Biggest housing slump in a decade

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Construction work done Construction work done fell from record highs, down by 2.1 per cent in the September quarter. In real terms the value of construction work done fell to

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Spending remains sluggish across Australia

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CBA Business Spending index A recovery in spending across the Australian economy remains elusive according to a key gauge.The Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator (BSI) was unchanged in October after

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Weaker Aussie drives petrol to three month highs

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Petrol price According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum the national average retail pump price rose 0.5 cents a litre last week to 124.3 cents a litre – a three

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Comparing Aussie companies: facts & fiction

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Company financial statistics In recent weeks investors have no doubt found it difficult to sort fact from fiction in the public discussion about company balance sheets. Some commentators have questioned

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Investor Signposts: Week Beginning November 21 2010

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The big picture In the US, investors have been cheering the election result. That may seem odd, given the fact that it appears a recipe for doing nothing – a

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Resource states shift into fourth gear

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Average weekly earnings; ABARE Mineral & energy major projects Average weekly earnings rose by 0.4 per cent in the three months to August with private sector earnings up just 0.2

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Healthy wage growth to boost consumer activity

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Labour Price Index Wages lift driven by the minimum wage increase. Wages rose by 1.1 per cent in the September quarter. In annual terms wages are up 3.5 per cent

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RBA highlights pressure on bank funding

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RBA Board minutes At the last Reserve Bank board meeting members took some time to consider bank funding costs. Members explicitly stated that there was a possibility that banks would

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Credit card balances edge higher

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Credit/debit cards Credit card balances rose in September. The average credit card balance stood at a $3,261.60 in September, up $7.90 on August. The average credit card balance is up

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Investor Signposts: Week Beginning November 14 2010

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Upcoming economic and financial market events The big picture It never ceases to surprise how many people treat budget figures as facts rather than estimates. The Mid Year Economic and

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