Living pressures ease for employee households

7 February

Working families are still under acute financial pressure but fewer cash rate hikes of late has tempered growth in their overall living costs. In the 12 months to the December quarter, living costs rose 6.9 per cent for employee households, down...[Read More]

Women gradually cracking the glass ceiling

25 January

Women are still woefully under-represented in top jobs but female leaders are becoming more common in Australia’s economic and financial institutions. Within Treasury, the government department responsible for economic policy, the federal budget...[Read More]

New building activity slows as rates bite

18 January

New home building starts have plummeted by more than 20 per cent in 12 months as labour and material shortages continue to weigh on the construction industry. New building activity fell further in the September quarter after softening moderately in...[Read More]

ACCC probe to ensure savers get fair deal

11 January

The consumer watchdog has been asked to look into interest rates for savers amid concern banks aren’t offering their customers a fair deal. Treasurer Jim Chalmers urged the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate the matter,...[Read More]

Earnings, yield to drive returns in 2023

4 January

It’s been a tough year for most equities and investors will likely have to accept lower returns in 2023 – but Australia will still likely outperform its global peers, according to a boutique fund manager. SG Hiscock portfolio manager Hamish...[Read More]

RBA hikes interest rates 25 basis points

2 November

The central bank has pulled the trigger on another 25 basis point rate rise and upgraded its peak inflation forecasts off the back of higher-than-expected inflation. The seventh hike in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy tightening cycle...[Read More]

RBA decision risks higher cash rate peak

5 October

The surprise slowdown in the pace of rate rises risks dragging out the rate hiking cycle and forcing the central bank to go even higher than expected to dampen demand. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 0.25 percentage point lift is the sixth...[Read More]

Rate hikes could help home buyers: RBA

21 September

It takes around two years for elevated interest rates to dampen house prices enough to offset higher mortgage repayments, a senior RBA official says. Interest rate hikes diminish the amount buyers can borrow, which the Reserve Bank of...[Read More]

Consumer spending slowdown starts to show

14 September

Rate hikes and the soaring cost of living are finally starting to weigh on household spending. Non-essential outgoings decreased in August, according to CommBank’s household spending intentions index, with sectors such as travel,...[Read More]