BHP profit drops, Goldman jobs, Ukraine peace bid

Good morning, it's Angus here in Sydney. Here's what you need to know on this Tuesday morning.Today's must-reads:• Goldman seeks private wea
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Good morning, it's Angus here in Sydney. Here's what you need to know on this Tuesday morning.

Today's must-reads:
• Goldman seeks private wealth advisors
• BHP profit tumbles
• Qantas lashed by judge

What's happening now

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. plans to expand its private wealth management team in Australia to capture a boom in self-made multimillionaires and family wealth. "We are looking to hire, but it's really about finding the right people," said Jean-Paul Churchouse, the firm's head of private wealth management for Southeast Asia and Australia.

BHP Group's full-year profit fell 26% as key exports such as iron ore and coking coal remained under pressure amid soft demand from China. The world's biggest miner posted $10.2 billion in underlying attributable profit for the year to June 30, it said Tuesday.

Biotech giant CSL Ltd. said it will spin off its Seqirus vaccine business into a separately listed company, as it reported full-year profit that was slightly higher than expected.  The spinoff will give Seqirus "autonomy to set an independent strategic direction, including capitalizing on potential opportunities that may arise in a highly dynamic vaccines market,'' CSL said.

Qantas Airways Ltd. got a lashing from a Federal Court judge as it was fined A$90 million ($59 million) for illegally sacking almost 2,000 ground workers during the pandemic. Justice Michael Lee questioned the airline's degree of contrition and its commitment to change.

Australia's economy can expand at a faster pace if governments regain the "growth mindset" that has been absent from decision making for far too long, said Danielle Wood, chair of the nation's Productivity Commission. 

Tapping one of the world's most-educated female workforces should be a priority for Australia's government, writes Bloomberg Opinion's Andreea Papuc. More women work part-time here than in almost any other developed nation. It's a missed opportunity to jump-start a once-lauded economy, says Papuc.

What happened overnight

Here's what my colleague, market strategist Mike "Willo" Wilson says happened while we were sleeping…

Stocks were little changed with investor focus on the White House where, after meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, US president Donald Trump said substantial progress is being made on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Treasury yields rose along with the dollar as traders await Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech later this week in Jackson Hole. The Aussie eased, while the kiwi dollar held steady ahead of tomorrow's RBNZ decision. Australia has consumer confidence data and New Zealand has a gauge of producer prices on today's calendar. ASX futures imply a slightly soft opening for local stocks.

President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, expressed optimism their summit with European leaders could result in trilateral talks with Vladimir Putin over ending the Russian leader's war in Ukraine. 

The Trump administration is in discussions to take a stake of about 10% in Intel Corp., according to a White House official and other people familiar with the matter, in a move that could see the US become the beleaguered chipmaker's largest shareholder.

China's exports of rare earth products — including magnets — extended their recovery in July, months after Beijing threatened a disruptive global shortage by crimping supplies to fight a trade clash with US President Donald Trump.

Hamas said it has agreed to a deal proposed by Qatar and Egypt to pause the militant group's war with Israel in Gaza, fueling optimism that a long-awaited breakthrough in negotiations could be close. 

What to watch

  • First day of Australia Economic Reform Roundtable 
  • Australian monthly consumer confidence data at 10:30 a.m. Sydney time.

One more thing...

Thailand is going to allow foreign tourists to convert crypto to baht, according to the country's finance minister. The so-called TouristDigipay program will start its 18-month trial period in the fourth quarter.

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