Insights

Beijing's new rules on foreign investment will allow Chinese companies to seize more opportunities in Australia. But the ties of China's corporates to the regime's political goals are likely to spur debate.

Increased competition from the private sector weakens the argument for public ownership of Medibank Private and Australia Post and strengthens the case for giving those companies access to capital to pursue higher returns.

UBS analysts project that because of a surge in renewables, 30% of Europe's fossil fuel capacity needs to be shut by 2017 to restore utilities' profitability.

Looming economic disaster in China, Fed policy uncertainty and the botched rollout of Obamacare could steer the US economy off the path to prosperity and towards another crisis.

For well over a century electricity demand has grown each and every year, then in 2010 something changed. Credit goes well beyond just manufacturing closures and bill shock, with energy efficiency critical.

On the back of a 38 degree day, Queensland reached its highest ever electricity demand for a Saturday and prices subsequently soared.

Australia produced its warmest year yet despite no El Niño while, elsewhere, a worldwide record was set for November amid an above average year.

No need to worry about reading-up on the 61 pages of Emission Reduction Fund Green Paper. Page 4 reveals that the scheme will be laughed-out the door of any serious bank in the country.

In the digital economy, jobs in high-growth tech industries are being centralised around company headquarters. Cities that cannot foster these companies will lose out in the race for jobs.

Woodside Petroleum may soon put pen to paper for the colossal Leviathan gas fields, but a major investor, Royal Dutch Shell, is looking for the exit.

Australia is unprepared for a big influx in Chinese visitors, both as tourists and investors.

After months of prodding, financial markets have finally started to take heed of the central bank's warnings on the unreasonably high currency.

The full takeover of Chrysler makes complete sense for Fiat given how reliant the Italian carmaker is on Chrysler's profits. Unfortunately it means more capacity for an industry already suffering from oversupply.

The communist dream of equality for all in China has completely failed. It has one of the lowest rates of social mobility in the OECD.

While much has been made of cash hoarding by the biggest US companies, debt levels are also at record highs. Unleashing the cash pile may have dire consequences.

Business once relied on the insights that came from a strong personal relationship between supplier and customer. The successful companies of the future will be those who understand the strength in numbers.