It's Wednesday, the nineteenth of February twenty twenty five. Welcome to the Fast five Business News by Fear and Agreed, where we give you the top five business stories you need to know in just five minutes. A'm Michael Thompson and good morning Sean Aylmer.

It's Wednesday, the nineteenth of February twenty twenty five. Welcome to the Fast five Business News by Fear and Agreed, where we give you the top five business stories you need to know in just five minutes. A'm Michael Thompson and good morning Sean Aylmer.

Good morning, Michael Shawn.

Good morning, Michael Shawn.

Five massive stories to get through in five minutes. Let's go a story number one. The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates, but Governor Michelle Bullock made it clear there is not necessarily another cut on the way. She also defended the bank from the claims that the decision to drop the official cash rate by twenty five basis points was political, and said inflation risks remain alive and well in the economy.

Five massive stories to get through in five minutes. Let's go a story number one. The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates, but Governor Michelle Bullock made it clear there is not necessarily another cut on the way. She also defended the bank from the claims that the decision to drop the official cash rate by twenty five basis points was political, and said inflation risks remain alive and well in the economy.

In the official statement, the bank said it would be cautious about further rate cuts, not exactly a ringing endorsement of more cuts. Then, in the media conference, Ms Bullock was quite strident. She rammed home the point, saying the decision to cut rates wasn't a lay down masire yesterday, Dan expect another one. It all depends on the data. The Board's decision does reflect falling inflation in the economy. First reduction of more than four year years, though Montree policy is still restrictive. That means that it's actually taking away from the economy rather than putting into the economy. A bunch of our names going on, you are tariff policy, just how fast the economy is growing, whether or not we can sply supply all the goods and services to it. She's also not that confident that priced pressures have left the housing sector worried about the services sector. Plenty of our names out there, so she said this might be a one off.

In the official statement, the bank said it would be cautious about further rate cuts, not exactly a ringing endorsement of more cuts. Then, in the media conference, Ms Bullock was quite strident. She rammed home the point, saying the decision to cut rates wasn't a lay down masire yesterday, Dan expect another one. It all depends on the data. The Board's decision does reflect falling inflation in the economy. First reduction of more than four year years, though Montree policy is still restrictive. That means that it's actually taking away from the economy rather than putting into the economy. A bunch of our names going on, you are tariff policy, just how fast the economy is growing, whether or not we can sply supply all the goods and services to it. She's also not that confident that priced pressures have left the housing sector worried about the services sector. Plenty of our names out there, so she said this might be a one off.

So what was the response to this? No doubt anyone with a mortgage would be happy, but the federal government, I would imagine'd be pretty happy to.

So what was the response to this? No doubt anyone with a mortgage would be happy, but the federal government, I would imagine'd be pretty happy to.

Election a few months away. Treasured Jim Chalmers said it was a rate cut Australians need and deserve. The tone of the Reserve Bank, you know, is a bit downbeat, so maybe financial markets weren't as happy. Within minutes of the decision, the major banks had announced that lower mortgage rates, cutting about one thousand bucks a year from a half million dollar home loan.

Election a few months away. Treasured Jim Chalmers said it was a rate cut Australians need and deserve. The tone of the Reserve Bank, you know, is a bit downbeat, so maybe financial markets weren't as happy. Within minutes of the decision, the major banks had announced that lower mortgage rates, cutting about one thousand bucks a year from a half million dollar home loan.

All right on to story number two now and BHP has turned in a disappointing underlying profit of eight billion dollars for the second half of last year and cut its dividend to its lowest level in eight years.

All right on to story number two now and BHP has turned in a disappointing underlying profit of eight billion dollars for the second half of last year and cut its dividend to its lowest level in eight years.

Weak demand for steel out of China hurt the value, rather than the volume. The value of BHP's ion or exports. The underlying result was twenty three percent lower than a year earlier. Cold prices were also softer. Now Boss Mike Henry said he's seeing tentative signs of recovery in China. The reason for lower dividend is so BHP can invest in other commodities, especially copper. In the last couple of years, BHP has spent thirteen billion dollars buying copper mines, including Oz Minerals, which was listed on the AX. It tried to buy Anglo American for seventy five billion dollars, got knocked back. Mike Henry yesterday said, probably won't have another go at that. Certainly, when you listen to BHP, they talk copper and then copper and then copper iron all they still sell plenty of it, but copper is the future. When I asked about global trade tensions, he really said he didn't know where things will land. This is Mike Henry, the CEO bhp' share price dropped initially but ended the day up slightly under.

Weak demand for steel out of China hurt the value, rather than the volume. The value of BHP's ion or exports. The underlying result was twenty three percent lower than a year earlier. Cold prices were also softer. Now Boss Mike Henry said he's seeing tentative signs of recovery in China. The reason for lower dividend is so BHP can invest in other commodities, especially copper. In the last couple of years, BHP has spent thirteen billion dollars buying copper mines, including Oz Minerals, which was listed on the AX. It tried to buy Anglo American for seventy five billion dollars, got knocked back. Mike Henry yesterday said, probably won't have another go at that. Certainly, when you listen to BHP, they talk copper and then copper and then copper iron all they still sell plenty of it, but copper is the future. When I asked about global trade tensions, he really said he didn't know where things will land. This is Mike Henry, the CEO bhp' share price dropped initially but ended the day up slightly under.

Story number three. Virgin Australia's plans to reassume long haul flights using Katar planes has been given the green light by the competition watchdog.

