2025-26 saw lots of noise but strong returns (again) – can it continue?

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Key points While we saw a long list of worries over the last year, 2025-26 saw another financial year of strong returns. Risks around Iran and oil, various other geopolitical... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic and market update – week ending 3 July, 2026

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Investment markets and key developments Global shares saw strong gains over the last week as the oil price remained down, inflation fears subsided and slower US payrolls removed some pressure... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic and market update – week ending 26 June, 2026

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Investment markets and key developments The past week saw global shares fall with tech shares under renewed pressue on concerns about an AI bubble and valuations, with reports that a... Read more continue reading

Teflon share markets – 5 reasons they’re so resilient despite lots of worries  

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Key points Despite lots of threats over the last 18 months share markets have proved to be remarkably resilient. This likely reflects a combination of: President Trump’s desire for shares... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic and market update – week endng 19 June, 2026

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The past week saw good news with the US and Iran at last signing (at least electronically) a peace deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While a deal... Read more continue reading

The Fed: “hawkish”…sort of…

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As was pretty much expected, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) chose to keep the policy (federal funds) rate target unchanged at 3.5 – 3.75 per cent. That... Read more continue reading

The RBA undertakes a hawkish pause – we continue to expect a further rise in rates

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Key points After three consecutive rate hikes the RBA left rates on hold at 4.35% at its June meeting. However, the RBA retained a tightening bias noting that inflation Is... Read more continue reading

Weekly economic and market update – week ending 12 June, 2026

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Investment markets and key developments The past week saw another round of gyrations regarding whether there will be a US/Iran deal to end the war or not driving volatility in... Read more continue reading

The RBA: ‘pause and reflect’ despite a particular inflation proclivity, Fed and other central banks

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The RBA: ‘pause and reflect’ despite a particular inflation proclivity I had canvassed the possibility that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) might ‘pause and reflect’ at the last RBA... Read more continue reading

Australian home prices getting hit by rate hikes and tax hikes – is the super cycle boom from the mid-1990s over at last?

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Key points National average home prices were flat in May according to Cotality, the weakest since January last year. Prices fell further in Sydney and Melbourne, and the boom time... Read more continue reading