Tim Treadgold

There is not a crisis at Wesfarmers, that’s the good news, but there’s certainly a problem – and it’s starting to worry investors.

The sheer volume of resources exports is driving the nation towards a trade surplus, and a higher exchange rate. 

ANALYSIS: Andrew Forrest and Gina Rinehart, who are leading the herd into cattle farming, face a tough market for meat exports.

There’s a lot that can be learned from other people’s mistakes, or in the case of electricity and transport systems, from the mistakes made in another state.

Low aluminium prices caused by a worldwide glut are flowing through the industry in Australia, with consequences for WA’s South West.

India’s economic potential offers opportunity for WA businesses, but questions remain as to whether the expectations of both sides can be met.

If the Western Australian government is seeking a marketing advantage over other states, it has just been handed one in the form of the disastrous energy policy destabilising the rest of the country.

A couple of smaller miners that rode out the slide in iron ore prices could be the early movers in a more widespread revival in the sector.

ANALYSIS: A convergence of geopolitical and political events is causing widespread concern across Europe and the US, and WA’s gold sector could offer some stability for investors.

Whether Premier Colin Barnett stays or goes is a political decision, but it would be unwise for anyone to imagine that a change at the top of government will not have a significant effect on the way business is conducted in Western Australia.

ANALYSIS: No-one knows how long it might take for Wesfarmers’ foreign foray to bear fruit, and at what cost.

It might be wishful thinking, but there are encouraging signs pointing to an end to the crisis that has humbled Western Australia’s nickel mining industry.

IT might not feel like it, but there are early signs of boom conditions forming in some parts of the state’s mining industry, with two sectors in particular benefiting from events in the markets for commodities, labour, and capital equipment.

ANALYSIS: Balancing WA’s trade needs with Australia’s broader geopolitical and strategic interests is a challenge for leaders in this state.

The desire to bash the banks is understandable when some of their past behaviour is considered; but before the bashing goes too far, it is important critics know what it would mean to damage an important part of the Australian economy at a delicate point in the global economic cycle.

If utilities such as Water Corporation can’t fulfill their primary responsibility to the public, maybe an alternative ownership model would be a better option.

The short selling of shares in some of Australia’s biggest retail stocks suggests investors are concerned about the sector’s future.

ANALYSIS: Politics and business never mix well, which is something the state government is about to discover with news that former Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls is eyeing a return to his party’s top job.

Problems with electricity supply and pricing on the eastern seaboard could provide an opportunity for WA.

Gold’s rising stocks and role in the post-boom recovery will make this year’s Diggers & Dealers the most promising for many years. 

High-end residential property prices in Perth have weakened considerably since the iron ore construction boom ended and oil prices collapsed, although these two negative events are slowly slipping from the headlines and being replaced by positive changes.

Changes to superannuation policy played a role in the significantly reduced majority for the Turnbull government at the July 2 election, but if you look a little deeper you find something far more interesting – the government can’t afford its retirement policies, and some retired people can’t afford to live.

SPECIAL REPORT: Mining stocks are again leading the way in shareholder returns, but this time it’s not the iron ore players doing the business.

Wesfarmers remains confident its move into the British home improvement scene will be a winner, despite recent criticism.

Amid a few bright spots on the earnings front, the WA economy’s rebound is being thwarted by still-low global prices for iron ore.

Kwinana’s future as an important centre of value-added mineral processing is being threatened by a potential double closure of major projects – the BHP Billiton-run nickel refinery and the Alcoa of Australia-operated alumina refinery.

Pressure is mounting on local media players amid growing digital disruption. 

A stubbornly low market price and the growing focus on renewables have WA’s fledgling uranium sector on the ropes.

Tipping future residential property prices is tricky, but in Western Australia there is a potential technique that is so obvious it’s a surprise no-one has used it before – linking property to the state’s biggest industry, resources.

The clock is ticking for the leaders of some of WA’s biggest businesses, beset by low growth and a sluggish outlook.

ANALYSIS: WA’s resources-focused business community is eagerly awaiting the next round of figures for iron ore production costs.

Does BHP Billiton really want to expand its loss-making Nickel West division, or is it engaging in a strange game of promoting an expansion plan of the Western Australian business in order to restart the sales process that collapsed last year?