Elizabeth Knight
ANZ stand raises the bar on rates
Elizabeth Knight It's probably a better than odds-on bet that ANZ Bank will raise its variable interest rate today - setting a new industry agenda and cementing the fact that the large commercial banks have stolen...
Bold and bootyful ANZ set to lead the rate pack
Elizabeth Knight The banks are about to usurp the Reserve Bank by dictating interest rate structure.
Shale gas strategy could tarnish legacy
Elizabeth Knight Buried in the back of BHP Billiton's statutory earnings report is a statement of risks and uncertainties.
NAB's British division just has to go
Elizabeth Knight The collective sigh of relief was near audible from the headquarters of Australia's banks yesterday.
Fairfax bid: Is it insurance or a minefield?
Elizabeth Knight For iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest, Gina Rinehart's move this week to become Fairfax's largest shareholder is nothing if not serendipitous.
Optus outsmarts rival on AFL internet rights
Elizabeth Knight Given the speed of technology change, Telstra took a risk entering a five-year contract.
Discounting is the new retail reality
Elizabeth Knight When the chief executive of a supermarket business proclaims it's a wonderful environment for customers, the flip side is it's a lousy environment for the company.
Euro zone parents get tough as family quarrel heats up
Elizabeth Knight In the parlance of parenthood, the latest master plan to save Europe from economic annihilation is about the German and French parents imposing boundaries on the poorly behaved smaller children in...
ANZ opens up new front in the cash rate cold war
Elizabeth Knight On Tuesday, leak-proof bunkers were set up to house four senior banking teams. They are, in effect, war rooms where interest rate battle strategies are hatched and various scenarios are assessed and...
ANZ a wildcard as it leads pack
Elizabeth Knight The bank's game-changing strategy caught rivals unaware.
Cut in cash rate is no facelift for the economy, but it makes everyone feel a bit better
Elizabeth Knight Consumer psychology is a science insufficiently regarded by economists. Retailers are much better-schooled.
McInnes hits back at Zahra in DJs stoush
Elizabeth Knight A war of words has erupted between David Jones ex-chief Mark McInnes and his successor, Paul Zahra, over who is to blame for the poor performance of the department store.
RBA works the levers but to little purpose
Elizabeth Knight Let's go shopping! The Reserve Bank has cut the cash rate by one quarter of a per cent.
No kick-starter, just quiet encouragement
Elizabeth Knight A cut of 25 basis points is hardly enough to reignite retail. and scream let's go shopping!
Retail waits for RBA Christmas present
Elizabeth Knight Glenn Stevens and the board at the Reserve Bank will this week decide whether Australian retailers have a lousy Christmas or an acceptable one.
Spotless coming clean with an unusual tactic
Elizabeth Knight The proposal from the private equity group Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) to buy Spotless Group moved out of neutral yesterday and into a spluttering start, with both parties making hesitant steps...
A little less persuasion, a bit more compulsion
Elizabeth Knight Six weeks ago, when Tjeerd Jegen moved into one of Australia's biggest retail jobs - running the giant Woolworths supermarket chain - he called an urgent meeting with the group's head of human...
Lew backs his Premier retail in tough fight for cash
Elizabeth Knight Solomon Lew's shares in his Premier Investments have plunged along with most other retailers.
BHP's $20b shale bet will be debated until return is clearer
Elizabeth Knight UBS investment's highly rated resources analyst, Glyn Lawcock, has produced a research report on BHP's US shale play with the understated title – "US shale, another one for the grandkids".
The world according to Norris
Elizabeth Knight Commonwealth Bank boss Ralph Norris reflects on his time at the helm as he prepares to leave.
