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Emergency services workers and pharmacists are perceived as the most ethical professions in Australia, and real estate agents the least ethical, the Governance Institute found in its annual ethics check. It also noted a stark rise in the importance of ethics among Australians.

In addition to falling for the ‘big market delusion’ that competitors won’t emerge and current performance expectations are rational, investors are also overplaying Nvidia as a ‘safe’ hand in the AI game, according to a new research paper.

The bill would require any future legislation affecting superannuation to comport with the objective of preserving savings “to deliver income for a dignified retirement, alongside government support, in an equitable and sustainable way”.

The best Asian private equity funds often outperform their developed-market counterparts, with less underlying leverage and more growth potential. Several structural tailwinds also support opportunities for the right PE strategies in Asian markets, says Morgan Stanley.

One of the most surprising outcomes from the better-than-expected August reporting season was the strong performance of consumer discretionary retailers, as Australians continued to weather higher interest rates and inflation better than many analysts had feared.

“Like a good wine, the best vintages in private markets often come from challenging environments,” Franklin Templeton’s Tony Davidow says, predicting the recent dysfunction markets have endured could mean a strong vintage year for private equity.

The regulator will target predatory lending practices and misconduct against small business, with a focus on scams, particularly where conduct hurts retirement outcomes. It’s also looking into how banks responds to customers in financial distress.

While investor confidence is not yet back to pre-COVID levels, a new CA ANZ survey found half of Australian retail investors plan to increase the scale of their investments over the next year, despite elevated fears of interest rate hikes.

With global growth expectations already under pressure, drought-fuelled disruption to the Panama Canal shipping route is bringing supply-chain slowdowns back to the fore, just in time to do maximal economic damage.

While the Albanese government expects Australia’s economy to grow by two and a half times by 2063, the growth will be slower and harder-won than in past decades as major global shifts alter economic dynamics, the report stated. But to get there, productivity needs to pick up.

Criticism that superannuation tax concessions are costing the government more than the Age Pension is disingenuous and based on bad analysis, Mercer said in a new report finding super concessions actually save taxpayers in the long run.

In a sweeping report recommending a seismic economic overhaul, the Business Council of Australia said global shifts mean Australia must adapt – and act effectively on decarbonisation, deglobalisation and other challenges – or risk losing its place on the global stage.