economy
Bank’s big rate call after ‘ugly’ inflation print
24 September
Mortgage holders might have to wait until next year for more rate relief after a sharp rise in services inflation all but killed off the already slim chance of a September cut. The consumer price index climbed from 2.8 to three per cent for the year...[Read More]
National economy still stuck in ‘productivity malaise’
24 September
Australia’s productivity performance improved in the June quarter, but weak capital investment is still holding back growth in living standards, the Productivity Commission says. Growth in labour productivity – or doing more with less –...[Read More]
Economy shrugs off tariff turmoil to outperform peers
24 September
An influential global economic organisation is warning central banks to be vigilant about inflation, as it fires a broadside at Donald Trump’s political interference with the Federal Reserve. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation...[Read More]
Jobs data in focus as economic outlook brightens
17 September
Australia’s unemployment rate is tipped to remain historically low as workers reap the benefits of tighter than average labour market conditions. Economists at ANZ Bank expect the jobless rate to hold steady at 4.2 per cent when the Australian...[Read More]
Consumer confidence dips as households slowly recover
10 September
Australian households are feeling slightly less optimistic about the economy after reeling in their expectations for further interest rate cuts. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index fell 3.1 per cent to a “cautiously...[Read More]
US fears push Aussie investors towards local shares
10 September
Australian mum-and-dad investors increasingly favour local shares over US stocks as concerns swell around Trump administration policies, data shows. The proportion of Australian investors putting their money into US assets fell from 25 per cent in...[Read More]
Hot economic growth may place further rate cuts on ice
10 September
Australian borrowers have been warned the end of interest rate cuts may be near as a surge in household spending heats up the economy. A surprise jump in economic growth, revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, was followed by...[Read More]
Future Fund eclipses $250b after bumper return
10 September
Australia’s Future Fund has smashed its investment target, delivering a 12.2 per cent return to send the nation’s sovereign wealth fund above $250 billion for the first time. The bumper result for 2024/25 exceeded the fund’s mandate of 6.9 per...[Read More]
Energy suppliers use cold snap to fire up power prices
24 July
Power producers chasing profits during a cold snap have stoked wholesale electricity price rises in recent months, according to the latest data. Wholesale electricity prices have increased across all regions except Queensland as more expensive gas...[Read More]
Cash can’t crash: why physical money is here to stay
19 June
It’s said money talks, but the conversation about a cashless society has grown ‘coinvoluted’. From credit and debit cards, to digital wallets on mobile phones – the ways Australians now choose to pay has sparked questions about whether cash...[Read More]