FEAR & GREED | Business News

Markets jump after a blockbuster bank profit sparks a surge on the ASX. Banking stocks and the Aussie dollar make big moves. Corporate earnings produce dramatic winners and losers across several industries. Political leadership speculation in Canberra heats up. Breaking developments in a US kidnapping and a tragic school shooting in Canada are also covered.

Discussion of political tensions stirred by a high-profile foreign visit and calls for more measured rhetoric. Markets talk covers bank competition, a major firm's push for mortgages and deposits, and a surprising AI-driven hit to insurance stocks. Privacy concerns about connected cars collecting voice and location data. A look at century bonds and why Olympic medals are suddenly worth more in metal value.

Jack Curtis, co-founder and CCO of Neara, builds digital and behavioural models of electricity networks. He discusses how those 3D simulations pinpoint spare grid capacity. He explains why getting power to data centres is becoming the main limit on AI growth. He covers solutions from better planning to tech that squeezes more capacity from existing networks.

Markets climbed as technology shares led gains and the Aussie dollar hovered near 71 US cents. A new US AI tool rattled insurers and sent share prices lower. Protests around a high-profile visit led to multiple charges and calls for inquiries. A major airline launched a domestic price war as regulators eye stronger consumer protections. Unions pushed for remote work to become the default.

Markets jump with a tech-led ASX rally and strong breadth driving the best session since April. Political drama brews as a likely federal Liberal leadership challenge looms. Household spending dips, adding uncertainty to Reserve Bank moves. A record surge in very rich Australians draws attention to wealth trends. They also pick their favourite Super Bowl ads and discuss the eye-watering ad prices.

Ben Gilbert, Head of Australian Research at Jarden, shares which companies and sectors could surprise this reporting season. He highlights supermarket momentum, Wesfarmers’ strengths, risks for Treasury Wine and QSR challenges. He also discusses interest-rate impacts, smaller retailers to watch, and how firms should approach AI.

Markets jump almost 2 percent with tech, data centres and gold leading the charge. Quarterly reports from smaller companies stir trading moves. A shocking Newspoll shows major shifts in party support. NBN fibre rollout pushed out to 2040, making it a decades‑long project. A UK political resignation tied to Epstein connections makes international headlines.

Markets brace for a volatile profit season that could send share prices on sharp swings. Big tech is racing to nearly $1 trillion a year in AI-related spending and massive data centre buildouts. Political reforms reshuffle the federal coalition. Odd Olympic stories surface about unusual methods to gain an edge in men's ski jumping.

Stephen Koukoulas, economist and commentator known as 'The Kook', offers a concise macro view. He previews December household spending and what it reveals about consumer strength. He breaks down lending data and first‑home buyer impacts. He discusses capital gains tax changes, political barriers to fiscal reform, and why the RBA shifted to hiking rates.

They discuss the Washington Post cutting 300 journalists and the shockwaves across newsrooms. Conversation covers private ownership and opaque finances versus public media models. They debate how editorial directives and endorsement choices can drive subscribers away. The role of product diversification, games and utility features as survival strategies for news businesses is explored.