Markets

The Reserve Bank has raised interest rates by another 25 basis points to 4.35 per cent, undoing last year’s relief. Governor Michele Bullock hinted at more pain and cautioned against higher government spending.

For borrowers, the question is not simply whether rates will rise again, but if paying for certainty now is worth the risk of being locked in later.

The owner of Dan Murphy’s and BWS liquor stores is stocking up on booze as it braces for a hit of up to $8 million on higher fuel costs related to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

THE ECONOMIST: Markets are disconnected from reality and we are heading for the biggest global oil-supply shock in history, energy experts warn.

Pressure is mounting for Jim Chalmers to sharpen the axe in his upcoming Federal Budget as economists from Deloitte warn years of revenue windfalls have ‘papered over’ structural flaws in the nation’s finances.

Australia’s banks, insurers and super funds have been warned by their regulator they are unprepared for the threat of AI-related fraud.

THE ECONOMIST: It’s dangerous work, but post-war reconstruction and diversification brings opportunities for the cowboys of the energy industry.

Inflation soared to a near three-year high of 4.6 per cent during the first full month of the Iran war that drove fuel prices to all-time highs. Fuel prices rose by a record one third in March alone.

US share markets hit record highs on Friday even as global investors worry an inflation shock from the Middle East will damage consumers and the economy.

The worries around the energy supply shock stoking inflation and the cost of living sent the S&P/ASX 200 down 1.7 per cent over the week.

One in three Australians can’t live without cash a new Reserve Bank report has revealed, along with very surprising new data about banknote transactions.

Petrol supplies out of Viva Energy’s Geelong Refinery will be slashed up to 60 per cent over the short term, as it recovers from a huge fire on April 15. 

A Washington H. Soul Pattinson-led consortium has returned with an improved offer, which the target is considering after rejecting its previous bid.

One of the world’s top-ranked airlines says it will cut flights from mid-May until the end of June, citing soaring jet fuel costs triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

A series of government-funded ads will be rolled out on television, radio, online and on billboards, urging Australians to conserve fuel.