Wall St mixed ahead of Fed testimony
Markets await Bernanke testimony, digest Home Depot results.
Apple denies dodging taxes
Company disputes US Senate report claiming Apple uses loopholes to avoid billions in taxes.
•Apple saves billions through offshore tax havens: report
Treasury backs budget forecasts
Martin Parkinson says govt had no influence on his dept's numbers, which were 'best estimates'.
•Price forecasts stumped us: Treasury boss
Coalition must disclose policies: Wong
Labor says Parkinson comments remove opposition's excuse for withholding election policies.
RBA flags further scope to cut rates
Bank says 'some of scope to ease policy' used to reduce rates, points to weak business sector.
•Low cash rate to support shrinking mining investment: Parkinson
•ORIGINAL TEXT: RBA minutes May
Ditch tougher high frequency trading rules: ASX
Market operator says ASIC's measures would not boost market confidence.
KKR to sell Seven West stake
Private equity firm's move will end seven-year partnership.
•Voelte resigns as Seven West chief
British inflation slows in April
British inflation hits seven-month low in April.
Boart Longyear flags weaker earnings despite job cuts
Group cites industry conditions, has shed 1000 employees since January.
Leighton will survive mining services malaise: Tyrwhitt
Chief says diverse business interests will place group well for end of boom.
PM makes pitch to Sydney voters
Gillard to host community cabinet in western Sydney.
Aust stocks fall at close
Local market drops below 5200 barrier, pulled lower by financials as investors wait for Bernanke address.
Vodafone FY profit plunges 90%
Impairment charge on businesses in Italy and Spain hit bottom line.
Apprenticeship drop troubling: ACCI
Business group calls on Labor to jumpstart apprenticeships.
Greiner says freezing GST 'juvenile'
Former premier says conditions facing state govts demand review of tax.
Armani posts strong revenue growth
Italian fashion group sees strong rebound in crisis-hit Europe.
SA, feds in live odds dispute
State wants to ban live odds betting ads; Conroy says it is federal matter.
Queensland rail plan in jeopardy
Federal-state dispute threatens rail project's future.
Qld botches gambling profits: report
State accused of misallocating profits meant for community groups.
Asian shares close mixed
Markets await testimony from Fed chief Ben Bernanke.
European stocks mixed
German shares retreat from latest fresh record high.
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Spectators
Alan Kohler
Alan Kohler is one of Australia’s most experienced commentators and journalists. Alan is the founder of Eureka Report, Australia’s most successful investment newsletter, and Business Spectator, a 24-hour free business news and commentary website. He also hosts Inside Business, a half-hour Sunday programme on the ABC, is the finance presenter on the ABC News - and producer of the nightly graph (or two).
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Economy
Latest stories
Left sour by Apple's global tax tricks
As Apple's supremo prepares to face Congress, a bipartisan committee has revealed the fantastic ways the multinational minimises its global tax liability.
Of Bernanke, robots and innovation
Whether shares continue to rise has much to do with new technology and innovation. For Ben Bernanke, we may still be in the early days of IT revolution.
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Markets
Latest stories
MARKETS SPECTATOR: Transfield slammed
The company’s stock has slumped as it joins a growing list of mining services groups, including WorleyParsons and Fleetwood, in cutting earnings forecasts.
MARKETS SPECTATOR: Thorny credit crunch
John Hughes says Thorn Group is now targeting the middle class as the credit appetite of lower income consumers wanes.
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Politics
Latest stories
Scrawling political calculus over Gonski's numbers
The Gonski education reforms are being tossed in the political wash, along with the premiers, as the Coalition seeks to unseat Labor's plan by focusing on the frugal front-end.
Why Conroy must answer for ASIC’s internet blockade
The communication’s minister's cavalier use of Section 313 to block websites on Interpol’s “worst of” list has directly lead to the ASIC fiasco. He must face the music for the latest mess his actions have created.
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Technology
Latest stories
BYOD security: a standards dilemma
Multiple operating systems and a fragmented mobile market has made it difficult to create a one-size-fits all BYOD security solution. While there's no quick fix to this problem, here are some ways of working around it.
Why Conroy must answer for ASIC’s internet blockade
The communication’s minister's cavalier use of Section 313 to block websites on Interpol’s “worst of” list has directly lead to the ASIC fiasco. He must face the music for the latest mess his actions have created.
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Climate
Latest stories
The mythical millions in solar network costs
The ESAA is claiming solar is costing millions in network upgrades. But nailing down what these costs are proves to be a bit of a mystery because solar isn’t costing networks much at all.
Long-term warming, short-term variability: why climate change is still an issue
A new study refines our estimates of climate sensitivity, but the overall picture remains unchanged: we remain on a track to surpass 2 degrees warming.
- Industries
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Video
Latest videos
How to build a service business in China
King and Wood Malleson's China Partner David Olsson explains how Australian companies can tap into the huge demand... -
Knowledge Centre
Featured stories
Download the December CEO Pulse survey
CEOs outline changing views on corporate spending and profits, their economic expectations and political dissatisfaction, including advice for Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.
TECHNOLOGY SPECTATOR: The audacious app trying to take over TV
UK-based Zeebox wants to be the intermediary for all social media-television interactions. It will not only have to lure viewers, but the networks themselves.
The Spectators
Left sour by Apple's global tax tricks
As Apple's supremo prepares to face Congress, a bipartisan committee has revealed the fantastic ways the multinational minimises its global tax liability.
Critiquing Seven West's strange Voelte show
Seven West has returned to normal programming, putting a TV executive in charge after an unusual but arguably successful stint under oil and gas executive Don Voelte.
Scrawling political calculus over Gonski's numbers
The Gonski education reforms are being tossed in the political wash, along with the premiers, as the Coalition seeks to unseat Labor's plan by focusing on the frugal front-end.
Contractor collateral in mining's stark retreat
Transfield has joined its peers in painting an outlook worst than first thought. And the market's ferocious reaction reminds us mining investment is still yet to peak.
Abe's big bang has birthed a new Japan
Japan's radical policy approach to deflation appears to be paying off, with manufacturing activity positive for the first time in a year. European policy makers should be watching closely.
CLIMATE SPECTATOR: A solar sideshow in the network burden debate
Industry accusations that solar households freeload off the poor by not paying their share of rising network costs is warped logic – and misses the real villain.
Listen to what gold is really telling us
Like Apple and Facebook shares, the price of gold has become completely divorced from its intrinsic attributes.
Stuck with bipartisan carbon delusion
Lawns are green again and voters have gone cool on climate change. So much so, says Rob Oakeshott, it may not matter to them if Labor gets behind Tony Abbott’s plan.