Australia Financial News

Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium for a guide on where rates might settle when the dust of this hiking cycle clears. The dollar made a gain of 0.7% on the euro last week, inched ahead on the yen and surged by more than 1% on the Antipodean currencies as U.S. Treasury yields leapt in anticipation of interest rates staying higher for longer.

Australia will spend A$1.3 billion ($833 million) to boost its long-range strike capabilities as it finalised on Monday a deal to buy more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, part of a wide-ranging defence shake-up. Australia will be only one of three nations to have Tomahawks along with the US and Britain, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

Indian stock market is expected to open on a flat note Monday following mixed global cues. The domestic benchmark equity indices ended lower for the fourth consecutive week, the longest stretch of weekly declines in over a year. A sharp spike in domestic retail inflation, weak industrial production for June, worries over likely another interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve, depreciation in rupee against US dollar, FII outflow, rising US bond yields and slowing China’s economy weighed on investors sentiment.

The Matildas captured the hearts of Australians during the Women’s World Cup, but readers of The Australian Financial Review were not in favour of a taxpayer-funded public holiday even if they won the tournament.

After six months in administration, there might finally be some movement at Balmaine Gold, the local subsidiary of Singapore-listed Shen Yao. The company’s main asset, a gold mine in Ballarat, has attracted at least one bid – London’s Acheron Capital wants to buy it for $42 million.

The Australian Financial Review has recorded a solid recovery in print readership following the interruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to industry audience numbers released by Roy Morgan.

The investor pushing to stop Whitehaven Coal’s acquisition of two major BHP mines in a multibillion-dollar deal is secretive London hedge fund Bell Rock Capital Management, The Australian Financial Review can reveal.

An unexpected breakdown at Ampol’s only oil refinery drove a 26 per cent drop in first-half core profit, but chief executive Matt Halliday said the result was “strong”, and reliance of domestic fuel supplies is reducing.

The a2 Milk Company has met its lower end of guidance for double-digit revenue and earnings growth, but warns the key China market will be more challenging this year with fewer children born.

Australia’s green bank is poised for its first investments in the power grid as it gears up for another busy year after a record 12 months of investment commitments in 2022-23.

EnergyAustralia has joined the ranks of major electricity suppliers seeking to elbow into the country’s offshore wind sector, taking a stake in a project proposed off the coast of Victoria that could replace ageing coal generators.

Westpac booked a net profit for the third quarter of $1.8 billion navigating a “modest” deterioration in bad debts, higher expenses due to inflationary pressures, and a contraction in lending margins from mortgage competition.

US insurance broker giant Marsh & McLennan is nearing an agreement to acquire Australia’s Honan Insurance, according to people familiar with the matter.

By Alasdair Pal

The country’s busiest airport has blasted Qantas and Virgin Australia for wasting capacity, saying a lack of seats, rather than lack of demand is limiting domestic passenger traffic.

Captain Olga Carmona scored the winner in the first half as Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time by beating England 1-0 in the final in front of 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia on Sunday.

One of Australia’s wealthiest families, the Smorgons, have cut back their investments in Australian apartment development and the office market in the United States in a post-pandemic strategic reset.

Australian supermarket sales are being squeezed by the growing illicit tobacco trade with independent stores, led by Metcash’s IGA network, describing the “huge problem” as their single biggest issue.

One of Australia’s largest veterinary chains, VetPartners, has caught the attention of Swedish private equity investor EQT Partners.

Britney Spears' third husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce in August 2023 after 14 months of marriage. The couple is in a divorce battle over a prenuptial agreement and their dogs’ custody. Asghari has asked for a bigger prenup amount and has threatened to disclose embarrassing information about the singer if she doesn’t agree. What’s more, the couple is reportedly fighting over the custody of their two dogs post-separation and divorce. Britney Spears and Sam Asghari reared two dogs – Porsha, a Doberman, and Sawyer, an Australian Shepherd. Britney Spears is so attached to the dogs that she is willing to pay for them. She expressed her willingness to let go of the diamond engagement ring gifted by Asghari. Now, as per media reports, Britney seeks the custody of their pups in exchange for the engagement ring. The singer was spotted without her ring days before the divorce report came in. Apparently, Asghari is not sure if Spears will be able to take care of their dogs and maybe mean to them. In 2021, her dogs were taken away from her because of neglect. Sam Asghari also is seeking a higher prenup amount and maintenance from Britney Spears to support him, and also pay for his lawyer, and his other costs. When Sam Asghari gifted the Doberman pup Porsha to Britney Spears, he had said in a video on social media that Porsha will be «trained to protect (Britney) from any m**rf**r that comes around with bad intentions.» Britney Spears had gotten the blue-eyed Australian Shepherd Sawyer when the couple was in Maui. She had shared the adorable pup’s pictures on social media with the lovely message: «I think he understands me especially with those eyes...he makes my heart melt...he needs me and I like that !!!!!».

Amazon's trusty virtual assistant, found herself in the middle of a rather unexpected scrimmage last week. It all started when a user, Joanne Rodda, asked Alexa about the England-Australia Football World Cup match played on August 16. Alexa replied with utmost certainty that there was no match that day.