Risk markets here in Asia are pivoting more on BOJ rate hike speculation amid near certainty that the Fed’s upcoming December meeting next week will result in a cut, with tonight’s US initial jobless print in the balance given the very poor ADP private numbers recently. The Australian dollar is still building above the 66
Last week, I reported on The Australian Youth Barometer 2025, which painted a bleak picture of the financial challenges facing younger Australians. The report notes that 85% of young people report financial difficulties, while 18% face food insecurity. Housing affordability is a major concern, with only 30% believing they’ll be able to afford a comfortable
This seems to have passed the forex market by. Goldman. The PBOC’s Pledged Supplementary Lending (PSL) program resumed expansion in November by a net increase of RMB25.4bn, ending its contraction since March 2024. This implies that the central bank may have approved a full-year quota for 2025 (as it did in late 2023), although the
As late as the final months of October, the Sydney auction market was still riding high, with its 4-week moving average clearance rate still sitting significantly higher than the same time last year. But in the weeks since, it has fallen back to earth, now sitting just 1.6% higher than at the same point last
Wednesday’s Q3 national accounts release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported fairly modest real per capita household consumption growth of only 0.1% for the quarter and 1.0% annually. The national accounts also reported a lift in the household savings rate to 6.4%: Viewed in isolation, this data would have soothed RBA concerns that
In this week’s podcast, Nucleus Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Damien Klassen, examines the latest crypto price crash — assessing where digital assets now fit within an investment portfolio, what’s really driving the volatility, and whether Larry Fink’s push for a tokenisation boom offers any meaningful upside from here. Join us when we go LIVE at
The Market Ear on Santa or bust. Well ahead Russell well ahead of NDX over the past 6 months. Source: LSEG Workspace Small cap tech as well Small cap tech beating NDX by a huge margin over the past 10 days. Source: LSEG Workspace That’s new Trannies leaving tech behind…Chart 2 shows the two since
Australia’s unemployment rate is currently at a historically low 4.3%, and the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) most recent Statement of Monetary Policy predicts that it will continue around this level until the end of 2027. The fundamental reason for Australia’s low unemployment rate is that government spending has resulted in a record increase in
The ferrous complex is stronger in the last week as steel inventory rundowns are finally boosting prices. At least keeping pace with iron ore. Vale is playing games. Brazilian mining company Vale has lowered its forecast for iron ore production in 2026 to 335-345 million tons, according to a company statement. The previous forecast was 340-360
For months, the strong rebound in net permanent and long-term (NPLT) arrivals has pointed to rising immigration and population growth. The latest civilian population data contained in the October labour force release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) suggested that population growth has rebounded, alongside the rebound in NPLT arrivals: Wednesday’s Q3 2025 national