hurt them.
The one big reason investors will be watching Saturday’s election
The share rally of recent weeks has been remarkable, but uncertainty remains in global markets. The honeymoon will be short for whoever wins the vote.
Ten thinkers on what to make of Trump’s 100 days
Ten experts assess the start of Trump’s second term – to make sense of all that has happened so far and what might come next.
How Wall Street got Donald Trump wrong
Titans of finance and business are beginning to realise they misread the president’s second-term priorities.
Alcoa CEO pushes for nuclear and gas, says batteries can’t save smelters
Alcoa chief Bill Oplinger has distanced himself from Rio Tinto’s suggestion that aluminium smelters could run on a mix of renewables and batteries in the future.
The real worry is how little markets have changed, not how much
The past month was one of the most profound and dramatic in the history of capital markets. Yet, they are back to where they started. How is that possible?
How AI and Wall Street beat Trump at his own game
Even if Mickey Mouse were president, the US would still be on the way to 4 per cent growth because private-sector innovation promises to offset bad policies and erratic policymaking.
The US economy is going backwards. This rally looks bonkers
The latest GDP figures raise the odds of a recession, but markets are surging like Donald Trump’s tariff war is over.
April
Meat price rises could be just one (of some) unintended tariff hits to Australia
Australian business leaders are scrambling to understand the second- and third-order impacts of Trump’s trade war. And they might not play out as expected.
China’s export orders plunge in alarming first look at tariff damage
China’s factory activity slipped into the worst contraction since December 2023, revealing an early impact of Donald Trump’s trade war.