Insights

Rebounding construction activity in the US is another positive sign for the country's economic outlook and the prospect for a rate rise in the not-too-distant future.

The debate about how best to handle foreign investment by Chinese state-owned enterprises has revolved around the investment threshold, but there are other options to ensure proper oversight.

The Lowy family could be priming Westfield Corporation for a takeover, while the mid-tier banks look for a way to counter the power of the big four.

The damage Labor inflicted upon itself during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years has left a disruptive legacy for Bill Shorten to tackle. He must be more than an Abbott-style opposition leader.

Wall Street ended mixed as strong manufacturing and construction data had investors worrying about higher interest rates, while oil and gold came under pressure.

Proposed changes to the network tariff system could see lower charges for consumers. Now we just need politicians to act in the long-term interests of the electorate.

The latest earnings reporting season for Australian listed companies is almost past, and once again, a major theme from the latest earnings reporting season is that profits were "not as bad as we thought they would be". In the main, corporate Australia has largely met investors' (already beaten down) earnings expectations.

The Australian Government has flicked the switch on the sale of Australia's largest health insurer, Medibank, with the announcement of an initial public offering of shares (IPO) by December.

The former treasurer's response to the MRRT repeal is foolish for all the same reasons the tax was doomed from conception.

Australia's top private equity firms gather in Melbourne this week, hoping to win over greater commitments from the nation's richest super funds.

No doubt mistakes will be made in Iraq, as in the past, but the shared responsibility of a vote may minimise errors. And support from the Greens could be more forthcoming than assumed.

Whatever momentum the economy began the year with has largely washed away, and the Reserve Bank's belief it will simply return to trend is stretching credibility.

Postponing the increase to super contributions will make Australia's labour costs more competitive, but high income earners could soon get a nasty surprise.

A rise in building approvals highlights the surprising resilience of the residential construction sector. But a weak outlook for commodity prices poses a risk.

In an interview that went from trouble to farce, the chair of the renewable energy review fumbled questions about coal's windfall before admitting he has no figures to support his argument to slash the renewables target because Direct Action is cheaper.

A new report commissioned by the REC Agents Association paints a picture of a vibrant but vulnerable solar sector in Australia, dominated by small enterprises that would struggle to survive an RET cut.