ASX Announcements
This Month
Afterpay’s bad debts climb, just like its costs
Accounts filed by the Block-owned buy now, pay later company for the 18 months to December 2022 show scale eluded the Australian business.
- Nick Bonyhady
November
BNPL laws delayed until new year amid legislative drafting constraints
Minister Stephen Jones said resourcing pressures would push back finalising a bill to bring Afterpay and Zip under the credit act until early next year.
- James Eyers
Saunas, ice baths and health allowances: Welcome to the next wave of perks
Employers are ramping up their wellbeing offerings after the pandemic left many employees feeling burnt out. Subsidised gym memberships no longer cut it.
- Euan Black
Jack Dorsey’s Block soars 25pc as it lifts guidance, cuts jobs
Block announced a $1b share buyback, said it would cut 1500 jobs, and lifted FY24 profit guidance. The market approved.
- James Eyers
- Analysis
- Disruption
Musk banks on turning X into a financial platform
“If it involves money, it’ll be on our platform,” Musk told X staff last week. But a move into financial services will involve serious regulation.
- James Eyers
October
- Exclusive
- Funding
Digital debt collector counts benefits of a cost-of-living crisis
Perennial-backed InDebted has made its first acquisition since 2021 as a rise in people defaulting on payments sees it approach profitability for the first time.
- Tess Bennett
Afterpay’s Block begins lay-offs after stock crashes
Recent moves in Block’s share price has seen the company’s total market cap fall to less than what it paid for Afterpay two years ago.
- Mark Di Stefano
September
Square payment outage raises red flags at the Reserve Bank
Block-owned Square does not report data on reliability and outages to the RBA. That might change after its payments system went down on Friday.
- James Eyers
August
Block shares crunched on concerns about spending
Block shares fell 10 per cent on Friday despite second-quarter earnings beating forecasts as the CFO said macro headwinds were “more pronounced in Australia”.
- Jonathan Shapiro and James Eyers
What Zoom can teach investors about picking winners
Investment themes like work from home or soaring demand for lithium normally produce sharemarket bubbles to avoid, rather than long-term wealth.
- Tom Richardson
July
Why Catapult’s worst days could be behind it
Paradice’s Julia Weng shares her views on the big four banks at a time when investors are preparing for a slowdown and why she likes Afterpay parent, Block.
- Updated
- Joanne Tran
BHP leads shares lower, as investors worry over China
Broad selling hit the market on Thursday as investors digested more data suggesting a slowdown in China and hawkish US Federal Reserve minutes.
- Tom Richardson
June
Why these companies want staff to run businesses on the side
Block Inc and Mantel Group are among a rising number of employers encouraging their staff to run businesses on the side to develop new skills.
- Euan Black
May
Tech mogul’s murder exposes Silicon Valley’s sex and drugs underbelly
Bob Lee was stabbed to death on a San Francisco street - and his death revealed an underground scene of affairs, drug use and parties for tech elites.
- James Titcomb
- Exclusive
- Start-ups
Dominello takes a seat in political musical chairs on Tech Council board
Former NSW minister for digital government Victor Dominello’s post-political career is continuing to take shape.
- Paul Smith
Block, the ASX’s governance Frankenstein
Maybe Australian public company governance isn’t so bad after all...
- Joe Aston
April
Afterpay shareholders sue Dorsey’s Block for breach disclosure
Former Afterpay shareholders are furious that Block failed to disclose a cyber breach that saw data belonging to 8.2 million customers stolen ahead of their deal.
- Jessica Sier
Block’s under fire Cash App will still come to Australia
The Afterpay owner said comments made by CFO Amrita Ahuja that Cash App would arrive in Australia hold true as it defends against a short seller attack.
- James Eyers
March
Apple begins roll out of BNPL service after long delay
The service will divide purchases up to $1500 into four payments, spread over six weeks, with no interest or fees.
- Mark Gurman
The eight red flags that signal more pain at Block
An Australian hedge fund manager says there are signs all is not well at Jack Dorsey’s Block as it faces an attack from short-seller Hindenburg.
- Updated
- Jonathan Shapiro and James Eyers
