Australia & New Zealand Data Response Retail Sales (May) Retail sales rose above pre-virus levels in May and probably kept rising in June. As such, a sharp rebound in consumption in Q3 following Q2’s slump is all but guaranteed. However, services spending... 3rd July 2020 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia - International Trade (May) The trade balance was broadly stable in May but given significant price effects, trade may have been another drag on GDP growth in Q2. 2nd July 2020 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia - CoreLogic House Prices (Jun.) The further decline in house prices in June is likely to continue in the coming months even as economic activity recovers. We expect house prices to fall by 5-10% over the coming year. 1st July 2020 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack Economies coming roaring back Restrictions on activity have lifted in both countries. While some states in Australia still limit the size of groups and capacity at restaurants, New Zealand has now lifted all domestic restrictions... 30th June 2020 · 10 mins read
RBA Watch More stimulus needed before long Given that the economy has coped better with the pandemic than the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) had anticipated, the Bank probably won’t provide additional easing over the next few months. However... 30th June 2020 · 7 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly NZ activity back to normal, but labour market is not As New Zealand has almost entirely eliminated the virus, domestic restrictions have been eased which has allowed activity and consumption to return to normal levels. We have therefore raised our GDP... 26th June 2020 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - RBNZ to go negative in 2021 The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) sounded fairly balanced when it left policy settings unchanged today. But we still think the Bank will cut rates into negative territory next year. 24th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia - Sugar-high in consumption may not last Consumer spending is bouncing back more strongly than we had anticipated. However, that partly reflects pent-up demand and the strong support from government initiatives. Employment income has slumped... 22nd June 2020 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Australian economy bouncing back strongly Data released this week have shown the Australian economy is rebounding faster than we had expected. While labour market data for May showed a further decline in employment, a fall in the... 19th June 2020 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia - Labour Market (May) Employment fell further in May but with the economy opening up again it should start to rebound in June. As such, the unemployment rate probably won’t rise any further. 18th June 2020 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response New Zealand - GDP (Q1) Just one week of New Zealand’s strict lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, fell in the first quarter. We therefore expect the hit to GDP to be concentrated in Q2 when the bulk of the lockdown... 18th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia-China trade tensions unlikely to boil over The rising trade tensions between Australia and China in recent weeks are unlikely to meaningfully damage Australian exports. While China may introduce tariffs on Australian coal, it is unlikely to... 16th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Lifting lockdowns spurs confidence As the lockdown is lifted in Australia consumer and business sentiment is turning a corner. We expect consumer confidence and activity to continue picking up in line with easing restrictions... 12th June 2020 · 7 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia - Inflation set to fall sharply The sharp decline in activity in Australia is set to result in much weaker inflation before long. And even though output will recover rapidly over the coming months as virus restrictions are eased, we... 9th June 2020 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Lower benefits won’t prevent rebound in spending The government has said it will delay the Budget Update until July so it can reassess the eligibility of the JobKeeper scheme. Reducing the payments for part-time workers could save the government... 5th June 2020 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia - Homebuyer grants won’t prevent falling house prices The government today unveiled a grant for buyers of new homes. While grants for first-time home buyers boosted home sales during the global financial crisis, the new scheme won’t offset the impact of... 4th June 2020 · 3 mins read
