Confidence levels pick up

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The Westpac/Melbourne Institute index of consumer confidence rose by 4.1 per cent in February to a reading of 101.1. Sentiment levels are still down 5.2 per cent on a year... Read more continue reading

Record number of firms shun finance

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The NAB business confidence index rose from +3.1 to +4.0 in January, below the long-run average of +6.4.  Business conditions improved from +0.1 to +2.1, below the long-run average of... Read more continue reading

Are dividend yields sustainable?

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With declining bank term deposit rates, there has been increasing interest in dividend yields as a source of income for investors. But how do you determine how sustainable dividend yields... Read more continue reading

Rate cuts still likely as RBA downgrades growth

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The Reserve Bank has not ruled out further interest rate cuts. Near term growth and inflation forecast have been downgraded, albeit mildly while the central bank remains optimistic about the... Read more continue reading

Interest rates on hold – for now anyway

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The Reserve Bank Board has left official rates at 4.25 per cent. Last year the Reserve Bank cut rates at both the November and December meetings, each by 25 basis... Read more continue reading

Are bonds in a bubble?

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Outside of the troubled countries in Europe, government bond yields in developed countries have fallen to generational and in some cases record lows. Reflecting the capital gains that are generated... Read more continue reading

Weekly market & economic update

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The key development over the last week was that manufacturing business conditions indicators, or PMIs, in the US, Europe, Japan, China, India and even Australia all rose in January providing... Read more continue reading

Challenging times for small cap IPO market

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Small cap companies continued to provide the majority of initial public offering (IPO) activity in 2011, with an increased number listing during the year compared to the last three years. ... Read more continue reading

Seasonal businesses blow hot & cold

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Seasonal businesses rely on ‘normal’ weather conditions. In simple terms, in summer it needs to be hot and in winter in needs to be cold. But for those businesses relying... Read more continue reading

Global economy looking a little less scary

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The past few weeks have been interesting. Sovereign rating downgrades in Europe have intensified. The World Bank and now the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have slashed their growth forecasts for... Read more continue reading