Markets
Coverage of markets topics.
Trade
Liberation Day, One Year On: How Australia's 10% Tariff Played Out
A year after Trump's Liberation Day tariffs hit 185 countries, Australia remains at the 10% floor rate, the lowest applied globally. Exports have shifted, the trade relationship has held, but new pharmaceutical tariffs and an escalating Iran situation are adding fresh complications.
Iran
Iran Dismisses Ceasefire Offer as April 8 Deadline Lapses
Tehran rejects US ceasefire proposal, escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz as global shipping scrambles to reroute from the vital chokepoint.
Markets
Oil Hits $119 as Iran Strikes Qatari Gas Facilities, IEA Orders Emergency Measures
Brent crude briefly touched four-year highs after Iran retaliated for Israeli strikes on its largest gas field with attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure.
Technology
SK hynix Files $14B US IPO to End the Memory Chip Crisis Choking AI
The world's HBM shortage has a name: RAMmageddon. South Korea's memory giant just filed for Wall Street's biggest tech listing in five years to fix it.
AI
SoftBank's $40 Billion Loan Signals OpenAI IPO Coming This Year
Wall Street giants JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs extend unsecured 12-month loan that bets on one of history's largest public listings
News
Bowen Flags Ministerial Supply Control Under 1984 Emergency Act
The Minister for Climate Change and Energy has signalled that the Commonwealth is prepared to underwrite private fuel imports as Hormuz disruptions persist.
News
Cyclone Narelle Hits Wheatstone, Gorgon as 30M Tonnes of LNG Go Offline
Chevron and Woodside Energy shut down major North West Shelf facilities as Category 4 system disrupts 8% of global gas supply.
Markets
China Pours $120 Billion Into Critical Minerals While Australia Watches
A new report shows China deployed $168 billion AUD into global mining since 2023. Australia is still digging holes and wondering why the value chain moved.
AI
The One-Man Framework That's Reshaping AI's Power Structure
OpenClaw's rise suggests foundation models are becoming commodities. The antitrust implications are significant.
Crypto
Bitcoin's 14-Month Slide Against Gold May Be Over, Technical Indicators Suggest
The BTC/gold ratio has dropped 81% since early 2025. Multiple momentum indicators are flashing the same signals that preceded previous 280-700% rallies.
Markets
When Kharg Falls: Oil Shortage Impact on Australian Fuel Prices
An unprecedented supply disruption in the Persian Gulf is pushing Brent crude above $92 a barrel. Australian petrol prices are rising, and ASX energy stocks face a choice between windfall earnings and long-term portfolio risk.
Markets
The $30 Billion Signal: What JPMorgan's LBO Debt Sale Reveals About Appetite and Discount
JPMorgan's placement of $30B in leveraged buyout debt suggests institutional investors are hunting for yield at prices that reward patience — and that deal flow is normalising after a quiet 2025.