Comment & Analysis
Strange bedfellows of the sky
ADELE FERGUSON It is believed that Etihad Airways has been buying up shares in Virgin Australia in the past few weeks as part of a plan to restore its 9.9 per cent stake in the airline.
Elizabeth Knight
Buoyant banks tread a fine line
ELIZABETH KNIGHT Next few months could provide tipping point for CBA and fellow 'big four' banking club members.
China's State Grid powers up in Australia
MALCOLM MAIDEN In the electricity industry, Chinese government-owned State Grid Corporation is the global whale.
World war spree is declared
MICHAEL WEST Here we are sitting pretty at the tail end of the biggest boom in history. What with interest rates at a 50-year low, unemployment at just 5.5 per cent, economic growth about 3 per cent and very little debt … you could be forgiven for thinking things were not too bad.
Delayed return to surplus no worry - what causes it is
ROSS GITTINS Most of those who take a political approach to the budget assume that if it's in deficit, the way you get it back to surplus is to cut government spending.
The silliest bit of the budget nonsense
MICHAEL PASCOE Pet projects and bizarre accidents aside, some budget decisions are just stupid.
Rollover changes delayed for self-managed super funds
MAX NEWNHAM The new electronic processing system for super transfers will now be introduced in stages.
Companies
Trailing herd is a tale of woe
CHRISTOPHER WEBB Punters who like piggy-backing director buying - particularly multi-director buying - have discovered that sometimes it can be costly. Very costly.
Navigating the mind game of defence
JOHN GARNAUT The Art of War, still recited by Chinese generals, has little to say about the art of actual fighting. Instead it is filled with every conceivable mind game to convince the enemy to capitulate without firing a shot.
China's calling - and we need chutzpah to go with wine and cheese
HAROLD MITCHELL In the famous 1975 ''Thrilla In Manilla'', Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier slugged it out in the greatest boxing match of all time.
Go with the flow and you should bag a valuable catch
MARCUS PADLEY If success in the sharemarket is being right 51 per cent of the time, then you don't need much of an edge to succeed.
Tax
Big banks enjoying hefty offshore deductions
ERIC JOHNSTON Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank were among the biggest beneficiaries of a tax deduction linked to offshore banking units last year, as Canberra is looking to clamp down on the structure.
CBD
Politics: it's all about the look
The rigours of budget day can have a strange effect on people.
Insider
Old favourites appear once more in ASX hall of shame
ASX commanders fire their warning shots at the sharemarket's corporate cling-ons.
