‘Frexit’ looms over coming French presidential elections

From

Philippe Waechter, Chief Economist, Natixis Asset Management looks at the market implications of a “Frexit”: “Currency would be at the very crux of the new framework that France would need... Read more continue reading

Economy-wide spending picks up pace

From

Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Index The Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator (BSI) – a measure of economy-wide spending – rose by 0.6 per cent in trend terms in March –... Read more continue reading

What if dwelling prices were included in the CPI?

From

House price cycles are not captured in the CPI because the cost of land is excluded from the consumer basket. The CPI is a poor barometer of changes in the... Read more continue reading

Vacancy rates tumble around nation

From

Data released by SQM Research this week has revealed vacancy rates tumbled across all capital cities in March, falling to just 1.5% in Melbourne and 1.7% in Sydney, with upward... Read more continue reading

Luxury vehicle slowdown poses risks for homes

From

Consumer confidence; New vehicle sales; CommSec Luxury Vehicle index New vehicle sales: The Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that new vehicle sales rose by 1.9 per cent in March –... Read more continue reading

Keep control

From

Developed Asia has been front and centre in the growth of global household sector debt over the last decade, with indebtedness in Australia, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore now comparable... Read more continue reading

Australia retains top-ten ranking in FDI Confidence Index as investors eye Asia-Pacific

From

Australia has retained its top-ten ranking for the seventh successive year in A.T. Kearney’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index. Australia has been ranked 9th in the 2017 edition of... Read more continue reading

Weekly market update – week ending 13 April, 2017

From

Investment markets and key developments over the past week Investment markets were in “risk off” mode over the last week in response to concerns about North Korea, Syria and the... Read more continue reading

Regulator concerns about house prices are overblown: Merlon Capital

From

Boutique fund manager Merlon Capital Partners has released a new paper Some Thoughts on Australian House Prices, arguing that although dwelling valuations in Australia are 5-15% above historical averages, the... Read more continue reading

Five charts to watch: Will these commodity gains last?

From

As commodity prices have risen, the Australian economy is set to benefit from these continuing gains. Over the next two quarters, this should provide positive economic outcomes, with the important... Read more continue reading