Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: The S&P/ASX 200 finished 100.20 points, or 1.1 per cent, higher at 8945.90. The Australian dollar was fetching US66.15¢ at 4.43pm AEST..... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: The benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq indexes retreated after hitting intraday record highs earlier on Thursday, as investors locked in gains during a data-light stretch with the U.S. government shutdown.... [more]

• European Market Report: European stocks hovered near record levels on Thursday, with healthcare and chip-related stocks leading the surge..... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Asian stocks advanced on Thursday, as tech stocks surged amid continued hype over artificial intelligence. Mainland Chinese markets remained closed for the National Day holiday. .... [more]

Australian Business News

• While the massive fall in share and bond prices in response to Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcement in April was short-lived, the Reserve Bank has warned that risks remain "elevated" with the outlook "clouded in uncertainty"..... [more]

• Household spending recovery cools in August, raising rate-cut odds.... [more]

• The overlooked investing strategy that could be perfect for today's stock market. Why a new take on the barbell strategy could do the heavy lifting for stock investors caught in two minds..... [more]

• The Australian Taxation Office is pursuing a new batch of taxpayers over decades-old debts, drawing comparisons to its widely criticised and suspended “robotax” initiative..... [more]

• Major corporates have paid their second-highest tax haul in history, as the number of businesses paying no tax in a financial year plummets. The ATO has published the corporate tax transparency showing major businesses have paid.... [more]

• Is your superannuation fund up to scratch? See which six funds have earned the Chantwest-backed Epic Retirement Tick.... [more]

• WOW vs WES – Which is the better investment?.... [more]

• The gold price raced to a record $US3895 an ounce on Thursday as investors rushed into the safe-haven asset on worries about the US Government’s shutdown and escalating tensions between the US and Russia over the conflict.... [more]

• BHP’s iron ore still flowing to China despite export ban scare.... [more]

• An unconfirmed blockade on key iron ore shipments has wiped more than $5 billion from mining giant BHP’s value, but experts say any stoush over prices should be short-lived..... [more]

• A struggling New South Wales coal mine has announced plans to stop running less than a year after its new operators tried to revive it. Dartbrook Mine, an underground thermal coal joint venture by Australian Pacific Coal and Tetra Resources.... [more]

• Tambourah soars over +150% on high grade gold hits, the latest explorer to pop on the yellow metal’s bull run.... [more]

• Highfield requests suspension extension as capital raise talks advance.... [more]

• Theta Gold Mines (ASX:TGM) is gearing up to generate a massive US$1.2 billion (A$1.9 billion) in free cash flow from its TGME gold project in South Africa, thanks to an optimised feasibility study that turbocharges project economics.... [more]

• The market capitalisation of ASX-listed Dateline Resources smashed through the magic $2 billion mark this morning as its share price surged to a new high of 59 cents a share - an incredible return of 14,700 per cent since the start of April..... [more]

• Three global banks are being paid to obscure who profits from 51 fossil fuel projects in Australia that produce 22m tonnes of carbon emissions each year, according to new analysis..... [more]

• Shadforth PMD acquisition presages scale play.... [more]

• General Pants has closed more than one store every month in a “turnaround” year during which it struggled against high rents, tougher competition, declining relevance and wind-up attempts from former suppliers..... [more]

• Nike franchisee shuts down seven Sydney stores. One of the world’s most recognisable brands is closing seven stores in one major city as one of its franchisees abruptly goes into liquidation..... [more]

• Opinion - Cian Hussey: Kwinana refinery closure spells bleak future for manufacturing. Alcoa’s announcement that it is permanently closing its Kwinana alumina refinery is just the latest sign that Anthony Albanese’s Future Made in Australia.... [more]

World Business News

• U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday froze $26 billion for Democratic-leaning states, following through on a threat to use the government shutdown to target Democratic priorities..... [more]

• Trump Calls Shutdown an ‘Unprecedented Opportunity,’ and Eyes Deep Cuts. The president plans to meet with the White House budget chief to slash what he described as “Democrat agencies.”.... [more]

• Prolonged US government shutdown could raise market risks. Investors have anticipated for weeks the risks of a U.S. government shutdown.... [more]

• Elizabeth Warren calls for Trump to release the jobs report despite shutdown .... [more]

• Average long-term US mortgage rate ticks up for second straight week, to 6.34%.... [more]

• From real sport to esports - why Saudi Arabia spent $55bn on EA.... [more]

• Videogame publisher EA's $55 billion buyout turns spotlight on gaming IP diversification.... [more]

• Berkshire Hathaway is buying Occidental Petroleum’s chemical division for $9.7 billion in what may be the last big acquisition involving the consummate dealmaker, Warren Buffett..... [more]

• Is OpenAI the new Amazon? The ChatGPT maker keeps branching out and erasing market value from competitors..... [more]

• Meta will soon use what people tell its artificial intelligence chatbot to get even better at selling them things. The company said on Wednesday that users’ chats and interactions with Meta AI will soon be used to target them.... [more]

• Carvana has a ‘competitive moat’ over CarMax. But don’t sleep on CarMax’s stock, Morgan Stanley says..... [more]

• U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders urged Boeing (BA.N) in a letter sent on Wednesday to end the eight-week-long strike in the St. Louis area, where it produces fighters, munitions and other military aircraft. "Do the right thing," Sanders said .... [more]

• Rachel Reeves has said she is facing “harsh global headwinds” as she hinted at further tax rises to come in the Budget. The Chancellor used her Labour Party conference speech to insist that she would keep control of the public finances.... [more]

• The pound steadied on Thursday, struggling to rise against a weakening dollar, as traders have started to assess the impact the UK November budget will have on the economy and sterling..... [more]

• Thames Water may not fully comply with rules on pollution of England’s waterways for as long as 15 years, according to a new plan by creditors who are scrambling to avoid the utility being forced into government administration..... [more]

• Eiffel Tower closed as nationwide strikes held across France against austerity.... [more]

• Ryanair could cancel up to 600 flights a day next week due to French air traffic control (ATC) strikes, the airline has claimed. The company’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has reiterated demands to the EU to protect overflights.... [more]

• Shein picks France to open its first permanent outlets.... [more]

• Italy's new public finance targets to be unveiled on Thursday will show the government committing to more ambitious deficit reduction than previously planned, officials said, while confirming weak growth prospects, hit by U.S. trade tariffs..... [more]

• Denmark loses £1.4bn tax fraud claim in UK court case.... [more]

• Hong Kong stocks jumped on Thursday after a one-day break, led by technology giants including Alibaba Group Holding, as investors bet on the domestic artificial intelligence narrative while signs of stabilisation in the property sector.... [more]

• Chinese invested directly in Musk’s SpaceX, insider testifies.... [more]

• Eleven Chinese healthcare and biotechnology companies filed applications to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange in the last two days of September, taking advantage of an ongoing investment boom in the sector..... [more]

• Indonesia's new sovereign wealth fund Danantara will deploy about $10 billion in its first three months of operation starting in October, with 80% earmarked for domestic investments and the rest going overseas,.... [more]

• LG Energy to Start Sending Korean Battery Workers Back to the US.... [more]

• Taiwan imported $1.3 billion worth of the petroleum product naphtha from Russia in the first half of this year, more than from any other country, according to a new report. The purchases come despite Taiwan’s opposition to Russia’s war.... [more]

• BOJ deputy governor offers upbeat view on business mood, profits.... [more]