Looks like everyone but the Fed is going to raise interest rates soon with the latest local inflation figures surging and cutting all chances of a cut from the RBA in its November meeting while it seems the BOJ is also likely to start raising rates going into 2026. Asian share markets are somewhat mixed
A recent examination of freedom of information (FOI) requests called into question the Albanese government’s commitment to transparency. The Centre for Public Integrity, an independent research institute, discovered that 24% of FOI requests were denied during Labor’s first term in office. In comparison, the proportion of applications denied fluctuated between 10% and 18% during the
The Economist does not like Donald Trump and is enjoying his polling. Last week Steve Bannon told our editors that Donald Trump would serve an unconstitutional third term. On Monday Mr Trump said, “I would love to do it—I have the best numbers ever.” We have an update on those numbers. They’re not the best
Perth’s housing market has experienced one of the nation’s biggest price booms since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, with dwelling values soaring by 102% since March 2020, according to PropTrack: Despite the surge in values, Perth’s housing market remains relatively affordable compared to the other major capital cities. According to Domain, Perth is the
In the debate surrounding immigration levels and population growth more broadly, the status quo is often described as normal, as if it were simply part of the natural order of things. Yet when comparing Australia’s population growth with that of the rest of the developed world, as IFM Investors Chief Economist Alex Joiner does below,
The likelihood of a near-term rate cut has been shattered with Wednesday’s Q3 CPI release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The policy-relevant trimmed mean inflation spiked by 1.0% in Q3, well above the median economists’ forecast of a 0.8% rise. This took the annual trimmed mean CPI to 3.0% – the very top
TS Lombard gives us the company view of the new Five Year Plan. First, consensus expectations for 2026 GDP are too bearish. Xi Jinping has recommitted the CCP to doubling 2020 per capita GDP by 2035 (just as we forecasted!) This entails a growth rate of ~4.6% yoy to reach that goal. While we do
Here it is comes! Waymo is talking to local regulators about trialling the company’s self-driving taxis in Australia, as the autonomous vehicle company begins lobbying governments around the country. Owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, Waymo describes itself as the “world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service” and says its vehicles have completed 10 million driverless rides
The IEA has done an analysis of the immense looming global gas glut. It is even bigger than I thought. Following the supply shock of 2022/23, natural gas markets moved towards a gradual rebalancing in 2024 and 2025. During this period, supply fundamentals remained tight and prices stayed well above their historic levels. This limited
Australia is the world’s leader in creating products and policies that load households with debt. This year, we have seen the federal Labor government introduce its 5% deposit scheme for first home buyers as well as exclude student debts from loan servicing calculations. We have also seen Australian lenders announce new stimulatory mortgage products, including 40-year