Insights

Japanese corporates have repaired their balance sheets, and the country's investors are now rekindling their love affair with Australian real estate.

Voters may claim to want stable governance, but the rise of special interest parties around the world has given rise to a new era of unpredictable politics.

Much depends upon whether the price of oil is falling mainly because of rising supplies or because demand is weak.

Markets started 2015 on a mostly weaker note, with economic data weighing on US stocks and European shares mixed.

A $5 billion buyback program could be announced by the iron ore miner soon to provide larger capital returns to shareholders.

Government bonds have traditionally been considered risk-free investments, but retail investors have many reasons to be wary.

By making it easier for self-managed super funds to invest in infrastructure projects, the government could both bolster its push for infrastructure-led growth and build community consensus for major projects.

Commissions still have the upper hand over skills in the financial advice sector.

The modest rise in the iron ore price could hint at some price stability amid a belated supply-side response, as higher-cost production starts to be withdrawn from the market.

The latter half of last year saw dozens of new tech players on the ASX. But is it merely a redux of the '90s dotcom boom, or can the momentum be sustained?

Engagement between Australia and China in the business and public sectors has increased, but interactions in the philanthropic sector remain scant.

Unless retailers can balance bricks with clicks, the days of department stores and shopping malls will be numbered.

Australia has a growing obesity rate, but so far the government has taken a back-seat approach. Further apathy will end up costing us all billions.

The US economy is booming, but there are concerns that the Fed's tightening of its monetary policy could spook markets and take the recovery off course.

Housing credit growth continues to surge but lending activity appears to have peaked, which could put the economy's rebalancing process at risk.

The slide in oil prices is already undermining the economics of US-sourced LNG and delaying new projects, much to the benefit of existing projects in Australia.