The AFR is in full panic mode about AI. AI stocks are lifting Wall Street to record highs on what feels like a daily basis, and former Google executive turned author and entrepreneur Mo Gawdat is predicting we are just two years away from a dystopian period that could last about 15 years during which
DXY is still trending up but it’s a struggle. AUD is chopping wood for now. CNY is stalled. Oil and gold meh. Metals meh. Miners bear. EM still OK. Junk too. Yields rose. Stocks eased. No news from the Alaska summit. Societe General has a snapshot of AUD technicals. AUD/USD: UP MOVE LIKELY TO EXTEND
Friday night saw the release of the latest US retail sales numbers with import prices spiking and consumer inflation expectations rising again, getting traders further worried on Wall Street. The USD was on the ropes against all the majors, with oil prices also pushed slightly lower after stalling all week while Treasuries where sold off
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) claims that international education is Australia’s fourth largest export, earning the country $51 billion in 2023–24. The ABS calculates this fantastical education “export” figure by summing expenditure by student visa holders on tuition fees and goods and services. In 2024-25, the ABS estimated that $30.2 billion was spent by
A major reason for the decline in Australia’s productivity and living standards is that Australia has grown its population rapidly via mass immigration (i.e., 8.7 million population increase this century, the fastest in the advanced world) but has failed to provide the extra workers with extra tools, machinery, and technology; extra homes for the millions
By Lucinda Jerogin, Associate Economist at CBA The RBA cut the cash rate by 25bp to 3.60% in a unanimous decision and was widely expected. The Wage Price Index printed broadly in line with expectations, rising by 0.8%/qtr in Q2 25 to be 3.4% higher annually. The unemployment rate retreated to 4.2% in July. The
Last week, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut the official cash rate by 0.25% to 3.60%, the third rate cut this year. Recent research from the Australian Financial Review showed that Australian home values typically rise by double-digit rates two years after the beginning of a rate-cutting cycle. This weekend’s preliminary auction results suggested
International Reading: Mark Cuban says companies should be taxed more for buying back their own shares – Business Insider The Trump family has raked in $3.4 billion over his two presidencies, new report says – The Independent Goldman stands by call that consumers will bear the brunt of tariffs after Trump blasts bank’s economist –
Asian share markets were dominated by Chinese data today with weakness across their domestic economy while Japanese GDP data came in slightly better than expected. Most markets are up as a result as Chinese traders expect more stimulus while the BOJ seems to be faring okay with its inflationary targets not pulling back growth. The
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has slashed the official cash rate (OCR) by 2.25%, with further rate cuts expected. As illustrated below by Justin Fabo from Antipodean Macro, the reduction in the OCR has driven down the cost of new mortgages, which should have lifted housing demand and stimulated home prices. However, home values