2h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 8:57pmMarket snapshotASX 200 futures: +0.1% 
Australian dollar: flat to 66.83 US centsWall Street: Dow Jones (-0.8%), S&P 500 (-0.2%)Europe: FTSE (+0.5%) DAX (-0.5%) Spot gold: +0.7% to $US4,634/ounceOil (Brent crude): -2.3% at $US64.07/barrelBitcoin: +3.4% to $US97,534

Price current around 8:00am AEDT

Live updates on the major ASX indices: 

11m agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 10:55pm

‘Lab grown’ chocolate on the table as cocoa prices rise

Analysts at agribusiness firm Rabobank have put out an interesting research paper, where they’re looked at the soaring prices of cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate.

Cocoa prices are about double today than they were just two years ago in 2023, and that’s putting pressure on manufacturers to think about alternative ingredients.

“Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana – the two largest producers – have seen yields fall sharply,” Rabobank notes.

“And, while replanting programs are underway, timelines for recovery remain uncertain.”

Rabobank’s analyst Paul Joules (we’d forgive you for seeing the pun in his surname given the calorific topic at hand!) has looked into three alternatives for chocolate-makers: lab grown cocoa, fermented alternatives, and “upcycled” cocoa-free solutions like leftover spent grain.

He concludes that none will make it into your luxury chocolate bar anytime soon, but that these alternatives being investigated may sneak into things like coatings and fillings in snack and bakery foods.

“While fermented solutions deliver chocolate-like profiles, there is a challenge replicating the rich, complex flavour of traditional chocolate, especially for premium products,” he said.

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31m agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 10:34pm

Saks’ flagship Fifth Avenue store not included in bankruptcy

An update to a story we brought you yesterday, after one of America’s best-known retailers filed for bankruptcy.

Saks Global’s prime real estate portfolio could serve as a crucial bargaining chip with lenders as the hard-hit luxury shopping empire navigates restructuring after filing for bankruptcy.

The upmarket US department store conglomerate filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late on Tuesday, barely a year after a debt-laden takeover intended to create a luxury powerhouse by bringing Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus under the same roof.

Shutting down underperforming retail space could be a key strategy to ensure the business survives, said Brandon Isner, head of US retail research at New York-based real estate advisory firm Newmark. Others say it could sell stores and lease them back.

Saks Global operates about 125 stores spanning about 1.2 million square metres in the US and owns or controls ground leases at 39 of them, according to its court filing.

Its retail empire consists of prime locations, including Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, California, and top‑tier malls like Bal Harbour Shops in Florida, where Saks and Neiman Marcus banners anchor high‑end tenant mixes.

Saks’ flagship Fifth Avenue store is not included in the bankruptcy, according to the filing. Global leases the site from a separate entity, which has a $1.25 billion mortgage on it and is not among the debtors.

Reporting with Reuters.

51m agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 10:15pm

Tree at heart of WA investigation into Alcoa mine expansion

A single tree threatens to disrupt US mining giant Alcoa’s expansion in Western Australia, as the company is investigated over an alleged breach of its state-imposed mining conditions.

Alcoa — which has mined bauxite in WA since the 1960s and employs about 4,000 people in the state — wants to expand further into the world’s only jarrah forest, south-east of Perth.

The proposal is being reviewed by the state’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), which would typically require a project to stop while it’s being assessed.

Read more in this piece from ABC’s Stateline.

1h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 9:53pm

Dollar falls against the Yen as Japan threatens intervention

The Aussie dollar has dropped against the Yen, although the exchange rate is still at a very reasonable level for people thinking about a holiday to Japan, at 105 yen to the $1.

The AUD/JPY dropped overnight after fresh warnings from Japan’s finance minister about intervening to help the falling currency.

“USD/JPY had earlier reached 159.4, the weakest since July 2024 when the [Ministry of Finance] last intervened to prop up the JPY,” CBA’s currency analysts noted today.

It comes as Japan is facing a snap election. CBA’s analysts think “any unilateral FX intervention by the Japanese authorities will only temporarily support the JPY”. 

