Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia- The impact of rate hikes on household finances If the RBA hiked rates by nearly 200bp as the financial markets were anticipating until recently, households’ debt servicing burden would hit an all-time high and housing would become the least... 3rd November 2021 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response New Zealand- Labour Market (Q3 2021) The decline in the unemployment rate to 3.4% should encourage the RBNZ to hike rates more aggressively than we had previously anticipated in the months ahead. 2nd November 2021 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Patient RBA set to hike rates only gradually The RBA abandoned its yield target and its pledge that rates will remain low until 2024 today, but still sounded dovish. While the financial markets expect the first rate hike in May next year, we... 2nd November 2021 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia CoreLogic House Prices (Oct.) Strong demand means that house prices will keep rising at a strong pace over the next few months, but we think that lending restrictions will result in a slowdown next year. 1st November 2021 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack Surging inflation puts pressure on monetary policy Trimmed mean inflation rose to 2.1% in Australia in Q3, the first time it has entered the RBA’s 2-3% target band since 2015. Even more strikingly, trimmed mean inflation in New Zealand rose to 4.4%... 29th October 2021 · 11 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA set to ditch yield target next week The rise in trimmed mean inflation into the RBA’s 2-3% target band for the first time in six years has only added to the aggressive repricing in the outlook for the RBA’s policy rate over the past... 29th October 2021 · 7 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia Retail Sales (Sep. 2021) The rise in retail sales in September means that the trough in consumption is now behind us. We expect retail sales to rebound in Q4 as restrictions relax and a growing number of Australians are able... 29th October 2021 · 2 mins read
RBA Watch RBA’s dovish view increasingly under pressure The acceleration in underlying inflation increases the pressure on the RBA to adjust its forward guidance. But with wage growth still sluggish, we think it will stick to its pledge that rate hikes are... 27th October 2021 · 8 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia Consumer Prices (Q3 2021) The decline in headline inflation in Q3 was entirely driven by base effects. More importantly, the strong rise in underlying inflation will keep pressure on the RBA to keep reducing monetary stimulus. 27th October 2021 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Market pricing on RBA too aggressive Despite the rise in virus cases in recent weeks, strong inflation in New Zealand increases the pressure on the RBNZ to tighten policy further. While we are sticking to our forecast of a 25bp hike in... 22nd October 2021 · 6 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus Australia- Wage growth will approach 3% by end-2022 A renewed tightening of the labour market next year means that wage growth will accelerate further. That pick-up will be underpinned by a stronger minimum wage hike, the lifting of caps on public... 21st October 2021 · 15 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response New Zealand- Consumer Prices (Q3) While we think the surge in inflation will start to abate in the year ahead, the strength will surely be worrying the RBNZ, supporting the case for further rate hikes. 18th October 2021 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Plans to double migration sound good in theory The new NSW premier has received advice that Australia should double the pace of migration in the coming years to make up for lost population growth. That plan would help ease labour shortages, boost... 15th October 2021 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economic Outlook Rising inflationary pressures to prompt tightening Domestic demand is set to rebound from recent lockdowns and labour markets should remain tight. Meanwhile, soaring energy and food prices will keep inflation high for a prolonged period. To be sure... 14th October 2021 · 25 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia Labour Market (Sep.) While employment plunged yet again in September, hours worked started to rebound and the end of lockdowns will result in a rapid recovery in the labour market over coming months. 14th October 2021 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Structural slowdown in China a key threat to Australia Australia’s exports to China are even more vulnerable to a slowdown in the property sector than they were before the trade spat as iron ore has gained in importance. We think that China’s steel demand... 13th October 2021 · 3 mins read