Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - RBNZ desperate to get the dollar down Although the Reserve Bank of New Zealand left interest rates on hold at 2.0% today, it hinted that in order to weaken the dollar and boost inflation, it will soon cut rates to a new record low of 1.75... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA tweaks its policy agreement Philip Lowe’s first job as RBA Governor has been to emphasise the medium-term nature of the 2-3% inflation target and highlight how the RBA juggles this with its often conflicting objective of... 19th September 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA thinks it’s done enough The policy statement released alongside the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to leave interest rates at 1.5% today provides no hint that another rate cut is around the corner. If the inflation... 6th September 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - Heading to a low of at least 1.5% in New Zealand Not only did the Reserve Bank of New Zealand today cut interest rates by 0.25% to a new record low of 2.00%, but it also suggested that rates will soon be cut again to 1.75%. In order to weaken the... 11th August 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA may yet be forced to cut rates below 1.5% The Reserve Bank of Australia used its new Statement on Monetary Policy to suggest that it hasn’t got much appetite for cutting interest rates below 1.5%, although its own inflation forecasts suggest... 5th August 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Rates in Australia may yet have to fall to 1.0% If it is going to weaken the Australian dollar to help solve its low inflation problem, the Reserve Bank of Australia may have to follow today’s 0.25% interest rate cut to a new record low of 1.5%... 2nd August 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - RBNZ hits out at high dollar The Reserve Bank of New Zealand used its unusual inter-meeting “economic update” to all-but guarantee that it will cut rates from 2.25% to 2.00% at the meeting on 11 August and that it wants the... 21st July 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - New LVR rules raise the chance of rates going below 2.0% Today’s announcement by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand that it intends to tighten existing loan-to-value restrictions will not only go some way to addressing the risks to financial stability posed by... 19th July 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - New Zealand dollar won’t continue to defy gravity The New Zealand dollar may not to be able to defy gravity for much longer as a shrinking interest rate premium could drag it down from US$0.73 now to around US$0.65 by the end of the year. That would... 12th July 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Loss of AAA rating wouldn't raise borrowing costs S&P’s decision to revise Australia’s AAA credit rating from stable to negative is another political blow for the Coalition, but it doesn’t mean much for the financial markets, the States or the banks 7th July 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA not too worried by political uncertainty By leaving interest rates at 1.75% and not providing a very strong hint that they will be cut in August, the Reserve Bank of Australia today implied that the recent financial market volatility and... 5th July 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update What does the election mean for the economy and markets? The fallout on the economy and financial markets from the uncertain outcome of the Federal election will probably be relatively mild and short-lived and is unlikely to prompt the Reserve Bank of... 4th July 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Brexit not a major threat Last week’s vote by the UK to leave the EU isn’t a major threat to the Australian and New Zealand economies, especially when the resulting volatility in the financial markets appears to be fading. 27th June 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - Housing heat changes RBNZ’s rate-cutting timetable Despite leaving interest rates at 2.25% today, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand still hinted that they may fall to 2.0% before long. What’s more, we still think there’s a chance that rates may have to... 9th June 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA treading water in uncharted territory It was no surprise after cutting interest rates in May that the Reserve Bank of Australia left rates on hold at 1.75% today. But by not sending a signal that rates will fall further, it has become a... 7th June 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update How Lowe will interest rates go? The Reserve Bank of Australia’s new forecast that underlying inflation will remain below the 2-3% target range until mid-2018 supports our view that interest rates will soon be cut by a further 0.25%... 6th May 2016 · 1 min read