Insights

One of Australia's biggest private health insurers, HCF, has rued the former government's decision to slash rebates for private insurance but tipped increased revenue and membership numbers this financial year.

Clare Valley winemaker Taylors Wines has ridden the wave of a weakening Australian dollar and improving conditions in Europe to increase its full-year sales by 11 per cent, and is hoping a shortage of quality grapes in France will nudge buyers towards its doors.

ANZ and National Australia Bank continue to edge out their two big rivals in gaining share in the nation's home lending market, while Westpac lags behind the broader market.

It is the professed belief of almost every economist, business person and politician that Australians require governments to achieve maximum improvement in their material standard of living. I'm not sure that's true - but we're about to find out.

Major carmakers and parts suppliers have shown up in Tehran to assess the Iranian market's "considerable potential", just one week after Iran's historic nuclear agreement with world powers.

China's securities regulator has issued a reform plan for initial public offerings, as the government prepares to lift a more than one-year freeze on new listings in the world's second-biggest economy.

It has not taken long for the wheels to start falling off the Abbott campaign promise wagon. One of the major promises made was the ironclad guarantee that no adverse changes would be made to superannuation in the first term of the new government.

Former Mr Australia is still passionate about growth, writes Caroline James.

Being a sole trader has plenty of perks. For starters, there is no boss to answer to and no unpredictable employees to manage.

Australia's last listed grains handler GrainCorp is not a protected species, despite the government's surprise decision to shield it from a $3.4 billion foreign takeover bid, farmers say.

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has described Treasurer Joe Hockey's controversial decision to ban the foreign takeover of GrainCorp as an "empowering act" that was necessary given the near monopoly status of the country's largest agribusiness.

Question: what do drop bears and the east-coast gas shortage have in common?

Mag queen on the outer at Seven?

There's not going to be a near-term cut to interest rates and the chances of a reduction next year are slim as the non-mining parts of the economy are expected to pick up pace, economists say. A survey of 14 economists says the Reserve Bank of Australia will not cut the cash rate at its board meeting on Tuesday. Only eight of those surveyed expect a rate cut next year. The mining and resources investment boom is at, or near, its peak and other parts of the economy are expected to pick up pace and have a more significant role in driving the Australian economy. Citigroup said there was evidence the Australian economy was starting to rebalance, helped by recent rate cuts. Bank HSBC said a lower exchange rate would also help the economy. There was data showing domestic expenditure was slowly improving, it said.

'The higher production was due to the treatment of higher ore grades.' Sandra Close, Surbiton

Macquarie Group staff are exercising more options over the company's shares, after a recovery in global market confidence sparked a rapid run-up in its stock price.