| Good afternoon, The Australian sharemarket rose for a third day in a row to a five-month-high, as bond yields continue to fall after lower than expected inflation data. Strong results and guidance from Facebook's parent company Meta also helped boost US futures during local trading. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7 per cent to close at 7,472.3 points on Thursday, with eight of the 11 sectors finishing stronger. Property, technology, discretionary, health care, communications and industrials outperformed, along with major banks. Macquarie bank has shrugged off the largest shareholder protest vote since 2007, saying commodities boss Nick O’Kane could get ‘multiples’ of his $57.6m pay package for his talent elsewhere, writes Paulina Duran. Almost two in five staff at audit and consulting giant EY Oceania are considering quitting as a report into the firm has revealed instances of bullying, sexual harassment, and racism, alongside a culture of overwork and stress. Australian Agricultural Co chairman Donald McGauchie says the board has not asked US regulators which director provided confidential information to British billionaire Joe Lewis, who has been indicted for “brazen insider trading.” Bubs chair Katrina Rathie and her fellow directors at the goat milk-focused infant formula company have survived a board spill, writes Jared Lynch. NSW is considering changing the way it collects royalties from coal as it seeks to repair its fiscal deficit, though the move would likely prompt widespread anger from the country's resource sector. | 
The Big Read
