Hot Topics
Trending stories and market-moving news from the ASX small-cap sector
Death Taxes Do Happen in Australia
The old saying used to be that there's nothing certain about life than death and taxes, and things get really interesting and somewhat complex when you combine the two in the form of death taxes.
Top Stories
The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Dividends
There used to be an investment rule that if you wanted to invest for dividends, Australia was the place to do it.
US–China Trade Deal Pauses Rare-Earth Controls, Trims Tariffs: What it means for critical minerals and markets
The White House has outlined a US–China trade and economic framework reached in Seoul between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.
Market Wrap: Gold miners lose the tug of war with Consumer Stocks
A tug of war between rising gold miners and a souring consumer sector saw the Australian share market end the week basically flat on Friday. By the close the ASX 200 had fallen just 3.6 points or less than 0.1% to 8881.9 points, although the index had fallen 1.7% for the week. A fairly negative lead in from Wall Street didn’t help with shares in Facebook parent Meta falling, dragging down the rest of the magnificent seven mega-cap technology stocks and causing all three major US indices to drop.
Latest Hot Topics
The Lithium Turnaround: Pilbara, Liontown, IGO, MinRes, and Global Lithium Resources to Watch
Australia’s lithium industry is entering an exciting period. Global demand for lithium is rising sharply, electrification is accelerating, and Australia’s hard-rock lithium producers are perfectly positioned to benefit. From rising export earnings to operational leverage and selective growth opportunities, the fundamentals are compelling. We’ve captured the full story in a detailed report, including: Why lithium […]
Is the Critical Minerals Sell-Off a Buying Opportunity for North America-Exposed Names?
After a two-month global rally in critical minerals and rare earths stocks, especially those with North American assets, the group has slumped over the past 48 hours on headlines that Washington and Beijing have reached a framework to delay new tariffs and relax near-term export restrictions. The pullback could be technical, not fundamental, as traders take profits, but underlying need […]
When Averages Turn Mean and Steal Your Joy
It is very true that comparison is the thief of joy and that is particularly the case when it comes to superannuation balances. It seems that every second day there is another piece of financial propaganda warning about how high average superannuation balances are at various ages. The not so hidden meaning is it if […]
Property Boom Flatters Victoria’s Troubled Budget
There’s nothing like a property boom to gladden the heart of any state premier. So Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan must be delighted to see that Melbourne’s median house price has now marched to within $10,000 of its record high. While these higher prices make it harder for first time buyers to get into the market, […]
US and China Reach Framework for Trade Deal Ahead of Trump–Xi Meeting
Top US and Chinese economic officials have agreed on the outline of a new trade framework that could avert another round of steep tariffs and ease Chinese export controls on critical minerals, US officials said Sunday. The agreement, reached on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, sets the stage for President Donald Trump and Chinese President […]
Trump’s Industrial Push Sees Washington Invest in Strategic Industries
Under President Donald Trump, the US government has begun taking direct equity stakes in major private companies, including chipmaker Intel, rare earth producer MP Materials, and lithium developer Lithium Americas, as part of a sweeping effort to bolster national security and reduce reliance on China. The policy marks a sharp departure from decades of free-market orthodoxy. Some company boards […]
Weekly Wrap: Can the ASX Overcome Trade Turmoil? Investors Brace for Volatility
It was one of those weeks on the share market when the good news and the bad news fought for domination. In the end, both had a reasonable claim to have won the week, with the Australian share market posting a weekly gain of 0.3% to record its second straight week of gains. On the […]
US and Australia Sign New Rare Earths and Critical Minerals Supply Chain Framework
The United States and Australia have signed a landmark agreement in Washington, D.C. establishing a common policy framework for the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths, strengthening supply chain resilience and deepening strategic cooperation between the two nations The US–Australia Critical Minerals Framework, signed on 20 October 2025, aims to bolster the availability of […]