Economics

Australia is facing yet another round of export bans after Chinese authorities knocked back tonnes of lobsters, timber from Queensland, and barley from a second grain grower. Without warning, paid goods that had arrived at ports were sent back in what is known as a ‘soft ban’ that falls outside of current trade agreements. Authorities…

This is an edited version of the full article, which is available here. The article pre-dated the US Election.   Executive summary Societies and governments around the world are looking at a COVID-19 vaccine as the panacea that will enable the world to recover, reconnect and regain our way of life. Since the genetic code…

Executive summary Societies and governments around the world are looking at a COVID-19 vaccine as the panacea that will enable the world to recover, reconnect and regain our way of life. Since the genetic code for COVID-19 was unlocked, researchers have set out in an unprecedented and coordinated effort to make a vaccine available on…

“Sustainable” is a trendy word nowadays. It is thrown around in marketing campaigns like a decorative pillow, which looks good, but most of the time feels flat. Companies and brands claim their products are ‘sustainable’ for the buzz and the hype, playing on our generation’s environmental consciousness and demand for products and services that won’t…

For obvious reasons, everyone is focused now on the pandemic, the mitigation policies being put in place to control it and the huge monetary, fiscal and medical implications. But there are other external factors worth discussing for the impact they could have on the world’s major economies. The first one is inventory levels. Over the…

A clear correlation has emerged between risk appetite during the COVID-19 pandemic and the age of investors, with Australian ‘millennials’ – the cohort aged 24-39 – among the most proactive globally, according to a survey of 1,800 people in six countries. Australian investors of all ages are also among the most bullish globally. The survey…

The penetration of e-commerce in China remains below 20%, but is the fastest growing and largest market of its kind in the world. This paper looks at those companies winning the battle for clicks across the Asian region.

Treasurer Frydenberg provided his long-awaited budget update, which was just that an update, offering little in the way of guidance into the future. The Government are predicting unemployment will peak at 9.25% across the country, with ballooning deficits adding $250 billion to the debt pile.

The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) finished off its lows for the day, falling 1.3%, as both Victoria and several US states hit record COVID-19 case levels, denting market sentiment.

Despite an increasing chorus of experts suggesting the technology sector has moved beyond reasonable levels, the rally continues. The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) added 2.6%, hitting a six week high, with a 5.7% rally in the IT sector among the largest contributors.

The ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) continued its recent weakness, falling 0.5% on Monday, as concerns of a secondary outbreak in NSW and escalating deaths in the US hit investor confidence.

Sideways….a weak opening ahead It was another bumpy, albeit positive, week for markets with the ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) gaining 0.4% on Friday and finishing around 2.0% higher for the week. The primary driver remained Australia’s main recovery hope, commodity exports, with the materials sector finishing 4.2% as the iron ore price remained above USD$115 per…