Insights

The Reserve Bank has sounded a slightly more optimistic note on the outlook for the non-mining sectors of the economy, while continuing to express frustration about the "uncomfortably high" exchange rate.

Pact Group Holdings chairman Raphael "Ruffy" Geminder has been forced to defend the timing of his company's initial public offering after the plastic packaging manufacturer became the latest, and largest, disappointing float.

As the Abbott government stumbles towards the end of the year with a deteriorating budget deficit of $47 billion and a slump in the opinion polls, it is looking for some easy wins to help boost its field of woes.

The battle for Warrnambool Cheese & Butter has reached $9.60 a share, after the Takeovers Panel ordered Saputo to raise its bid for the milk processor.

An opportune moment to quit

Outgoing Coca-Cola Amatil chief executive Terry Davis expects his successor, Alison Watkins, to endorse the bottler's return to the $11 billion beer market, even though analysts believe beer is unlikely to generate profits for years.

National Australia Bank's head of business banking has painted an upbeat picture of the economy in 2014, saying there are growing signs clients will lift their borrowing as the global outlook improves.

Almost 200 workers are facing an uncertain future after BHP Billiton made the rare decision to close a mine on safety grounds.

High-flying Myer executive Megan Foster has resigned as the boss of the store's fashion label sass & bide after less than four months in the role. She leaves the helm of one of the most prestigious and profitable fashion empires in Australia to look after Myer's small network of stores outside of major shopping centres.

Coking coal aspirant Tigers Realm Coal has had its hopes of raising $62 million put in doubt after its second-biggest shareholder asked the Takeovers Panel to intervene. Non-executive director Bruce Gray has asked the panel to investigate and potentially block certain aspects of the raising. Two Russian entities are at the centre of the raising.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce and his senior executives will come under pressure from union leaders to spell out the extent of government help they are seeking and the parts of the business to be hit hardest by job cuts.

An independent expert will investigate Commonwealth Bank's online broker, CommSec, after the financial regulator found it pooled clients' money and withdrew funds from client accounts for years without authorisation.

Despite a lack of unanimous support from independent directors, a sweetened takeover offer from gas pipeline operator APA has finally carried the day at gas utility Envestra, ending several months of wrangling.

Here's a 20 Questions-style drill-down on Australia's debt and deficit dilemma.

The sharemarket gained some ground on Tuesday despite a worsening federal budget outlook, as investors focused on an improving global growth outlook.

Ten Network chief executive Hamish McLennan is being pressured to resign as chairman of real estate classified company REA Group, after REA announced the departure of its top two executives within weeks.