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).
Quantitative easing is not just a simple extension of conventional monetary policy and its eventual unwind is less dangerous than financial markets think.
Private equity investors are looking to coal mines for their next big win. If they can turnaround chronic mismanagement they'll set an example for other industries.
Shares in the engineering and mining services company lifted today after NBN Co awarded it $366 million worth of contract extensions for the broadband rollout.
Kevin Rudd's camp has employed crude methods to promote the worthy cause of a post-union party – inadvertently adding an ironic twist to Labor's misogyny concerns.
Labor is due for a comeuppance at the election but Julia Gillard's political failings are just one of the party's crimes to come out of this wayward parliament.
Shares in the engineering and mining services company lifted today after NBN Co awarded it $366 million worth of contract extensions for the broadband rollout.
Vodafone's 4G network is a step in the right direction for Australia's number three telco and could yet allow it to accomplish the impossible... a comeback.
While the lack of attendees at the anti-wind protest in Canberra left MC Alan Jones a bit underwhelmed, a hastily organised pro-wind rally nearby had more than six times the number of attendees.
As Russia and its allies block climate talks there's hope that America might finally do something. Elsewhere, Warren Buffett continues to back renewables, it's the end of a solar era in Italy, Japan shows signs of slowing down and the EU carbon price lifts again.
CEOs outline changing views on corporate spending and profits, their economic expectations and political dissatisfaction, including advice for Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.
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 Reserve Bank's growth forecasts are now substantially below trend meaning this month's capex data will likely be the final key to understanding further monetary moves.
Bill, perhaps monetary policy has reached it's use by date. It clearly is not working. (WEEKEND ECONOMIST: Capex marks the spot, February 8)
In fact at this stage, if we don't get increased company efficiency, the only beneficiary will be in the fiscal area. That is reduced (debt) servicing costs.
The banks have shown business, that efficiency equates to profit, the sharemarket will do the rest.
Just a thought.
Ben O'grady,
RBA and the share market are still surprisingly sanguine. They must go to bed praying for China to ramp up which IMHO is not what will happen (WEEKEND ECONOMIST: Capex marks the spot, February 8). In fact China is making a transition to a consumer economy as its export markets deteriorate and no country in history has done this without serious economic disruption. Australia's optimism is therefore possibly unfounded and extreme intervention by the RBA with panic level low rates pushes the short-term minded investor into chasing yield in the share market just as fundamentals weaken, which business leaders see in their results and from discussions with their clients. So I for one contrarily expect 'volatility', but I have been wrong on occasions in the past and I see no change in that.
Comments on this article
Comments PolicyBill, perhaps monetary policy has reached it's use by date. It clearly is not working. (WEEKEND ECONOMIST: Capex marks the spot, February 8)
In fact at this stage, if we don't get increased company efficiency, the only beneficiary will be in the fiscal area. That is reduced (debt) servicing costs.
The banks have shown business, that efficiency equates to profit, the sharemarket will do the rest.
Just a thought.
RBA and the share market are still surprisingly sanguine. They must go to bed praying for China to ramp up which IMHO is not what will happen (WEEKEND ECONOMIST: Capex marks the spot, February 8). In fact China is making a transition to a consumer economy as its export markets deteriorate and no country in history has done this without serious economic disruption. Australia's optimism is therefore possibly unfounded and extreme intervention by the RBA with panic level low rates pushes the short-term minded investor into chasing yield in the share market just as fundamentals weaken, which business leaders see in their results and from discussions with their clients. So I for one contrarily expect 'volatility', but I have been wrong on occasions in the past and I see no change in that.