Should you back the world's most controversial fashion giant?

It's no longer the fast fashion disruptor it once was, so are Shein shares a wise investment? Plus, farmers warn bird flu could turn eggs into expensive luxuries, banks wind back credit card perks and how AI data centres could push up power prices. Here are five money stories you may have missed this week.

1. Shein on the stock exchange - should you invest in the fast fashion retailer?

Fast fashion retailer Shein has announced plans to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange next week, targeting a valuation of almost US $27 billion.

It comes after the company's previous attempts to list on US and UK markets failed amid regulatory scrutiny and after the value of the business fell from $100 billion in 2022 amid growing tariffs and competition.

In documents filed with the Hong Kong exchange, Shein said it would be offering almost 280 million shares for between $8.45 and $8.79 AUD each when it lists on Tuesday.

Aussie investors will be able to buy shares on the secondary market after the IPO, but experts are quick to note Shein isn't the commerce disruptor it once was.

"Growth has slowed sharply, customer acquisition and fulfilment are getting more expensive, trade rules that supported Shein's cross-border model are changing... [and] competition is intense," says Merline McGregor, managing director ANZ for ecommerce consultancy Pattern Australia.

Rob Talevski is the CEO of Webull Securities Australia, one of the brokerage platforms where Shein shares will be available to Aussie investors.

He agrees that the company has struggled in recent years and expects its share price to fall below the $8-9 figure the company has quoted, but says it could recover from then on.

"Personally, I think Shein is a long-term opportunity. If there is any exuberance around the IPO in terms of share price, I think that will be short lived," he says.

"I think the price will come off and then when the dust settles and Shein's able to sort out its expansion and technology plans with the war chest that it accumulates... I think then you'll start seeing stabilisation of the stock price and potential upside in time."

2. Farmers warn bird flu could make eggs a 'luxury product'

The President of the NSW Farmers Federation says eggs could become an "expensive luxury product" if the current bird flu outbreak spreads into lots of chicken farms.

Asked at the National Bush Summit on Wednesday what would happen if the H5N1 strain got into commercial poultry farms "at scale", Rebecca Reardon had a warning for Aussie egg lovers.

"If [the outbreak] is ongoing and we see it over the next few years, we're going to have supply going up and down and something as simple as eggs will become a luxury product and expensive," she said.

Reardon's comments came as Australia reached 341 recorded cases of H5 bird flu, all in wildlife.

No cases have yet been found in poultry or other farm animals, but experts have told Money they expect the new strain of the virus to impact chicken farms at some point.

A single case on an egg farm can impact supply because farmers may cull a large number of birds to stop the spread of the highly-contagious virus.

An outbreak of a different strain of bird flu in Australia between 2024 and 2025 saw 10% of the nation's laying hens culled and egg prices rise by almost 20%.

3. Credit card holders vent at bank squeeze

Credit card customers at Australia's big banks are complaining about new fees, higher rates and diminishing perks as the payments industry faces a shake-up in coming months.

People with credit cards issued by Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and St George have taken to Reddit to vent about the incoming changes, which one lender is blaming on the Reserve Bank's decision to ban surcharges on card payments from October 1.

Several customers say they've been told their card will incur international transaction fees and they'll lose access to complimentary travel insurance from the end of September, throwing holiday budgets into chaos.

"I got [this] card for when I went to America this year and it worked great. [I'm] going to Asia for three months at the end of the year and this has put a dint in my plans big time," said one contributor to a Reddit discussion about Commonwealth Bank's Smart Awards card.

All of the big four banks have unveiled changes to their credit cards, including increases to interest rates, higher fees, caps on rewards points and overhauls of loyalty schemes.

Some online users have questioned whether the incoming ban on surcharges is driving the changes, while others accused the banks of using the ban as an excuse for inflicting enshitification on card customers.

In explaining its credit card changes, Westpac said the new surcharge rules were behind the shift.

4. Aussie ski businesses struggle amid warm winter and low yen

A warmer than average winter has hit Australia's major ski resorts hard, with one operation long associated with snow holidays now considered less of a valuable going concern.

It comes as a weak yen has eased the costs of a trip to Japan, considered to have a wider choice of more reliable snowfields.

This week hotel group EVT revealed an independent valuation of its Thredbo Alpine Resort had come back at $143 million, a sizeable drop from the previous figure of $292 million.

EVT said this was due to poor trading conditions and the need to spend more on chairlifts and snowmaking infrastructure. It said a lack of natural snow throughout June and July had also hit the business.

Some resorts in Victoria and NSW have already closed for winter activities amid reports of snow levels being significantly lower than in previous years.

Winter has also seen the Australian dollar hit a multi-decade high against the yen.

And while that milestone did come during Japan's summer, Aussies who chose to head to the country in January for their skiing fix would have, even then, enjoyed some of the best exchange rates in years.

5. AI data centres could drive up power prices

A federal government assistant minister has warned households and businesses could end up paying more for energy if AI data centres are allowed to draw electricity from coal or gas powered-plants.

The intervention comes as the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says it expects data centre electricity use to increase sevenfold over the next decade.

AEMO expects the facilities to be responsible for 13% of electricity use in Australia's eastern states and South Australia by 2035, up from 3% today.

Speaking to The Conversation, cabinet secretary and assistant minister for science, technology and the digital economy Andrew Charlton said allowing data centres to be powered by fossil fuels would lead to higher power bills for households and businesses.

"If we allow data centres to draw on finite sources of energy, they will inevitably put upward pressure on the price of those finite sources," he said.

AI data centres have become a lightning rod issue in some communities, with residents fearing the buildings will take up valuable land and the computer hardware housed within will consume too much water and electricity.

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