Insights

Overseas news will dominate in the coming weeks, with US GDP, unemployment, inflation and retail sales all keenly anticipated. Local data on housing and unemployment will also be ones to watch.

Australia has long grappled with the challenge of creating a conservation industry to restore the landscape. The Coalition's latest incarnation is unlikely to be effective.

Despite some innovative features the priciest next-gen console on the market just doesn't feel like the Rolls-Royce of gaming.

China's clean energy progress would stun many Australians. As the communist nation's wind expansion looks for overseas targets, we need to quickly wake up to the opportunity.

Australian needs a diversified energy system to cope with a changing climate. Power sources reliant on water, and networks vulnerable to high heat, need to be reconsidered.

It's been a busy year for Australian telcos and the NBN contortions in Canberra have managed to provide operators big and small with plenty of food for thought.

From covering 10 per cent of the country's land mass, glaciers may just be 'ice museums' atop Iceland's highest peaks by as early as the mid 2100s.

Whatever name you might want to give the broadband network we end up with, 2013 is the year when a couple of NBN aspirations and assumptions were finally laid to rest.

Thanks to a Federal Court decision, the era of big builders entering cartel-style agreements with unions - to the detriment of productivity and costs - is drawing to a close.

The Fed's taper will see the end of Australia's role as a safe haven, sending bond prices lower and the government's borrowing rates higher. Hockey's $8.8 billion Reserve Bank injection now makes more sense.

Despite a robust growth forecast, the Communist Party's campaign against graft and official extravagance and reforms of its urban labour registration system will provide challenges in China.

European markets surged overnight as traders reacted to the Fed's taper decision, while Wall Street was little changed on weak data.

Cover-More's disheartening debut has investors worried about the 2014 IPO market, while the ACCC has concerns about Bluescope Steel's proposed purchase of Arrium's OneSteel Sheet and Coil business.

With unparalleled online power, Google has the ability to rewrite digital advertising as it pleases. Traditional banner ads are being replaced by video, and the market will follow.

The government was right not to bow to pressure to throw even more taxpayer funds at General Motors and instead direct the $100 million manufacturing-industry package toward generating new and competitive activity.

Mobile payment company eServGlobal (ESV) finished at a fresh 2½-year high today following its full year result and news that it has struck a partnership with MasterCard.