Story number three. Virgin Australia's plans to reassume long haul flights using Katar planes has been given the green light by the competition watchdog.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's draft decisions said the tie up between the two carriers will be good for travelers. Talked about enhanced products and services for air travelers, better choice of international flights, better connectivity, convenience, loyalty programs, all that sort of stuff. Now, we just need the Foreign Investment Review Board to approve Guitar's bid to buy twenty five percent of Virgin and hopefully this all comes to fruition now. Yesterday, data from the competition watchdog on domestic travel was also released. What was really interesting, Rex obviously went into voluntary administration. Virgin has picked up most of the market share, so in December they had thirty five percent market share of the domestic market, ahead of Quantas at thirty four point six jets Star at twenty nine percent.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's draft decisions said the tie up between the two carriers will be good for travelers. Talked about enhanced products and services for air travelers, better choice of international flights, better connectivity, convenience, loyalty programs, all that sort of stuff. Now, we just need the Foreign Investment Review Board to approve Guitar's bid to buy twenty five percent of Virgin and hopefully this all comes to fruition now. Yesterday, data from the competition watchdog on domestic travel was also released. What was really interesting, Rex obviously went into voluntary administration. Virgin has picked up most of the market share, so in December they had thirty five percent market share of the domestic market, ahead of Quantas at thirty four point six jets Star at twenty nine percent.

That's incredible. Story number four of the Times Higher Education Reputation rankings, it is among the most recognized. Yes great name, isn't it Among the most recognized rankings of golobal universities and the latest list here's some good news, includes ten Ossie institutions in the top three hundred.

That's incredible. Story number four of the Times Higher Education Reputation rankings, it is among the most recognized. Yes great name, isn't it Among the most recognized rankings of golobal universities and the latest list here's some good news, includes ten Ossie institutions in the top three hundred.

So at survey's fifty five thousand academic experts. Melbourne UNI, amongst the Australians, came in top at forty seven, University of Sydney at sixty minus at sixty three. Also in that top one hundred University of Queensland, Australian National University, and the University of New South Wales. Internationally, Harvard in Boston came in at number one, mit in Oxford University of Box in the UK they came in equal second. Across that three hundred seventy one were in the US, thirty nine in the UK. Germany was twenty seven. Then there was a gap to a bunch of countries which included Australia, which does suggest we're doing pretty well in the higher education stakes.

So at survey's fifty five thousand academic experts. Melbourne UNI, amongst the Australians, came in top at forty seven, University of Sydney at sixty minus at sixty three. Also in that top one hundred University of Queensland, Australian National University, and the University of New South Wales. Internationally, Harvard in Boston came in at number one, mit in Oxford University of Box in the UK they came in equal second. Across that three hundred seventy one were in the US, thirty nine in the UK. Germany was twenty seven. Then there was a gap to a bunch of countries which included Australia, which does suggest we're doing pretty well in the higher education stakes.

Last one story number five. This is a cracker middle management Sean doesn't have the sex appeal that it used to have, according to a new survey, with younger employees, especially jen Z, seeing it as a thankless slog while Wall Street's most senior banker has let fly at work from home.

Last one story number five. This is a cracker middle management Sean doesn't have the sex appeal that it used to have, according to a new survey, with younger employees, especially jen Z, seeing it as a thankless slog while Wall Street's most senior banker has let fly at work from home.

Survey first two thousand white collar professionals by recruiter Robert Walters. Eight of those with jen z employees. Half of those didn't want to be middle managers at all. They said high stress, lay reward, long hours, endless fire fighting, tediers, personnel management. According to an FT report, if you don't have middle managers, I don't know how you gave from low management to high management anyway. Even better, Jamie Diamond, boss of JP Morgan, he teed off at jen Zetta's otherwise known as Zoomers in elite report to The Wall Street Journal. He complained of slow decision making, phone calls going on and said that young recruits being left behind due to work from home. He criticized that zoomers for spending all their time on the video app Zoom instead of physical officers. And I quote, don't give me this shit that work from home Friday's works. I call a lot of people on Fridays and there's not a goddamn person you can get ahold of. End of quote.

Survey first two thousand white collar professionals by recruiter Robert Walters. Eight of those with jen z employees. Half of those didn't want to be middle managers at all. They said high stress, lay reward, long hours, endless fire fighting, tediers, personnel management. According to an FT report, if you don't have middle managers, I don't know how you gave from low management to high management anyway. Even better, Jamie Diamond, boss of JP Morgan, he teed off at jen Zetta's otherwise known as Zoomers in elite report to The Wall Street Journal. He complained of slow decision making, phone calls going on and said that young recruits being left behind due to work from home. He criticized that zoomers for spending all their time on the video app Zoom instead of physical officers. And I quote, don't give me this shit that work from home Friday's works. I call a lot of people on Fridays and there's not a goddamn person you can get ahold of. End of quote.

All right, there we go to the top five business stories in five minutes. Thank you, Sean Thank you, Michael. It is Wednesday, the nineteenth of February twenty twenty five. Remember hit follow on the podcast and if five minutes isn't enough, you're going to find our longer daily show called Fear and Greed where you listen to podcasts. So headlong g Fearangreed dot com dot au to sign up for our free weekly newsletter it comes out today. I'm Michael Thompson and that was the Fast by Business News by Fear and Greed. Have a great day.

All right, there we go to the top five business stories in five minutes. Thank you, Sean Thank you, Michael. It is Wednesday, the nineteenth of February twenty twenty five. Remember hit follow on the podcast and if five minutes isn't enough, you're going to find our longer daily show called Fear and Greed where you listen to podcasts. So headlong g Fearangreed dot com dot au to sign up for our free weekly newsletter it comes out today. I'm Michael Thompson and that was the Fast by Business News by Fear and Greed. Have a great day.