What Happens If Trump Bails on Aukus?
Never miss an episode. Follow The Bloomberg Australia Podcast today.
The US has announced a review of the Aukus defense deal, casting fresh doubts on whether the country will follow through on its pact with Australia and the UK.
This week on the podcast, Rebecca Jones asks reporter Ben Westcott to explain what's behind the review and what the potential consequences are for Australia, the Asia Pacific, and China's increasing presence in the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
While institutions own 38% of Fleetwood Limited (ASX:FWD), retail investors are its largest shareholders with 48% ownership
The considerable ownership by retail investors in Fleetwood indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy A total of 16 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership Insiders own 10% of Fleetwood We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. To get a sense of who is truly in control of Fleetwood Limited (ASX:FWD), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 48% to be precise, is retail investors. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. And institutions on the other hand have a 38% ownership in the company. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Fleetwood, beginning with the chart below. View our latest analysis for Fleetwood Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. Fleetwood already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Fleetwood's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Fleetwood is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Sandon Capital Investments Limited with 9.2% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 8.2% and 6.5% of the stock. A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 16 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time. While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Fleetwood Limited. Insiders have a AU$26m stake in this AU$249m business. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. With a 48% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Fleetwood. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Fleetwood better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Fleetwood that you should be aware of. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New $363 EV tax plan for electric car drivers amid $67.6 billion cost: 'Inevitability'
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers could soon have to fork out hundreds of dollars a year to pay for their share of using Australia's roads. Those in petrol cars have to pay an excise on fuel at the moment, which goes to the federal government to fund our transport infrastructure. EV drivers, on the other hand, don't have to pay a cent in excise duty because they fill up using electricity, however, that could be about to change. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has flagged a potential new road-user charge (RUC) and EV motoring expert Toby Hagon told Yahoo Finance it's about time. "EVs at some point need to start paying their way," he said. "It's an inevitability that they're going to have to start paying taxes as petrol and diesel cars do today." $13,296 blow for EV drivers as major electric car tax break could soon be scrapped Centrelink age pension changes coming into effect from July 1 $1,000 ATO school fees tax deduction that Aussies don't realise they can claim Chalmers has admitted it won't be a simple task. 'All of this represents a big agenda on the supply side of our economy. None of these reforms are simple," he told the National Press Club this week. It comes as tens of thousands of people have hopped on the EV bandwagon in recent years and they occupy more of the motoring landscape. It's unclear how much EV drivers could soon have to pay, as the government will need to work out the nitty-gritty with the states and territories on the future of the RUC system. Hagon believed it could be in the region of 3 cents per kilometre latest data found the average Aussie drives around 12,100kms per year, meaning EV motorists could be paying around $363 each year to use the road. Comparatively, the fuel excise is currently 50.8 cents a litre, and a typical household pays around $1,200 a year. Aussies forked out roughly $15.71 billion in net fuel excise in 2023-24. They're expected to pay an eye-watering $67.6 billion over the four years to 2026-27. But the EV Central editor reckons there shouldn't be two different systems depending on the type of engine you drive. "I'm not sure why we would treat EVs any differently to any other car on the road, we should be taxing them all equally," he told Yahoo Finance. "Don't just single out EVs or hybrids or plug-in hybrids. Apply a road user charge across the board and get rid of fuel excess. It seems like a logical way to do it." He said that could be a huge win for drivers as their fuel costs could come down, but that isn't a certainty. At the moment, the fuel excise hits heavier vehicles harder because they require more petrol or diesel to run and damage the road more compared to lighter ones. Hagon said an overarching road-user charge that covered every engine type should be based on weight to ensure fairness. EV sales have been stagnating in Australia recently, and the idea of an annual RUC for the market raises questions of whether people would walk away from buying an electric car. Hagon told Yahoo Finance that while EV drivers have enjoyed years of no RUC, they're still saving hundreds of dollars from charging their vehicles rather than paying for petrol. He added there are plenty of other benefits of jumping on the EV bandwagon. "I don't think it's going to have an enormous impact on EV sales, because we've seen the price of EVs come down enormously over the last two or three years, and the competition is ramping up," he said. "The running cost of an EV is so much lower than $363 a year, so it's not going to be the determining factor of whether someone buys an EV or not."Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Housing solution given major tax boost as Australia faces 'critical problem'
A tax break will be extended 'indefinitely' for owners of new build-to-rent developments as the NSW government tries to boost rental supply in the country's most expensive property market. The change was announced today ahead of the state budget, alongside rules to help fast-track infrastructure. The NSW budget will extend the 50 per cent land tax discount on build-to-rent developments indefinitely. The tax break was due to expire in 2039 under the previous government. University of Queensland Professor of Finance Shaun Bond told Yahoo Finance build-to-rent could have a 'big impact' on the landscape of Australian housing over the coming years and was 'key' to taking some pressure off the market. RELATED Growing property tactic that allowed 25-year-old to buy first Sydney home Centrelink age pension changes coming into effect from July 1 $1,000 ATO school fees tax deduction that Aussies don't realise they can claim 'The key problem we have in Australia is we just haven't been building enough homes. This is a critical problem that was severely exacerbated during Covid when all the supply chains shut down and we've seen a big increase in material costs and a lot of building companies went out of business,' he said. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the measures announced would give developers the certainty they needed to build more homes faster. 'We are making sure we build the homes we need, along with the essential infrastructure we need to go with them,' he said. 'Extending the tax incentives for build-to-rent will make it easier for developers to build, and give renters more choice.' Property Council NSW executive director Katie Stevenson welcomed the measures and said there was no time to waste, given we are still falling short of the government's goal of building 1.2 million homes by 2029. 'Making the BTR exemption permanent provides long-term certainty to investors and developers, helping to enable more high-quality rental homes to be delivered across NSW,' she said. To be eligible for the tax concession, a building must be owned by a single owner and manager and include at least 50 rental dwellings. Build-to-rent is an established practice in the UK and USA, but it is still a fairly new concept in Australia. Residential apartments are usually built by developers, with units sold off one by one. With build-to-rent, the units are designed specifically for renters and are held in a single ownership and professionally managed. They usually build a large number of units, with some having 200 or 300 units. They may offer longer-term lease options, better security for tenants and more rental housing choices in areas people want to live. Investors are pouring billions into the sector, with more than 8,900 dedicated build-to-rent apartments under construction in Australia at the end of last year and a further 20,000 units approved for development over the next five years. Other states like Victoria also have a 50 per cent land tax discount in place to encourage build-to-rent properties. Bond said one of the advantages of build-to-rent was that it helped bring supply on more quickly. 'You have maybe a large pension fund or institutional investor who might be able to provide large amounts of capital, because you could need $100 million or more for a big new development, and they can make that decision pretty quickly to go ahead,' he told Yahoo Finance. 'Because they have the resources, they can team up with a big developer and bring that property online. 'Whereas the traditional model in Australia has mainly been a developer will propose a new development, and then they'll have to do pre-sales, so it might take you two years to get the 60 or 70 per cent pre-sales you need to start construction.' Build-to-rent properties can also have a bigger focus on lifestyle factors for tenants. 'They'll really focus on the amenities that they offer to a tenant, because they want the tenants to stay there and be happy,' Bond said.
