Markets

If the second-largest share market float in Australia history had gone ahead as planned, co-founder Oliver Curtis would have graduated from a ex-banker with a criminal record into a $5.8 billion AI tycoon.

EXCLUSIVE: A Chinese mining group is fighting to seize control of Far East Gold, while the Australian founders battle to protect their stake in a potentially lucrative Indonesian gold project.

THE ECONOMIST: Until recently China had ridden out the Hormuz crisis with impressive agility but the situation is beginning to take its toll.

Reports Thursday morning said stockbrokers were offering Firmus shares for $8.25 each, down from the offer of $11 a share, a big cut for what would be Australia’s second-biggest share market float.

Oliver Curtis is set to become an AI billionaire when Firmus lists at a $43.7 billion valuation, but fund managers are questioning whether the company’s huge growth prospects justify its price tag.

Metrics Credit Partners has stopped investors from accessing some of its funds and delayed the release of its audited financial reports for the portfolios.

Australia’s mining stocks are poised to extend their rally, analysts say, as surging copper demand for power infrastructure and artificial intelligence gives investors a new reason to buy the sector.

THE ECONOMIST: Pinning down the underlying rate may be harder than United States Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh thinks.

Northern Star knocked back a $38.7 billion takeover approach, claiming the valuation falls well short of its fundamental worth and exposes investors to offshore jurisdictional risk.

Veteran retailer Solomon Lew has criticised the Federal Government for what he says is mismanagement of the economy because everyday Australians were paying the price.

Rip Curl and Kathmandu’s struggling owner KMD Brands has left the door open for potential takeover offers after suffering a heavy full-year loss.

Three rounds of interest rate rises from the Reserve Bank, coupled with a petrol crisis fuelled by the Middle East war and a warmer than average start to winter, has driven losses at Myer deeper into the red.

America’s position of global economic stability is starting to look shakier as the Trump administration piles on debt and doubles down on sanctions

Stocks tied to artificial intelligence fell on Monday after AI leaders, led by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, called for a slowdown in the pace of development of AI capabilities.

The central bank for 21 member countries cited its decision as a response to inflation fuelled by high oil prices from the Iran war.

Lending rules introduced during the pandemic five years ago are being blamed for locking out first home-buyers and restricting the supply of new housing.

Oil prices have briefly hit the $US100 per barrel mark during Asian trading.

Little-known Wildcat Infrastructure has bettered South Korean conglomerate Hanwha’s offer of between $US1.05b to $US1.2b.