Markets

The five biggest companies in the S&P 500 now make up a quarter of the index.
The Economist
The Economist

Passive investors are cleaning up. Why the experts worried

The five biggest companies in the S&P 500 now make up a quarter of the index. Markets have not been as concentrated since the ‘nifty fifty’ bubble of the early 1970s. 

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Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has indicated rates will be cut later in the year.
Business
Sinead Carew and Bansari Mayur Kamdar

Federal Reserve Chair Powell fuels hopes for rate cut in 2024

Wall Street’s three major indexes closed higher on Wednesday as economic data and comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reinforced hopes for expected rate cuts later this year.

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WestGold's processing hub at Meekatharra Gold Operations.
Mining
Adrian Rauso

Argonaut spreads the love among local goldies

Argonaut believes all of WA’s gold miners will reap the rewards of a new price peak for the precious metal, but the stockbroker has singled out one as the biggest winner.

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Surplus gas is burned off in a crude oil processing plant.
Business
CNBC

U.S. crude oil touches $80 a barrel for first time in months

U.S. crude oil futures touched $80 a barrel for the first time in nearly four months.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) at the headquarters of the Federal Reserve on June 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. After a streak of ten interest rate increases, Powell announced that rates will remain steady and unchanged. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Business
Bloomberg

Hoping for rate cuts? US message isn’t promising

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is expected to double down on his message that there’s no rush to cut interest rates, especially after fresh inflation data showed that price pressures persist.

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A smart phone is displaying the NVIDIA Corporation stock price on the NASDAQ market, with an NVIDIA chip visible in the background, in this photo illustration taken in Brussels, Belgium, on December 30, 2023. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Economist
The Economist

A golden age for stockmarkets is drawing to a close

Share prices may be surging, but even AI is unlikely to drive a repeat of the past decade’s performance.

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Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott has overseen massive growth in the company.
exclusive
Business
Adrian Lowe

Master strokes: Rob Scott’s journey from Games rower to CEO

Rob Scott has overseen Wesfarmers transformation into the country’s ninth-largest corporation. And with its recent acquisition of Priceline, he reveals where he sees the company heading.

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Investors have remained jittery about the mining sector for a good part of the last decade.
The Economist
The Economist

Investor jitters on mining could have global ramifications

The boom and bust cycles of the sector’s last decade have resulted in wary investors in the west. And that’s let newer players move right in.

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The stock market is roaring, with several market researchers debating if it's time for investors to put all their savings into equities.
Business
The Economist

Should you put all your savings into stocks?

As markets roar, an old argument returns.

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Sam Altman could be in a position to make millions.
Business
CNBC

Why Open AI boss Altman could make a killing from Reddit

Thanks to a series of bets on the online discussion board company, Sam Altman could make millions.

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Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway cash hoard jumped to a record at $167.6 billion in the fourth quarter.
Business
Sally Bakewell

Why Buffet believes days of ‘eye-popping’ gains are over

Multi-billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s annual letter to investors is out, and it comes with a warning.

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With most major Asian markets closed, analysts said they expected a quiet day in global markets.
Business
Elizabeth Howcroft

World stocks at two-year high as US price data in focus

Global shares have been steady at their highest level since 2022 as major Asian markets were closed for holidays and investor waited for key US inflation data.

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The Big Mac was a little piece of American capitalism in a communist country.
Business
The Economist

What Trump can learn from the Big Mac index

Should the presidential candidate go on another crusade against the yuan?

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A worker located in the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s headquarters. Source: TSMC/via Bloomberg News
Business
Jacob Shteyman

US tech titans inspire Aussie share rally, as miners take hefty hit

It’s not quite the tech boom, but a massive revenue projection by a semiconductor giant has inspired an upbeat mood for 2024 in the often unpredictable sector.

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Westpac data suggests many people will have a larger than usual post-Christmas economic hangover.
Business
Adrian Lowe

Cost of living pressure causes plunge in consumer sentiment

Consumer sentiment has plunged to its lowest January level in half a century outside the early 1990s recession as Australians grapple with cost-of-living pressures and fears they will worsen.

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