Insights

California continues to set daily records for utility-scale solar energy, with a massive generation peak of nearly 5GW last month.

The Financial System Inquiry interim report rightly identifies the risk in Australian banks' fixation with high-leverage mortgages, but it must go further and address the source of the problem.

The renminbi may be a rising force in global transactions, but without profound economic reform in China the talk of its rapid internationalisation has no currency.

China's state-owned enterprises are powerful but hugely inefficient. Beijing has made tentative steps towards reforming the bloated sector, but it won't be easy.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's aggressive monetary policy stance is driving AUD/NZD weakness and creating an attractive interest rate differential.

Treasury Wine Estates' key suitor KKR has stepped up its hunt for the winemaker but a deal may still be in the distance, while Qantas' push for major changes to the Sale Act falls short.

Toll's deal with the Transport Workers Union underscores that cartel-style agreements are not confined to construction and are damaging Australia's productivity.

Janet Yellen's warning on stretched valuations in the social media and biotech sectors weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq, while the gold price slipped on a firmer US dollar.

Our super system is ill-equipped to provide elderly Australians with the income and flexibility needed to manage longevity risk. Increasing life expectancy rates will make matters worse.

Just as concerns about oil supply disruptions from Iraq were starting to settle, along comes a European bank scare...

We've found a top stock in the US shale gas sector - it's growing fast and set to soon dominate its chosen region.

Hastings has capitalised on a market hungry for LNG assets to build a war chest for infrastructure assets in Australia.

Consumer confidence has bounced back to levels not seen since before the federal government's tough budget was released in May.

Australians now spend more insuring their homes than their cars, and the crackdown on shadow banking is working.

The ongoing deterioration in labour market conditions, international trade and retail sales does not make for a pretty economic picture. Will it finally spur the Reserve Bank to act?

PanAust expects to meet the upper end of its 2014 production guidance range despite posting a fall in its gold production for the second quarter.