1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: It's Tuesday, the fourth of February twenty twenty five. Welcome 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: to the Fast five Business News by Fear and Greed, 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: where we give you the top five business stories you 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: need to know in just five minutes. I'm Michael Thompson 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: and good morning Sean Aylmer. 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: Good morning, Michael Sewan. 7 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: Five stories to race through in five minutes, so we 8 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: better get cracking. Story Number one. President Donald Trump overnight 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: paused tariffs on Mexico for a month after the US's 10 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: southern neighbor agreed to send ten thousand National Guard troops 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: to further block the border between the two countries. 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: It came after Donald Trump spoke to his Mexican counterpart, 13 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: Claudia Shanebohm, in a as he called it, very friendly 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 2: conversation on his Truth social media platform. He said that 15 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 2: the two leaders had agreed to immediately pause the anticipated 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: tariffs for a month, during which we will have negotiations. 17 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 2: That sounds like he's opening the way for something different 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 2: in the future. Who knows. Trump also I spoked a 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: Canadians Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as we get aware, no 20 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 2: ideal has yet been done. That noted financial markets Wall 21 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 2: Street fell sharply initially, only to rebound later in the session. 22 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 2: Some specific stocks are losing big time, notably Nvidia, the 23 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 2: chip maker. It's now down eight hundred and fifty billion 24 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: US dollars over the last week. It's about one point 25 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 2: four trillion dollars. All this uncertainty has certainly helped gold 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 2: prices new high overnight two thousand, eight hundred and eighteen 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: US dollars announced. Where do we stand this morning? A 28 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: little confused about what's going on? 29 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: Michael, Yeah, absolutely and showing local markets certainly got caught 30 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: up in the tariff storm yesterday. 31 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: Yes, Australia was the first major economy to trade after 32 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 2: the tariff announcement. Over the weekend, the SMPA SX two 33 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: hundred fell by nearly two percent to finish at eighty 34 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: three hundred and seventy nine points. All the markets sub 35 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: indices fell little escaping, you know, if you look at 36 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: the cross the different sectors consumed discretionary, healthcare, financials, materials, 37 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: real estate, industrials all ended much lower. 38 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: All right under story number two. Now, Sean and Federal 39 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: Parliament sits today for the first time this year, and 40 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: already it is all about the upcoming election, which is 41 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: due by the middle of May. 42 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: We can expect a feisty few weeks of parliament until 43 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 2: an election is called. Michael. The government has fast tracked 44 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 2: introduction of the legislation for its child care policy that 45 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 2: will abolish requirements around parents needing to work to gain 46 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: a childcare subsidy. They think that's a winner over the Coalition. 47 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 2: An admission by Peter Dunton that the Coalition will examine 48 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 2: detailed spending cuts should it win office rather than beforehand 49 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: has provided plenty of fuel for labor who say voters 50 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: won't know what they're getting if they vote for the opposition, 51 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 2: and there's been stories in the media about the cost 52 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: of a meeting with Peter Dutton jumping from five thousand 53 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: dollars to ten thousand dollars as his chances of winning improve. 54 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: Story number three. This is a bit of reasonably good news. 55 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: Retail sales across the country remained solid, helped by the 56 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: strong labor market and the pickup in consumer sentiment as well. 57 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: Turnover fell very slow lightly during the month of December 58 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,119 Speaker 2: according to the Bureau of Statistics, but that was much 59 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 2: better than expecting. We had really strong growth in October 60 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: and November, so Black Friday sales fell in November. That helped. 61 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 2: In December last year, Cyber Monday fell into that month, 62 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: so that helped things like furniture, homewares, electronics, and electrical items. 63 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: But the longer term trend, which is really what we 64 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: should look at, is a steady pickup in spending. A 65 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 2: bunch of things going on. The labor market's really strong. 66 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 2: Consumer sentiment is picking up. People are actually getting more 67 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: bang for their buck in their pay so real wages 68 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 2: are growing as inflation falls. There's also fiscal support, so 69 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: those energy rebates means we don't have to pay as 70 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 2: much for energy prices, more money in the pocket. All 71 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: this is good news. Now, it doesn't really mean that 72 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 2: it's supercharging the economy, so the Reserve Bank probably won't 73 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: change its mind on whatever it does for rates in 74 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: two weeks time, but it is a good news. Economic story. 75 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: Story number four kind of related because we are talking 76 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: about people shopping and spending money. But Cole's is set 77 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: to cut the number of products that it sells by 78 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: ten percent, hoping then for higher sales or the products 79 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: that are still left on the shelf. It's been working 80 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: with management consultant Band for a few months. According to 81 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: Destroying the AFR, the company has told large investors that 82 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: even if they cut product numbers by at least ten percent, 83 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: there'll still be a wider range of goods than pre pandemic. 84 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: The idea is to use the space and money for 85 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: more popular products and more goods. Kind of makes sense, 86 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: a little bit risky though. Coles and Woolies have both 87 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 1: been blamed by the government for higher prices in recent months. 88 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: Now the Competition regulated the actual diseas investigating how much 89 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: power the supermarkets have in setting prices, how they're dealing 90 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: with supplies. So I'm sure this will come under scrutiny 91 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: as well. Yeah, you'd imagine. So last one story number five. 92 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: This is good news, Shawn, for people like me who 93 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: enjoy gentle exercise. There is growing evidence that an evening 94 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: stroll after dinner can be of great health benefit to people. 95 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 2: Research shows being active after six pm can lower the 96 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: chance of getting bowel cancer. They're also studied that show 97 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 2: walking after eating can improve digestion, regulate blood sugar, lower 98 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 2: blood pressure, and aid weight loss. According to the Dally 99 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 2: Telegraph of London, studies have found that physical activities is relaxing, 100 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: so may reduce stress related inflammation. It's also good for 101 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 2: cardiovascular metabolism, especially by reducing blood pressure, which in turn 102 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 2: reduces stress and inflammation throughout our organs. Exercise also helps 103 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 2: you sleep better, which is another fact that reduces chronic 104 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 2: stress and inflammation. In fact, researchers at the University of 105 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: Sydney recently have analyzed the health and activity patterns of 106 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 2: about eighty thousand people. They found that those who walked 107 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,559 Speaker 2: thirty eight hundred steps per day three point two k's 108 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 2: had a twenty five percent lower risk of developing dementia 109 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: compared to those who didn't walk much at all. Moral 110 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: of the story, take a walk after dinner. 111 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: I like that moral, Sean. There we go the top 112 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: five business stories in five minutes. Thank you very much. 113 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 2: Thank you, Michael. 114 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: It is Tuesday, the fourth of February twenty twenty five. 115 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: Remember to hit follow on the podcast and if five 116 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: minutes isn't enough, we can find our longer daily show 117 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: called Fear and Greed wherever you listen to podcasts. Thompson 118 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: and that was the fast five business news by Fear 119 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: and Greed. Have a great day.