10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

Good morning and welcome to Monday.

WallStreetBets turned memes into market history. Australian investment experts weigh in on whether it could happen here.

Australian Reddit forum r/ASX_Bets celebrates fast-and-loose trades on the stock market, with 33,000 users memeing their profits — and losses. The board is inspired by r/WallStreetbets, the American forum which recently orchestrated the miraculous rise of GameStop share prices.

An Australian influencer faced a backlash when she released a champagne flute 'inspired' by her mother. The controversy reflects a growing ecommerce trend.

Australian influencer Olivia White faced criticism from some for selling a product 'inspired' by her mother, but produced and designed overseas. White told Business Insider she was clear about what value she brought to the product, which entailed sourcing, packaging and sending on distinctive looking champagne flutes.

Victoria declares all but one NSW region a 'green' zone, allowing isolation-free travel for nearly all visitors

Victoria will permit visitors from all of New South Wales from 6pm Friday after removing the final 'red' zone from its travel permit system. Every NSW region, apart from the 'orange' Cumberland local government area, will be classified as a 'green' zone.

NAB will buy 86 400 for up to $220 million, leaving Australia's neobank experiment looking shaky

National Australia Bank is set to acquire neobank 86 400 in a $220 million deal. NAB already had a 18.3% stake in 86 400. It comes at a tough time for the Australian neobank experiment, with vanishingly few independent competitors left.

GameStop founder Gary Kusin said it was an 'honour' retail investors targeted the company: 'I just grabbed some popcorn'

Gary Kusin, the co-founder of GameStop, told CNBC he's been closely monitoring the Reddit-fuelled frenzy this month. Kusin's son, Ben Kusin, had even been an active member on the Reddit forum cheering on GameStop's rally.

GameStop short-seller Melvin Capital lost 53% this month after the Reddit-fuelled frenzy sent shares soaring

Melvin Capital lost 53% in January, sources told Insider. The Wall Street Journal first reported the loss. The fund ended the month with more than $US8 billion in assets under management.

Pfizer's CEO said the company is working on booster shots that could combat coronavirus variants

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company is working on booster shots that protect against coronavirus variants. South Africa and the UK have identified new strains of the coronavirus that leads to COVID-19.

An interior designer shares 11 things she would never have in her own home

An interior designer shared the items and trends she would never have in her home. She said she isn't a fan of unorganized clothing racks, Mason jars, or textured walls.

The 5 types of stock market volatility and how they affect investments

2020 has proved to be a tumultuous year for global markets, with no signs of smooth sailing on the horizon just yet. While market turbulence might be a deterrent to some investors, others will find a way to use it to their advantage.

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10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

Good morning and welcome to Friday.

House prices have hit record highs in all but two capitals – but it's the outer city regions that are really booming

Australian house prices have broken new records in every capital city bar Darwin and Perth. The median house price in Sydney now sits at $1.21 million, while Hobart house prices soared 12.5% last year.

Australia could rebuild its local tourism industry in 2021 – but it might need a helping hand from the government

Australians are in a position to rescue the local tourism industry, if state borders were to reopen. AMP senior economist Diana Mousina said local tourism spending could compensate for the lack of international visitors in the short term, pending border closures and government incentives.

A little-known Australian mining company with the same ticker code as GameStop saw its share price surge on Thursday

The share price for an ASX-listed Australian mining company that shares a ticker code with GameStop rose by up to 50% on Thursday. Some social media users speculated that it was from others mistakenly buying the wrong stock, whereas others spoke about purchasing stock to capitalise on the possible mistake.

Queensland will reopen its border to all of NSW from Monday, with the premier urging people to holiday up north

Queensland will drop its hard border to Greater Sydney on February 1, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Thursday. The move means residents of 35 Greater Sydney local government areas will be permitted entry without undergoing 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine.

A Queensland farm industry group is reportedly up in arms after a Coles magazine promoted plant-based alternatives to meat

A Coles magazine guide celebrating plant-based diets has reportedly drawn the ire of an industry group representing rural Australian livestock farmers.

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