Risk-on back with a bang in ASX trade as oil prices plunge
Iran’s rhetoric rather than action over US air strikes on its nuclear facilities and a slumping oil price have given investors all they needed to jump back into buying mode.
Economics
Hydro plan setback delivers $1bn bonus
The Crisafulli government has found almost $1bn in savings from delays in the $18bn Borumba pumped hydro scheme ahead of handing down its first budget on Tuesday.
Iran hasn’t got us over a barrel this time
Central banks might be worried that US strikes on Iran will lead to skyrocketing oil prices akin to the 1970s, but the numbers show it’s nothing like that.
‘GST is already broken, so just reform it’
Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood’s call for GST reform has been supported by the person she replaced – Michael Brennan.
IDA ‘to fast track $50bn investment’
The new Investment Delivery Authority will accelerate approvals for projects valued at more than $1bn, including advanced technologies and energy.
‘Boring’ budget to lay foundations for repair
Don’t expect many sweeteners in the Crisafulli government’s first budget on Tuesday, with LNP Treasurer David Janetzki planning to unveil the foundations for debt repair.
100-plus taxes ‘are drowning business’
Jim Chalmers faces a test of truth on his promise of reform, with revelations that business is drowning in more than 100 taxes and levies.
Trump gambles on oil in new financial shock
Traders have so far taken the stress of geopolitics in their stride. However, Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran will jolt markets from their complacency.
In a landscape of giants, the mid caps hold most promise
Franklin Global Growth Fund’s Patrick McKeegan foresees promising signs for stock pickers as the market breadth widens beyond the tech giants.
The Nuno Matos revolution has just begun at ANZ
Expect more upheaval to come at ANZ following the exit of the one-time Google Australia boss. A new CEO is in town and on a mission to lift the perennial number four bank.
Jobs boom running out of steam
A slowdown in government-backed hiring could drag on job growth, economists warn, as the economy recorded a surprise decline in employment in May.
Jim calls spade a shovel on the road to reform
Jim Chalmers has revealed a bold ambition for major tax and economic reform. The question will be how much political capital Anthony Albanese will extend to deliver it.
Builders lobby Treasurer Chalmers for tax incentives
Tax incentives should be given to builders who meet industry standards to help raise competition and investment, drive productivity and reduce the cost of building, says the MBA.
Chalmers admits his budget is not sustainable
Jim Chalmers has vowed to ‘reform from the centre’ to drive productivity growth and fix a budget he admits is not sustainable, as he lays the groundwork for a new economic agenda
Santos board must have rocks in their heads for energy sellout
They can’t be serious. The Santos board rushing to sell Australia’s energy future at an uninspiring price is short-termism at its best. This will be lucky to pass the national interest test.
Shaken by tariffs and rattled by war, economic uncertainty rolls in
Fear of a protracted Middle East conflict has put investors and business leaders on edge as the Fed faces pressure from President Trump to cut rates despite the prospect of increased oil prices.
Investors could face a decade of low sharemarket returns
A top fund manager argues too many investors are exposed to the S&P 500, which risks delivering poor returns. Here’s where you should put your money instead.
Complacent markets need to wake up and smell the propellant
Israel and Iran are on the precipice of all-out war, yet markets aren’t factoring in the likely shockwaves on oil supply and renewed inflation risks, fund managers say.
Bosses demand tax reform as a priority
Business leaders and economists will demand changes in taxation and planning approvals at Anthony Albanese’s productivity roundtable, but the PM’s close adviser says expectations should be adjusted.
As markets hit records, what’s next for stocks after ‘hated’ rally?
It could feasibly be one of the most reviled sharemarket rallies since Covid-19 swept the globe but investors who didn’t panic sell during the February-April drop have done very well.
Progressives take key PS positions
Revealed by Anthony Albanese, the public service shake-up will see Steven Kennedy elevated to lead the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Labor’s super tax ‘is open to manipulation’
Auditors have raised concerns about the manipulation of property and farm valuations in preparation for avoiding Labor’s unrealised capital gains tax.
ASX soars to record amid strong demand for CBA
Investors push ASX to record amid US and China trade talk hopes. CBA continues to find strong support. ASIC secures four guilty pleas in Telegram ‘pump and dump’ action. Monash IVF shares tank after second embryo mix up.
‘We’re watching’: Financial cop drafted to fight tobacco wars
Australia is becoming a haven for dirty money and much of it is coming from offshore. The boss of Austrac is fighting back.
Seize lesser of tax evils, Liberals urged: ex-RBA board members
Liberal Party supporters and former Reserve Bank board members have implored the Coalition to negotiate with Labor on an unrealised capital gains tax.
Musk feud: Tesla has more to lose while Trump wields the power
EV maker Tesla’s board, headed by Australian former Telstra executive Robyn Denholm, needs to rein in its out-of-control chief executive.
RBA upbeat on China’s willingness to do what it takes on growth
Two high-profile visits to China by senior Australian central bank officials have returned a verdict of confidence that the Middle Kingdom remains well-placed to ride out the upheavals emerging from Washington’s haphazard approach to trade policy.
Our short-lived trade surplus with America gone
Australia’s fleeting trade surplus with the US this year has reversed back to its long-term deficit, handing Anthony Albanese the opportunity to step up his fight against Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Faith in flying banking sector over miners a risky move
Australian banks have outperformed the miners since late 2023 but Citi believes having too much emphasis on the financials could pose a ‘material risk’ for investors.
GDP growth slide makes rate cuts likely
Jim Chalmers’s hopes for a private sector-led economic recovery have been dampened by weak business investment, zero productivity and low economic growth, putting more pressure on the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/page/3