RBA
Further rate cuts at risk as rent pushes up inflation
21 August
Rising construction costs and rental increases may prove to be stumbling blocks for further rate cuts from the Reserve Bank. The latest data from Cotality shows there are concerns for housing inflation and its knock-on effects off the back of rental...[Read More]
Unexpected inflation spike dampens rate cut hopes
27 August
Unexpected inflation spike dampens rate cut hopes Traders have scaled back their hopes for a second straight Reserve Bank rate cut after inflation unexpectedly surged in July. The monthly consumer price index skyrocketed from 1.9 per cent to 2.8 per...[Read More]
Real wages boost for workers, but costs might worry RBA
21 August
Workers have enjoyed the strongest annual growth in real wages in more than five years, but the Reserve Bank will be on alert in case labour costs cause inflation to fire up again. Wages grew by 3.4 per cent in the year to June, slightly above...[Read More]
Bank’s big rate call after ‘ugly’ inflation print
25 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’
25 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]
Home prices continue rising amid supply-demand mismatch
3 September
Australian home prices have clocked the fastest month of growth since May 2024, as a drop in building approvals clouds the outlook for housing affordability. The 0.7 per cent rise in August marks the seventh consecutive month of growth and lifts the...[Read More]
‘Welcome’ pick-up in Australian economy wrongfoots RBA
3 September
Australia’s economic growth rate has accelerated to 1.8 per cent, the fastest rate in almost two years, amid a boost in household consumption. The annual rise in gross domestic product, included in the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ quarterly...[Read More]
Jobless fall gives RBA room before next rate cut
21 August
A modest fall in the jobless rate shows Australia’s labour market is still resilient, giving the Reserve Bank breathing room before it cuts interest rates again. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.2 per cent in July, the Australian Bureau of...[Read More]
Real wages boost as annual growth holds at 3.4 per cent
14 August
Wages grew by 3.4 per cent in the year to June, and above expectations, providing a boost to workers’ real incomes. The annual figure was steady from the first quarter, but because inflation fell to 2.1 per cent in that March quarter, real wages...[Read More]
Productivity a tough puzzle for central bank boffins
14 August
Australian living standards will recover slower than expected, the Reserve Bank has forecast, acknowledging it has consistently been wrong about a key economic assumption. Economists at the central bank downgraded their estimate for Australia’s...[Read More]
Jigsaw coming together for further interest rate relief
7 August
Hopes of an impending interest rate cut have been bolstered by a top official who says fresh figures show inflation falling in line with predictions. Reserve Bank of Australia deputy governor Andrew Hauser said the consumer price data released by...[Read More]
Households spending on non-essentials as pressures ease
7 August
Australians have been splashing out on new cars, food and electronics as price pressures ease. Household spending rose 0.5 per cent in June on top of a one per cent increase in May as shoppers shelled out for new goods, official figures...[Read More]
Upward spending trend unlikely to shift needle on rates
6 August
Australian spending habits will help the Reserve Bank fill in its picture of the nation’s economy, with another rate cut expected at its next board meeting amid global tariff woes. All eyes will be on the monthly spending indicator for June as it...[Read More]
Rate cut looms as inflation result brings RBA ‘comfort’
31 July
Mortgage holders can all but lock in a rate cut in less than two weeks after the central bank’s preferred measure of inflation fell to its lowest level in three-and-a-half years. Trimmed mean inflation – which omits volatile items to measure...[Read More]
What drove inflation to its lowest level in four years?
31 July
Headline and underlying inflation figures fell to four-year lows in the June quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Wednesday, lifting hopes of an upcoming Reserve Bank rate cut. KEY FIGURES * Headline inflation came in at 0.7 per...[Read More]