Have we hit peak Australia, housing tax breaks under fire & AI heads in the sand

Anthony Macdonald· Host0:00

[upbeat music] The Australian Financial Review.

James Thomson· Host0:06

[upbeat music] Hello, I'm James Thompson, senior Chanticleer columnist at the AFR. Welcome to our weekly news breakdown of all things business, finance, and markets. [upbeat music] With me today, as always, he's listened in to more calls this week than your average KGB agent, it's Anthony McDonald. How are you, Anthony?

Anthony Macdonald· Host0:30

Earnings eavesdropping all week, James. How good.

James Thomson· Host0:33

Brilliant. [upbeat music] Well, this week we ask whether we've hit peak Australia, we give you our most interesting bits from earnings season, and we take a burning question on the housing market. [upbeat music] Okay, Anthony, let's start with the best takeover battle raging in corporate Australia, and that's between BlueScope Steel and its would-be suitor SGH, which is the conglomerate owned by the Stokes family. Now, SGH and its American bestie, a company called Steel Dynamics, they raised their bid for BlueScope this week. Is this the offer that gets this deal done?

Anthony Macdonald· Host1:16

My gut says no.

James Thomson· Host1:18

Mm.

Anthony Macdonald· Host1:18

Big bid, James, $14.2 billion. A lot of money that they're throwing at BlueScope, BlueScope shareholders. But I just don't know that it's gonna be high enough, A, to get the BlueScope's board, and then B, to get