Good afternoon, Soul Patts boss Todd Barlow says KKR’s $2.18bn headline number to buy Perpetual’s corporate trust and wealth management units looks ‘pretty good’, but has left the door open to vote against the deal. Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn sees interest rates staying higher for longer, but does not expect the Reserve Bank to hike again this cycle. A week or two after the upcoming 2024 Budget, the Albanese government will provide the details of a tax far more damaging to the nation than anything likely to be announced in the Budget, writes Robert Gottliebsen. The Australian sharemarket finished in the red with most sectors down, led by retail and banking stocks. The ASX 200 index closed 1.1 per cent lower at 7,721.6 points on Thursday, with the All Ordinaries also down 1 per cent to 7,994.2 points. |