BUSINESS

Australia's wealthiest citizens in 2026 reflect a nation at the crossroads of tradition and innovation

Findings from the Global CEO Survey show that most Australian CEOs believe that junior roles will be slashed due to AI adoption.

As housing prices and living expenses continue to climb in Australia's major metropolitan centers, many residents, students, and new migrants are turning to smaller cities and regional hubs for relief.

Sydney's housing market has long been the nation's most expensive, but the latest figures from Domain show the city's median house price has reached $1.76 million, the highest on record. The surge marks the 12th consecutive quarter of growth, defying predictions of a slowdown.

Around the world, leading technology platforms are responding by strengthening their internal frameworks, investing in compliance, and placing a renewed emphasis on local leadership. One company demonstrating this commitment is KuCoin.

The Queensland government is set to make changes across the construction sector following the report of its productivity commission.

Westfarmers is no longer supporting the largest franchisee of Priceline Pharmacy as part of a rescue deal.

Data from an Oxfam report shows that Australian billionaires were able to increase their wealth by $600,000 a day on average over the past year.

Clothing brand Fletcher Jones that it is closing down its physical stores and online business after a little over 100 years.

Changes to Lucasfilm's leadership has been made as it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy will be stepping down as president.

The recall issued for a hand sanitiser is a result of an adult suffering acute methanol poisoning after ingesting the product.

Failed luxury caravan manufacturer Zone RV is set to be liquidated after it went into administration last year.

School systems reported high annual replacement spending, with some districts in the United States noting double-digit breakage rates among student-issued devices. Accessory makers moved to fill the gap, but few produced solutions built for the realities of daily use. STM Goods recognised the pattern forming earlier than most.

The NSW Fair Trading is alerting citizens against a so-called "ghost store" using the Bondi massacre for scams.

Kandace Swaisland never planned to start a consulting company. If someone had told her during her early days at a sprawling construction conglomerate that she'd eventually launch KAKScorp, she probably would have thought they were joking. Her time at that company shaped her into the leader she is today.

Australia's embedded finance market will reach $14.86 billion by 2030, growing at 6.6% annually as use cases expand beyond BNPL into retail, mobility, property and B2B sectors.

Vietnam's Nutifood and Australia's ViPlus Dairy debut GippsNature Organic A2, marking a major milestone in their strategic partnership and accelerating a joint roadmap for global nutrition expansion.

Barking Dog is ready to grow internationally now that it has trademark protection in Australia, the UK, and the US. Fitzgerald wants to open an office in Europe because he thinks there is a growing need for strategic marketing partnerships around the world.

Australian shares crashed $60bn on Tuesday in the worst trading session since Liberation Day tariffs, with the ASX 200 falling 1.94% as tech stocks plummeted and recession fears intensified across global markets.

National Australia Bank reported FY25 cash earnings of $7.091 billion (down 0.2%) and statutory profit of $6.759 billion (down 2.9%), missing analyst expectations. Credit impairment charges rose 14.4% while shares trade at 2.1x book value—a 38% premium to 10-year average and highest valuation in over a decade.

Australia opened the world's first commercial quantum diamond foundry in Melbourne with $31 million in government funding. Quantum Brilliance's facility produces lab-grown diamonds for room-temperature quantum computers, creating new opportunities for specialized manufacturing and technology insurance.

Australian photo-sharing app Tinybeans (ASX: TNY) acquired US rival Qeepsake for $4.1 million in an all-stock deal, nearly doubling its subscriber base to 90,000. The acquisition costs just $67 per subscriber — far below organic acquisition costs — and boosts revenue 85%.

Australian home prices surged 1.1% in October 2025, the fastest monthly gain in over two years, adding $10,000 to median dwelling values. CoreLogic data shows Perth led with 1.9% growth while every capital city recorded gains. Annual growth hit 6.1% as rate cuts fuel property boom.

ASX 200 slipped 0.04% on Friday to close at 8,881.90, capping a volatile October that saw the index erase two months of gains. Hot CPI data killed rate cut hopes while Domino's Pizza surged 36% on takeover speculation and CSL crashed 15% on a revenue warning.

Israel-based Talma Travel Solutions acquired Sydney's Bay Travel Group for $10 million, marking its entry into Australia. The deal continues Talma's aggressive global expansion strategy with plans for more Asia-Pacific acquisitions in 2026.

Australia's digital asset sector enters a defining regulatory phase as Treasury's draft legislation mandates Australian Financial Services Licence requirements for cryptocurrency platforms.

Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR) has purchased four standalone Bunnings outlets across New South Wales and Queensland for A$151 million, expanding its net-lease hardware exposure and lifting its FY26 earnings guidance.

Chip-maker Nvidia has become the first company in history to surpass a $5 trillion market value, driven by soaring artificial-intelligence chip demand, strategic partnerships and a strong keynote at its GTC event — but experts warn of a possible tech bubble.

Wesfarmers discloses that its retail staff faced more than 13,500 threats and about 1,000 assaults in the past year, prompting plans for enhanced safety measures across its stores.