Tag Archives: interestrates

Michael Knox on why the RBA won’t hike interest rates any time soon

Posted on December 20, 2017 by

In today’s Financial Review, economics correspondent Jacob Greber observed: The RBA has gone more than seven years now without raising interest rates, the longest span since the official cash rate was introduced in the early 1990s. Indeed, on Melbourne Cup … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RBA making it up as it goes along

Posted on March 15, 2017 by

After a speech by Assistant RBA Governor Michele Bullock yesterday, there is speculation about the RBA pushing APRA to instruct banks to further restrain their lending to housing investors- strengthening the so-called macro-prudential regulation that has had only limited success … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Recommended holiday reading: The Man Who Knew

Posted on December 22, 2016 by

The best economics and finance book of 2016 is undoubtedly Sebastian Mallaby’s masterful biography of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, The Man Who Knew. Greenspan was the man who knew that superficially healthy economies, with steady economic growth and … Continue reading →

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US recovery on track, while Australian economists wait anxiously for latest National Accounts

Posted on December 4, 2016 by

The latest US jobs data show an economy that is growing quite nicely, with 178,000 new jobs over the last month, and with unemployment falling to 4.6%, its lowest rate since the financial crisis (see chart below). However, the market … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Macroeconomy, Mining, North Queensland, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

New motor vehicle sales lower in Qld than before financial crisis

Posted on May 18, 2016 by

New motor vehicle sales data for April released by the ABS yesterday support the RBA Board’s decision to cut the cash rate on Budget day earlier this month, with sales down 2.5% in April nationwide, and down 7.7% in Queensland, … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t miss 16 June Brisbane speech by RBA Deputy Governor Philip Lowe, the Bank’s next Governor

Posted on May 10, 2016 by

At a lunchtime event at Tattersall’s Club in Brisbane yesterday, after he predicted another interest rate cut this year in either June or August, Dr Chris Caton, BT’s Chief Economist, noted that “Interest rate changes are like cockroaches.” That is, … Continue reading →

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Exciting week for economy watchers: State of the States, a possible rate cut, and the Budget

Posted on May 2, 2016 by

CommSec’s latest State of the States Report is out today, and, while I think its placement of Queensland in around the middle of Australia’s States and Territories (5th out of 8) is reasonable, I have some sympathy for Queensland Treasurer … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Housing, Infrastructure, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments