Tag: Podcasts

Everywhere this week, companies have been taking advantage of a red-hot Australian dollar to engage in mergers and acquisitions. Leon and Garry talk about AMP and France's AXA SA bidding on AXA Asia Pacific, Brambles buying the Dutch IFCO Systems, OneSteel buying business from AngloAmerican, and more, plus all the latest news in this Talking Business podcast.

Commonwealth Bank raises its mortgage rate on top of the RBA’s interest rate hike. Meanwhile the inflation index for Australia is picking up. And Joe Hockey appears to be on a winner with his plans to control the banks: he and the Government are now in a game of one upmanship to bring the banks into line. Leon and Garry discuss all these headlines and more in this news podcast.

In this interview, Origin Energy Managing Director Grant King talks about his company’s plans for the future concerning the carbon tax and renewable energy, as well as the proposed hydroelectric project in conjunction with Papua New Guinea.

RMIT economist Jonathan Boymal talks about interest rate rises, retail figures and falling building approval data. He sees evidence of high consumer confidence, but also observes a degree of risk aversion and cautious selectivity in the spending habits of consumers.

In this week’s Talking Business interview, Jason Castan talks about his company Never Can Tell, an app developer for Apple’s iOS platform used in the iPhone and iPad – and one of many companies named after snippets from Pulp Fiction.

The top business story of late has been the Singapore Exchange’s bid to take over the Australian Securities Exchange. Leon and Garry examine the growing political opposition to the bid and the conditions under which the Government might approve the merger.

In this podcast, RMIT Economist Alberto Posso talks about misleading inflation figures and job market data. While the consumer price index is slightly up, utility prices have jumped and may hurt working families without some short-term government intervention.

Not even a sore throat can keep Garry away from the news desk this week. He and Leon discuss the near-certain likelihood of an interest rate rise before the Melbourne Cup, as well as James Packer's surprise sharemarket raid on the Ten Network and its consequences, plus all the latest business news in this episode of Talking Business.

RMIT Economist Sinclair Davidson looks at the ABS report showing only a slight decline in the total number of businesses in Australia. He criticises an Opposition proposal to rein in the banks and weighs the pros and cons of a plan for the post office to operate financial shopfronts.

This week’s podcast features a chat with Travis Williams, a real estate entrepreneur who’s also the founder and managing director of Box+Dice Software. Williams developed Box+Dice to help real estate agents build relationships with their clients and manage their personal information. In this interview, he reveals why it takes love and obsession to start a business... and a little naivete to persevere.

Talking Business is a podcast review of the Australian economy, presented by seasoned business journalists Leon Gettler and Garry Barker, produced in association with the RMIT College of Business. In this podcast, RMIT economist Jonathan Boymal talks about flat to declining housing and lending finance, indicating that housing will not be driving the Australian economy for some time.

In this podcast, Leon and Garry talk about the soaring Australian dollar with the NAB predicting it will hit $US1.10 in the next six months. Treasurer Wayne Swan warns that it could erode tax revenue with manufacturing, agriculture and tourism the hardest hit. Exporters are calling for government assistance to offset the impact of a strong dollar.

In this week's Talking Business interview, Leon and Garry speak with Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull, former Opposition leader and current shadow spokesman for telecommunications and broadband. He criticises the Government’s plan for the National Broadband Network as too expensive and lacking in any cost-benefit analysis. Calling the NBN an effective monopoly that will make any competition impossible, Mr. Turnbull endorses incremental improvements to the existing network as a fiscally responsible policy.

Talking Business is a podcast review of the Australian economy, presented by seasoned business journalists Leon Gettler and Garry Barker, produced in association with the RMIT College of Business. In this podcast, RMIT economist Alberto Posso talks to Leon and Garry about retail trade and engineering construction figures.

This week, Leon and Garry talk to Trent Telford, founder and chief executive of Cocoon Data, a Melbourne-based internet security company. Telford’s company combines file and identity protection services, including rights management, so that documents can be secured to protect user privacy as well as right of access.

In this podcast, Garry and Leon look at the Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates on hold – for now. But the big four banks will give the RBA until next month to raise rates, or they say they will go it alone. In other news, the Department of Finance looks at $2.4 billion in cuts to pay for the pledges it made during its negotiations with the Independents, and the Housing Industry Association predicts a steep fall in housing starts as the federal stimulus measures fade.

Talking Business is a podcast review of the Australian economy, presented by seasoned business journalists Leon Gettler and Garry Barker, produced in association with the RMIT College of Business. It features interviews with prominent business leaders and expert analysis from RMIT academics. Download this podcast to hear RMIT economist Jonathan Boymal talk about the reduction in building approvals caused by interest rate rises, and job vacancy figures showing a tighter labour market.

Ian Campbell, managing director of Melbourne-based manufacturing conglomerate, GUD Holdings, talks to Leon and Garry about marketing, the consumer appliance business, retailers and their “philosophies” and why he does not always find them either useful or profitable. And then there was his highly successful sponsorship of the TV blockbuster “Master Chef” to promote the Sunbeam kitchen appliances company.

Leon and Garry talk about the difficulty getting the legislation for the NBN through Parliament. But the Government needs to hurry as Telstra wants to have the NBN finalised by Christmas. Telstra has also released its latest renewal plan. Meanwhile, its share price has fallen to an all-time low.

RMIT economist Jonathan Boymal talks about the drop off in lending finance and dwelling unit commencements. Although the numbers send mixed messages, businesses and consumers do appear to be exercising greater caution in their financial practices of late.