Insights

If banks can't provide good quality financial planning advice, what are the chances of real estate firms doing it better? The challenges of industry self-regulation are huge.

The WA Government seems to have woken up to the stupidity of asking poles and wires companies to determine whether there are better alternatives to poles and wires for rural areas. The state could be the first to kick-off a solar batteries revolution.

Large companies can benefit by breaking up into smaller pieces, but Hewlett-Packard Co's split exposes an uncomfortable reality for chief executive Meg Whitman.

Can Hockey deliver promised reforms, or are structural deficits here to stay?

Online payment system Alipay may be China's answer to Paypal, but like so many 'copies' it is starting to move well beyond the product it imitates.

Demand is still slowing, albeit at a slower pace, but emissions were on the rise in September as the carbon tax removal combined with lower gas and wind generation.

Lower European demand and increased Australian and Indonesian supply has hit US thermal coal exports, with overall coal exports down 16% for the half.

Senator Colbeck answers claims the government is turning SMEs into 'criminals' and 'amateur detectives' via new controls on illegally sourced timber.

The world is set to install nearly 20GW of solar this quarter, a record figure which will push cumulative deployment to 200GW.

With the 'Occupy Central' movement starting to disperse it would be easy to think Beijing has 'won'. In reality, the protesters have achieved much.

Our captains of industry are underexposed to entrepreneurship, technology-driven disruption and competitive friction.

The small-scale market saw remarkable stability through September while trade activity returned in the scheme's large-scale sibling as prospects improved for the future of the RET.

The government may not want to touch the negative gearing of investment properties, but plunging tax revenues may force it to act.

Gold prices rise, Wall Street sees choppy trade and major currencies strengthen against the greenback.

Rio Tinto shares are expected to jump on news that Glencore is seeking a friendly merger, while software provider Aconex is set to float next month.

Vale's new bulk carriers are the largest ever built and dramatically cut the price of Brazilian ore exports - if, that is, China will let them dock.