RBA
Labor shrugs off claim tax shift will sink house prices
3 June
Contentious changes to taxes on property investments won’t be the main driver of expected falls in prices, the housing minister says. As auction clearance rates hit lows not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, Clare O’Neil said it was unclear how...[Read More]
Vested interest ‘cartel’ killing Aussie housing dream
26 February
A “cartel” of vested interests is stymying crucial tax reforms which could help free up more homes, a former boss of the Reserve Bank says. Bernie Fraser, the only person in Australian history to have served as both RBA governor and Treasury...[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]
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]
Peek into surprise RBA decision as rate cut on cards
24 July
A behind-the-scenes glimpse at the Reserve Bank’s shock interest rate decision could offer clues into its next ruling. Borrowers and mortgage holders are still reeling after its board flouted expectations and held the cash rate at 3.85 per cent in...[Read More]
Jobless rate nears four-year high, firms rethink plans
24 July
The unemployment rate has reached its highest level in nearly four years as global uncertainty and the fallout from US tariffs cause firms to rethink hiring plans. Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Thursday showed the jobless rate...[Read More]
The ‘critical’ data that could greenlight next rate cut
24 July
The Reserve Bank has signalled its next interest rate move as it offers further insight into a shock hold call. Australia’s central bank on Tuesday released minutes from its July 7-8 meeting, in which its “cautious” monetary policy board...[Read More]