14 Mar KOALA LOOKING TO SOFT LAUNCH ON ASX; TECH ROLES DRIVE GENDER PAY GAP IN RETAIL
KOALA LOOKING TO SOFT LAUNCH ON ASX
The mattress-in-a-box retailer, Koala, is eyeing a $500 million plus ASX debut and is working closely with Barrenjoey Capital Partners to explore its options, according to the Australian Financial Review.
Since being founded in 2015, Koala has successfully introduced a range of furniture and homeware products, reporting $194 million in revenue and $558,000 in profit last financial year. Despite strong brand recognition, Koala’s IPO ambitions are dependent on the market and investor appetite.
With co-founders Dany Milham and Mitch Taylor holding 25.4 per cent of the company each, the decision to list is ultimately in their hands. Will Koala land softly on the ASX, or will market realities keep it in the box?
TECH ROLES DRIVE GENDER PAY GAP IN RETAIL
The Australian this week reported the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) revealed beauty giant Mecca to record the fifth-largest gender pay gap of Australia’s biggest employers, with a 30 per cent average total remuneration gap.
The female-led company generates $1bn of revenue each year, and its workforce is predominantly made up of women (94 per cent). The distinctive pay gap, however, is significantly influenced by its male-dominated technology team.
As more than half of Australian companies have improved their gender pay gap, the WGEA’s recent findings underscore the need for broader industry-wide efforts to address gender disparities and increase transparency across Australia.
TRUMP TARIFFS SPARK GLOBAL BACKLASK
US President Donald Trump drew intense criticism from global leaders this week with aggressive trade policies rattling businesses and financial markets. The Australian Financial Review reported that Trump’s version of transactional politics included the blunt reality of universal levies rather than just the threat of them as a negotiating tactic.
Meanwhile, Wall Street stocks tumbled with growing concerns over the economic effects of tariffs. Elon Musk’s electric-car maker Tesla led a powerful sell-off in previously high-flying technology stocks, as reported in Financial Times.
Tesla has warned that trade wars could make it a target for retaliatory tariffs against the US and increase the cost of making vehicles in America.
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