ACCC calls for big asset sell-off
The national competition regulator has urged Prime Minister Tony Abbott to sell off assets such as Australia Post and Medibank Private and push for the privatisation of state-owned energy companies. Fin Review
Asia drag on global recovery
THE world economy is poised for its best year of growth in three years but there are fresh doubts about the outlook for Asia. The Australian
Bank throws embattled AusGroup $13m lifeline
Singapore’s DBS Bank will take a stake of just under 20 per cent in AusGroup in a deal which throws the struggling contractor a $13 million lifeline. The West
Holden suffers worst sales year
Holden’s decision to quit Australia has coincided with its worst-ever year for its locally built models. The Australian
Developer’s lament for scuppered WACA plan
The developer who was set to build apartments and offices at the WACA Ground in East Perth, before the ambitious plan collapsed, has rejected claims the project was not worth the risk. The West
The equity outlook roundtable: more gains for 2014
Leading fund managers tip the local sharemarket to notch up another year of gains in 2014, while expecting a more modest rise than the double-digit returns achieved in the past couple of years. The Financial Review
Women march ahead as white collars trump blue
Union density has fallen significantly in recent decades but rumours of the death of unionism appear greatly exaggerated. The West
The West Australian
Page 13: The 40 per cent of credit card users who sign for their transactions will soon have to start remembering their personal identification number as the days of signature verification draw to a close.
Page 41: As Barack Obama and Vladamir Putin argue over human rights in Russia and the fate of fugitive US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, the countries’ biggest oil companies are preparing to drill for giant oil discoveries together in the Arctic Ocean.
The Australian
Labor has accused the Coalition of rolling out another new tax it failed to flag before last year's federal election, seizing on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's suggestion that Australians involved in incidents overseas could be billed for the cost of government assistance.
Investors are tipped to continue their love affair with equities five years after the global financial crisis, supporting the stockmarket this year as more floats and the falling Australian dollar drive trading volumes higher.
Small businesses who rely on the Fair Work Ombudsman for advice that later proves to be incorrect will not face prosecution.
Financial Review
Since well before the idea for the federal government’s financial system inquiry was floated, banks and other financial services companies have been engaged in a battle to ensure their institutions are prepared to capitalise on new technologies which have radically changed the interaction between borrower and lender.
Post-election optimism in the services sector faded at the end of 2013, with a key private performance indicator falling to its lowest level since September.
Pimco’s Bill Gross says bond investors shouldn’t set their sights on a better outcome this year than the year before, with rates likely to stay low.
The Lowy family’s efforts to split up its global shopping mall empire face a crucial test in coming weeks as senior Westfield executives embark on a charm offensive to sell the deal to investors.