Cheap energy an imperative for Australia: Woodside chief
Woodside Energy chief executive Meg O’Neill says it will be a major government policy failure if Australia cannot deliver cheap and reliable energy.
Economics
Workers bear brunt of cost-of-living squeeze
While the financial strain continued to ease in the December quarter, new figures reveal that workers faced the sharpest rise in their living costs of all household cohorts.
Future Fund’s advantages over the partisan Trump model
Australia’s Future Fund is significantly different to the politically charged model Donald Trump wants for the US, but maintaining its strength in our national interest will be closely watched.
Trade jitters can’t dull reason for reporting season optimism
Strategists expect some optimism in corporate outlook statements as the economy appears to have troughed and consumers are turning positive as interest rate cuts loom.
ASX ends up 0.5pc; Brookfield enters Insignia battle; former Star CEO cops ban
ASX 200 gains 0.5 per cent, led by resources, tech, property, industrials and communications. Macquarie weighs on financial sector. Google owner Alphabet’s earnings disappoint. Brookfield lobs new offer to takeover target Insignia. Amcor lifts on reaffirmed guidance, estimates win. Former Star CFO cops ban.
Big-spending states’ credit ratings ‘at risk’
An erosion of financial discipline by big-spending state governments is hamstringing planned budget improvements and is raising the risk of credit rating downgrades.
Can Australia expect to win a Trump trade war?
Canada and Mexico are writing the playbook in real time over how to navigate Donald Trump’s trade threats.
Trump’s tariffs to deliver turbulent economic ride worldwide
Donald Trump sees his threat of tariffs as a powerful lever to use in negotiations with other countries. It’s all about parleying, not economics.
ASX 200 ends flat as China retaliates to US tariffs
Australian stocks end flat, Aussie dollar dives 0.9 per cent as rebounds halted after US tariffs on China go ahead and China retaliates. Woolworths, Westpac announce leadership changes. Nine remains in ‘difficult position’: UBS.
Jobs market too tight for rate cut, KPMG warns
KPMG has warned Australia’s tight labour market is still placing upwards pressure on inflation and the Reserve Bank cannot risk lowering the interest rate later this month.
Trump’s ultimate goal unclear as tariffs launch trade wars
The President’s trade assault, which makes no distinction between ally and adversary, is an assertion of US dominance with significant risks.
Aussie dollar, stocks, crypto smashed as trade war starts
Aussie shares retreat heavily along with the Aussie dollar and cryptos as Trump orders tariffs. A$ hits five-year low. Tariffs biggest trade shock since 1930s: RBC. Cettire “assessing” US tariff changes. Anna Bligh to vacate ABA’s top job.
Founders first: Geoff Wilson bets on market leaders
The stock picker will put to test the notion that smarter investing is about backing the ones with skin in the game.
ASX, dollar to dip as shock Trump tariff move unsettles markets
The Australian share market is expected to fall from near-record highs following President Donald Trump’s shock move to immediately forge ahead with tariffs.
EDO could be stripped of its charity status
The EDO could be stripped of its charity status if the non-profit commission finds it breached public trust and failed to act responsibly in its legal challenge against Santos.
AI to drive new generation of winners and losers
New York-based analyst Viktor Shvets says the next decade promises to be the most critical in terms of the transition from today’s capitalism to a yet-to-be-defined alternative system.
The monetary policy story isn’t simple for the RBA
There is more to inflation targeting than a blinkered fixation with the monthly inflation numbers and a mechanical policy response.
Trump threatens widening trade war as first tariffs loom
On eve of expected Mexico-Canada-China duties, the US president says he will impose sector-based levies on chips, pharmaceuticals and more.
Wayne Swan plans fightback over hits to Cbus reputation
The former treasurer is not going anywhere but has come out firing with a plan for the mega super fund to get its mojo back.
Local bourse enjoys best January trading in two years
Australia’s sharemarket has broken records this week all while its US counterpart takes a deep breath to recover from the shock of China’s AI capability.
Companies surfing on the crest but waves eventually dump
Companies are generally riding high on the sharemarket’s returns, which is why corporate Australia needs to show some earnings growth in the reporting season or see stock prices hammered.
Economists urge RBA to follow US and spare the rates cut knife
After the US Federal Reserve kept rates on hold for the first time since July, JudoBank chief economic adviser Warren Hogan said it was ‘very much a cautionary tale for the RBA’.
It’s a better bond market or bust, says industry working group
Once bank AT1 notes leave the retail bond market, investors will be left with six options and more needs to be done to offer retirees alternatives for income, a joint industry working group says.
Different this time: Stocks to buy as interest rates fall
Stocks are soaring as rate cuts loom but value is far from universal. That’s why the nation’s oldest value fund has cast its gaze beyond the big banks and iron ore miners.
Watch out Labor, ‘the super tax could be your downfall’
Labor’s proposed tax on the unrealised gains of super funds could cost it the next election, says fund manager Geoff Wilson, who mobilised investors in 2019 against a planned franking credit hit.
ASX soars to record high on tech, rate cut hopes
The sharemarket has jumped to a record high of 8515.7 points, amid positive leads from Wall Street after big tech reports and Reserve Bank rate cut hopes. DeepSeek will not derail Microsoft’s $US80bn AI investment this year. Zip and MinRes drop.
Rate cuts coming as inflation doves fly
A return to monetary policy normal could be derailed if governments don’t rein in their big spending impulses.
Chalmers launches economic poll fight as inflation falls
As the odds overwhelmingly firm for an interest-rate cut in February, Jim Chalmers declares the government had handled the cost-of-living crisis better than other countries.
February rate cut ‘likely’ as inflation hits four-year low
Financial markets consider an interest rate cut a all but done deal for February after inflation fell to its lowest level since 2021, aided by temporary cost of living subsidies.
Interest rate relief at closest point since pandemic
A better than expected fall in inflation means the Reserve Bank may consider an interest rate cut for the first time since February 2020.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/page/7