Nobody wants US dollars. But they want Bitcoin even less. This is a pretty stark break from the narrative we’ve been sold about BTC being “digital gold” or some kind of alternative “reserve currency” that can’t be debased. Indeed, markets are consumed by a global fiat debasement trade at the moment, yet BTC keeps falling.
Wednesday’s CPI inflation release for December was a shocker that, alongside the decline in the nation’s unemployment rate to 4.1%, suggests that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will hike the official cash rate at next month’s monetary policy meeting. The policy-relevant trimmed mean inflation rose by a stronger-than-expected 0.9% over the December quarter to
When I moved to Hellbourne from Sydney (oh, the regret) in 2009, after successfully selling The Diplomat in Japan on the eve of the GFC, I met the rulers of the incipient Grattan Institute to see if they might be worth my time. It was a jarring experience. My freewheeling intellect and entrepreneurial style clashed with their
The media frequently criticises coal generation subsidies while overlooking the significantly larger subsidies for renewable energy. Some of Australia’s leading fund managers and economists are warning that two major federal financing programs for renewable energy—the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) and the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF)—risk becoming “slush funds” unless the government provides far greater transparency
The ferrous jaws must close! A 2% pop yesterday, driven by news of the easing of the “three red lines” for some Chinese property developers, faded overnight. This is quite right, but it shows that sentiment is in no mood for reflexive recoveries. The news flow wasn’t bullish on the ground, either. Inventories of imported
Seriously, who would want to be a tenant in Australia? Advertised rents have soared by 43% over the past five calendar years, adding nearly $10,700 to the annual cost of renting for the median household: As a result, tenant households are paying a record share of income to rent the median home: Meanwhile, competition is
The February RBA meeting is a closer call than markets are pricing it for, according to Deutsche Bank. The bank notes that headline CPI increased 1.0% monthly/3.8% year over year in December, about 0.2 points higher than expected. Although year-ended slightly above consensus at 3.4% (3.35% yoy to two decimal places), key core metrics were
KPMG’s January 2026 outlook paints a picture of broad‑based, shortage‑driven price growth, with affordable suburbs and unit markets outperforming, and Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth emerging as standout markets. Despite affordability challenges, Australia’s housing market is expected to remain tight, competitive, and upward‑trending through 2026. Last year recorded stronger‑than‑expected growth, with national house prices rising by
DXY is not recapturing former support levels. This is TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) as his “massive armada” closes in on Iran. AUD literally exploded last night: up, down and sideways. North Asia is still supportive. Can oil catch gold? Military preparations look more like surgical strikes than an all-out war, despite the rhetoric, so
Overnight saw Wall Street take a hit on tech stock earnings with Apple the next cab off the rank this evening. Microsoft slumped while Meta surged as Tesla stumbled, while European stocks remain hesistant as the war drums are beating in the Middle East. Oil prices continue to surge on the upcoming Iranian/US war while