US inflation came in low. Services are still running hot, but that is mostly driven by housing costs. It would seem that the housing costs in CPI are probably overstated. See tables: Rental inflation, the largest part of services inflation, is still running hot in the report. This is at odds with what participants are
Asian share markets are finally catching the positive mood from Wall Street helped along by some very supportive comments from the BOJ, inciting depressed Japanese shares to soar higher. The USD remains very strong against all the majors in the wake of the CPI print although the Australian dollar is finding life as it almost
From around 6.50 comes Roy Morgan Energy sector smash: Gas cartelier Origin Energy is one of the least trusted brands in the country. For good reason. Origin is a founding member of the gas export cartel that has invested heavly into ensuring that it can monopolise energy prices via an artificially tight gas market.
By Stephen Saunders: Regardless of the 2025 election result, Social Engineer Albanese will have “won”. Very likely, a quarter-million will become the floor for net migration. Remember the 2021 Labor platform? Albanese promised “recovery, rebuilding, renewal” with a “central focus” on creating jobs. Up front, he advertised two big agendas – The Voice and Net
The Property Council of Australia (PCA) has lodged a submission with the Victorian government’s Plan for Victoria review whereby it has argued to exempt over-60s from paying stamp duty on their final home. “An obstacle to homes becoming available for Victorian first home buyers is the inability of older homeowners to overcome the barrier posed
Is the NSW Productivity Commission joking? State and federal governments should make it a priority to stop spending money on infrastructure to free up the construction industry to build more homes, according to a detailed analysis conducted by NSW’s key productivity adviser. Governments “diverting resources from home building to public infrastructure projects” is a major
Join us in this week’s investment podcast as Nucleus Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer Damien Klassen, discuss this topic. Can’t make it to the live series? Catch up on the content via Podcasts or our recorded Videos. Damien Klassen is Chief Investment Officer at the Macrobusiness Fund, which is powered by Nucleus Wealth. Fill out my online form. Follow @DamienKlassen
Australia’s worst-ever treasurer, Jim “chicken” Chalmers is being humiliated daily: Mr Macfarlane, who was governor from 1996 to 2006, said that under the government’s proposed restructuring of the nine-person board, monetary policy influence would shift from the full-time governor and RBA staff to outside board members. “The significant change would be the centre of gravity
The RBA says the jobs market is too tight: It’s true that recent unemployment rate outcomes have not been unusual given the historical relationship between changes in the unemployment rate and GDP growth rates (Graph 9). What has been more surprising is the strength in the labour force participation rate and, as discussed earlier, the
In 2019, the United Nations accused Blackstone, the world’s largest private real estate manager with $470 billion on its platform, of “wreaking havoc” in communities and contributing to the global housing crisis by increasing rents and “aggressive evictions”. According to UN rapporteur Leilani Farha, private equity companies such as Blackstone had commodified real estate, making