As was laid out in Mission Critical's two-part series on rare earths, it's come as no surprise that China's export ban on rare earth minerals and refined products to the United States has shot a rocket under the share price of juniors in the space. The bigger picture at play here, however, is the lack of ex-China rare earths refining capability. Azzet’s Mission Critical is a weekly column that
If you are about to retire, you’re probably questioning whether super – as tax-efficient as it might be – is too exposed to highly volatile share markets to deliver dependable retirement income. Account based pensions (ABP) linked to a super fund are the go-to retirement income solution for most retirees. However, if you are worried about your super’s exposure to highly volatile share market
Super Nation is a fortnightly column that examines, explains and analyses key issues in one of Australia's largest, fastest-growing and most important industries: superannuation. Jim Chalmers may not realise it, but Donald Trump may have sunk one of his biggest revenue-generating plans. The plunge in global share markets sparked by Trump’s tariff war with trading partners has exposed the ris
The Australian sharemarket finished higher on Thursday, rounding out a shortened trading week with gains of 1.9%, as investor sentiment was buoyed by speculation that United States President Donald Trump may soften his stance on tariffs imposed on China. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed up on Thursday, gaining 47.7 points or 0.6% to 7,968.2. Nine of the 11 sectors finished in positive ter
Having admitted that the 145% tariff rate imposed on China is unsustainably high, the Trump administration has conceded that it’s time to stop playing hard ball and rebalance. Share markets in the United States rallied overnight in response to the revelation by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that it’s now time for a sweeping agreement that winds down the trade war with China. “If they wan
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Businesses are looking for ways to push costs onto customers to deal with the early stages of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to a Federal Reserve report. Tariffs were a hot topic in the Fed report, mentioned 107 times, which is over double the number mentioned in the last Beige Book. The report also found the outlook “worsened considerably” in several regions as economic uncertaint
The Copper Coast is preparing to welcome its first cruise ship since 2019 with the luxury Seabourn Quest. The ship is set to dock in the South Australian Town of Wallaroo in March 2027, which has long awaited the return of cruise ships. Wallaroo businesses welcome the announcement but are still awaiting further details. The town is home to 4,000 people, and the cruise ships stopping by in 20
Sales of new single-family homes in the United States rose sharply in March 2025, as homebuyers took advantage of a temporary dip in mortgage rates. However, ongoing concerns about economic growth and rising construction costs continue to cast a shadow over the housing market’s recovery. According to data released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Deve
Office tower funds have had their first positive quarterly returns in over two years, following a pandemic-era increase in hybrid working. According to the MSCI/Mercer Australia Core Wholesale Monthly Property Fund Index, office funds holding more than $34 billion in assets saw a total return of 1.1 per cent total return for the first quarter of 2025. This is the first time since 2022 that t
Texas Instruments shares were rising in after-hours trading after the chip maker exceeded expectations in their first quarter earnings report. The company reported first quarter revenue of US$4.07 billion and earnings per share of $1.28, improving upon the revenue from the same time last year. This also beats analysts' expectations of $3.91 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $1.07.
