Insights

The $92 billion Future Fund says it will maintain its shift to listed equities, infrastructure and private equity after reporting returns that beat the performance of superannuation funds.

A caterpillar emerging from its cocoon as a butterfly has nothing on the metamorphosis of Joe Hockey.

Analysts and investors were hanging on every word uttered by Telstra chief David Thodey and his team at Wednesday's annual investor day, looking for justification of the $5-plus share price.

Dissident shareholders Perpetual and Mark Carnegie have launched a bold plan to unlock a 45-year cross shareholding between Brickworks and Soul Pattinson that could redistribute billions of dollars of value to investors.

A surprise rise in third-quarter inflation has pushed the dollar to a 4½-month high and all but removed the odds of a near-term interest rate cut.

Plenty left in the tank for Lowys

James Packer's plans to build a $400 million casino resort in Sri Lanka face further delays after opposition from religious leaders and politicians in Sri Lanka forced the government to alter tax concessions granted to Crown Resort's consortium. The changes will delay the passage of legislation granting tax concessions for the project.

The federal government has granted petroleum exploration permits over significant areas off the South Australian and West Australian coasts. Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the permits promised to deliver $580 million in exploration investment over the next three years.

Telstra remains confident that it will be able to safeguard the value of its $11 billion agreement with the government during formal renegotiations with NBN Co. Speaking at Telstra's annual investor day, its head of corporate affairs, Tony Warren, said the priority in any changes to existing contracts would be shareholders, first and foremost.

The $92 billion Future Fund says it will maintain its shift to listed equities, infrastructure and private equity after reporting returns that beat the performance of superannuation funds.

Treasury Wine Estates, the world's largest pure-play winemaker, has warned that consumer demand for wine in China has softened as a result of March's leadership change and a recent austerity drive pushed through by the central communist government.

Unseasonably warm weather and the lingering effects of intense competition will weigh on the earnings of two of the country's largest energy utilities - AGL and Origin Energy - in the year ahead, with both forecasting flat earnings.

McAleese Transport has indicated that plans for a $155 million public float will be delayed until after Christmas, as it deals with the fallout from a fatal fuel-tanker crash early this month.

The sharemarket fell for the first time in seven trading sessions after a jump in China's money market rate.

'It is still unclear what role Ms Ridley Whittle might have.'

Disputes between customers and banks have fallen for the first time since the global financial crisis.