1h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 9:36pm

Oil prices drop as Trump says killings in Iran ‘stopping’

Oil prices are down around 1.5% right now, to about $US60 a barrel for crude. The price change is coming as the crisis in Iran, a major oil producer, intensifies.

IG analyst Tony Sycamore thinks prices are falling after US President Donald Trump’s reported comments at the White House today that “killing in Iran is stopping” and the regime has  “no plans for executions.”

Here’s Tony’s note that just came out:

These comments saw a significant portion of the geopolitical risk premium recently built into prices unwound as fears of disruptions to Iran’s approximately 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of exports eased.

The pullback is notable as it comes from the 200-day moving average currently at $62.37 – a level that crude oil has not traded above since August 2025.

You can read more on Iran here in this powerful story from our very own business reporter Nassim Khadem.

1h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 9:30pm

Chevron expected to get more access to Venezuela oil

Chevron is expected to receive an expanded Venezuela license from the US government this week, three oil industry sources told Reuters.

This could allow for increased production and exports from the South American country.

The US oil producer is one of several companies expected to get approvals from the Trump administration to do business in Venezuela.

That’s as oil companies, traders and refiners look for access to the country’s heavy crude, sources said.

A Chevron spokesperson said in a statement that the company operates in compliance with all laws, regulations and sanctions frameworks.

Reporting from Reuters.

1h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 9:09pm

Have Australian renters finally reached their limit?

That’s what analysts at property website Domain think. Its latest report on Australia’s rental market suggests rents are flattening because people simply can’t pay anymore.

It has found prices are flat in some Australian capital cities.

“The rental growth is hitting a speed limit,” Domain’s chief of research and economics, Nicola Powell, told the ABC.

“We have seen several years of extreme rates of rental growth and that there is an affordability ceiling.”

2h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 8:53pm

ANZ continues to back RBA rate hike

CBA’s morning currency notes are always interesting. Today’s notes that the AUD has slipped again against the greenback and is below 67 US cents again.

The bank’s analysts note that “Australia‑US monetary policy divergence will favour a stronger AUD/USD in the near term”. It means interest rates and the bank is still backing a call that they’ll go up next month.

“We continue to expect a 25bp rate hike from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in February, which is only about 25% priced,” they say.

“The upcoming December labour force survey, and more importantly, Q4 2025 CPI, can provide catalysts for a hawkish repricing of RBA policy and a lift in AUD/USD.”

The cash rate’s currently at 3.6%.

2h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 8:41pmACTU signs AI deal with Microsoft

Australia’s peak union body has signed a deal with tech giant Microsoft that the ACTU says will help safeguard workers’ rights during the AI revolution.

It comes amid concerns about how people’s roles will be protected or lost, thanks to AI, and the ethical ramifications of fast-moving technology.

The ACTU says:

“Microsoft has committed to include mechanisms to elevate workers’ voices in decision making, formal knowledge sharing during the development and deployment of new and existing AI products. Microsoft has also pledged to respect the rights of creative and media workers and the vital role they play in Australian society, culture and democracy.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft has also put out a press release quoting Australian & NZ VP Steven Miller:

“Australians deserve AI that helps people thrive. This agreement signals our commitment to ensure workers’ voices are at the heart of Australia’s AI transformation and no-one is left out of the national opportunity this technology presents. We’re proud to come together with the ACTU to set a new standard for responsible AI diffusion across Australian workplaces.”

We’ll bring you more details soon.

2h agoWed 14 Jan 2026 at 8:24pm

ASX to slightly rise after Wall Street slips

Good morning! Emilia here with you for the next few hours.

This is what futures in the ASX 200 are currently showing, hinting at another flat or uncertain day of trade here.

(Refinitiv)

That’s after Wall Street indexes slid for a second consecutive day, with investors weighing political and geopolitical uncertainty. Gold and oil prices are inflating as major unrest in Iran continues.

Banks ended lower in the US, despite earnings releases showing three of the largest have been raking in higher profits, as they hand out credit to households and businesses.

We’ll be here all day. Anything you’d like looked at?

Reporting with Reuters