MacroBusiness, for years, has blamed much of Australia’s productivity slump on ‘capital shallowing’, which occurs when the nation’s population grows faster than business, infrastructure, and housing investment. This situation leaves workers with less capital, resulting in less output per hour and a lower growth rate per capita. As a stylised example, assume that you run
DXy is breaking down again. AUD looks ready to breakout. Lead boots plod higher. Gold loving DXY, oil nowhere. Metals also loving the DXY. Miners not worse. Junk nothing burger. Yields fell on the night but the trend is not your friend. Stocks are not enjoying the regime of the American lira. Yet the AUD
Home buyer demand increased recently following the federal election and expectations of an imminent interest rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). As illustrated below, final auction clearance rates (current to 18 May) showed a marked rebound across Sydney, Melbourne, and the combined capital city markets. This weekend’s preliminary auction results from Cotality
By Harry Ottley, Economist at CBA: The RBA cut the cash rate by 25bp to 3.85% as expected this week. The tone was more dovish than both we and the market had anticipated. We retain our call for two further interest rate cuts this year but expect the cuts to come marginally more quickly. Next
A mainstay of the Ninefax Pro Population Ponzi lobby, Shane Wright regularly depicts a world of skills shortages, investment crashes due to absent demand, and crypto Marxists proposing radical reform. We have had Shane on in the past, examining his bogus claim that international student numbers have no influence on rents. This week, Shane teed
International Reading: Trump Is Slowly but Surely Killing U.S. Economy, Experts Warn – New Republic Walmart announces 1,500 job cuts after Trump tells US retail giant to ‘eat the tariffs’ – Economic Times Americans favor labor unions over big business now more than ever – EPI The Largest Upward Transfer of Wealth in American History
Risk markets in Asia are somewhat mixed in the last session of the trading week as they absorb the burgeoning bond troubles and the passing of the Trump regime’s tax bill in the House of Reps that looks to enshrine a permanent decline in the US fiscal position. In currency markets, the USD is back
The Albanese government proposes to tax people on gains from any assets kept in their superannuation accounts, beginning with those with a balance of $3 million or more, without indexation. Industry superannuation funds, self-managed funds, investors, business leaders, and even ex-trade unionists have asked Labor to remove the unrealised component of the tax and modify
Melbourne has been the worst-performing housing market among major capital cities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March 2020 and April 2025, Melbourne dwelling values rose by 16.2%, versus 43.3% growth at the combined capital city level. The underperformance of Melbourne’s housing market has seen its median house price fall to cyclical lows
Global bond yield suppression has been a constantly favourable backdrop for equity investors since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Every attempt to withdraw support has led to the financial markets convulsing until policy makers are forced to U-turn. So what should we make of recent tumultuous events in Japan? I have always exhorted clients to