Our Team

Eric Johnston is an associate editor of The Australian. He has more than 25 years experience as a finance journalist, including a former business editor of The Australian. He has been business editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and financial services editor with The Australian Financial Review. His work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal.

@ejohnno

Latest

CommentaryMarkets

For markets, Trump has become the ultimate key man risk

The Trump dump has delivered extreme moves, however there’s one important thing that is so far preventing this becoming a full-blown financial crisis.

Eric Johnston

CasinosBusiness

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA : NewsWire Photos - MARCH 11 2025; A general view of the Star Casino in Sydney. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Star rescued from brink of collapse with Bally’s deal

Troubled casino operator Star Entertainment has accepted a $300m takeover offer from US-based Bally’s Corp, helping it narrowly avoid administration.

Glen Norris and Eric Johnston

CommentaryCompanies

BRISBANE AUSTRALIA FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2025 The Star Casino group has halted trading on the Stock Exchange this morning. Generic pictures of The Star at Queens Wharf Brisbane Picture David Clark

Time almost up for Star as all survival options in balance

Star’s board has been war gaming at least two administration scenarios ahead of a critical week. One of them is its own extreme break-up.

Eric Johnston

CommentaryEconomics

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order after delivering remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled

The three fatal flaws in Donald Trump’s tariff fantasy

Trump’s ideal of a self-reliant America is built on economically flawed assumptions. The plan really is bananas.

Eric Johnston

CommentaryEconomics

An electronic stock board shows that Nikkei stock average dropped over 1,500 Japanese yen in Tokyo Monday, March 31, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

The bigger worry is the tariff bomb Trump has set off in Asia

Asia is the heart of the world’s manufacturing hub with Australia at the start of a complex supply chain. Despite relatively mild tariffs on our exports, Asia’s hit will be seismic.

Eric Johnston

CommentaryCompanies

There are two roads ahead for Star, both lead to dead ends

NSW pulled the pin on Star’s much-needed financing deal leaving Star boss Steve McCann with limited options. This is what comes next.

Eric Johnston

CommentaryMarkets

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks at a reception celebrating Women's History Month in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Where’s my RBA rate cut? Blame Trump’s tariffs

Australia’s central bank is trying to war game how tariffs will impact inflation and global growth. The real answer is it doesn’t know.

Eric Johnston

marketsMarkets

20/2/25: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is the most influential name on Wall Street. He heads up the asset manager BlackRock which has more than $US10 trillion under management that counts an influential stake in most large companies, including in Australia. He is in Sydney meeting BlackRock clients, including the Future Fund and AustralianSuper.

Capitalism has ‘failed too many’: Larry Fink

The BlackRock boss has put forward a defence for globalisation as he argues markets hold the key to creating more evenly distributed wealth.

Eric Johnston

CommentaryCompanies

22/11/2024: Richard White addressed shareholders during a virtual AGM for Wisetech.

Richard White shown how it’s done in the boardroom

A new Qantas chairman is quietly rebuilding a board dogged by scandal. The tech billionaire should take notice.

Eric Johnston

AnalysisEconomics

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. NewsWire Photos.December 10, 2024.RBA Governor, Michele Bullock holds a media conference discussing the Reserve Bank of AustraliaÃs monetary policy decision.Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

RBA sidelined during election, but has the damage been done?

Albanese has declared he wants to make this election about the cost of living. The real test will be on how forgiving voters are prepared to be on interest rates.

Eric Johnston

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/eric-johnston/page/10