Stephen Bartholomeusz

Stephen Bartholomeusz is one of Australia’s most respected business journalists.

Iran’s response to a war that Trump thought would be over in weeks, if not days, has embarrassed and weakened America in the eyes of the rest of the world and the nature of the agreement, if one is reached, is likely to confirm that opinion.

Opinion
Middle East at war

Trump’s deal will show how pointless his war was

Oil might soon flow through the Strait of Hormuz, but the damage done by the US president’s war will linger for a very long time.

16 hours ago
Stephen Bartholomeusz

Latest

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House

Opinion
Inflation

‘I love the inflation,’ Trump says. Americans beg to differ

The US president can brag as much as he likes about his trade policies and his “successes” against Iran, but US households are being squeezed ever harder by the war and his tariffs.

June 11, 2026
Stephen Bartholomeusz

Warsh and US President Donald Trump confer following their speeches.

Opinion
Interest rates

Will the AI boom lead to lower interest rates?

New US Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh says the productivity gains from artificial intelligence will allow significant cuts in interest rates. More like the opposite.

June 10, 2026
Stephen Bartholomeusz

Europe is seeking to rein in China in moves that are set to cause a new flare-up in global trade tensions.

Opinion
Trade wars

There’s a new front in the global trade war, and Trump’s not part of it

Europe is considering steps to stem the flow of imports from China ravaging its manufacturing industries. Beijing has warned it will retaliate.

June 9, 2026
Stephen Bartholomeusz

Donald Trump is still demanding higher interest rates.

Opinion
Sharemarket

Trump will be furious but his man’s hands are tied

A surprising jump in the latest jobs figures is good news for America but it spells doom for one of the US president’s biggest wishes.

June 8, 2026
Stephen Bartholomeusz

Donald Trump has kicked off his third attempt to build a global tariff wall.

Opinion
Trade wars

Trump’s third and maybe final attempt to build a global tariff wall

The latest tariff regime that Donald Trump is trying to erect is a transparently cynical attempt to do what US courts have told him he can’t do.

June 4, 2026
Stephen Bartholomeusz

The trade war is a mess of Donald Trump’s own making.

Opinion
Oil

Trump ‘doesn’t care’ but he is leading the world into a nightmare

Donald Trump and sharemarkets appear relaxed about the effects of the war in Iran, but the likelihood of significant global economic damage is increasing by the day.

June 3, 2026
Stephen Bartholomeusz

Valuations are sky-high for AI companies like SpaceX, and keep rising. Can it continue?

Opinion
AI

SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI: What if one of the mega AI IPOs fizzles?

The companies driving artificial intelligence need access to ever-increasing amounts of capital at ever-increasing valuations. That makes them vulnerable.