Investor Signposts: Week Beginning March 27 2011

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The big picture There is an old adage in economics – there are lies, damned lies and statistics. And when it comes to the issue of housing valuations and affordability,... Read more continue reading

Investor Signposts: Week Beginning April 3 2011

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The big picture The Reserve Bank Board meets again on Tuesday to decide interest rate settings. But this month – as was the case last month – there is no... Read more continue reading

House prices slide to near 2-year lows

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House Prices Capital city home prices were unchanged in seasonally adjusted terms in February after a 1.5 per cent slide in the prior month according to the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic... Read more continue reading

Record migration slump dampens population growth

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Population Australia’s population grew by 345,500 people over the year to September. Population growth increased by 1.57 per cent over the past year – the weakest growth rate in four... Read more continue reading

Aussie equities underperform global peers

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Sharemarket Insights The Australian sharemarket has significantly underperformed other major overseas markets this financial year. Some of the factors that have led to this under-performance include higher domestic interest rates,... Read more continue reading

$US breaking down, $A breaking higher

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Key points The $A is continuing to push further above parity against the $US, reaching a 29 year high. This reflects a combination of strong commodity prices, $US weakness and... Read more continue reading

Budget deficit soars to near record high

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Federal budget The underlying budget deficit deteriorated in January and now stands just shy of record highs. In the 12- months to January, the budget deficit totalled $62.3 billion, an... Read more continue reading

Price war: Petrol selling below cost price

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Weekly Petrol Price According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the national average Australian price of unleaded petrol fell by 0.2 cents per litre to 143.0 cents a litre in... Read more continue reading

Household wealth levels nears 3-year high; Company cash holdings at a 11-year high

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Financial accounts The financial wealth of Australians rose in the December quarter – largely due to 4.5 per cent rise in equity markets. Net financial assets of households rose by... Read more continue reading

Rising oil prices – what is the tipping point for growth?

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Key points Global oil prices remain under upward pressure from turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa. This will dampen global growth and add to the financial pressure on... Read more continue reading