Cash holdings rise to record highs

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The proportion of super funds (pension funds) assets held in cash rose from 14.3 per cent to 15 per cent in the June quarter, well above the decade average of

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RBA sets the scene for a rate hike

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RBA Board minutes; ABARE Australian Commodities; Airfares Minutes of the last Reserve Bank Board meeting echo’s the sentiments of the Governors speech yesterday and adds further weight to the likelihood

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Petrol spikes as discounting cycle resumes

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Petrol price; RBA Governor speech Petrol prices have risen for the first time in five weeks. The Australian Institute of Petroleum reports that the average Australian petrol price rose by

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Aussies embrace financial stocks

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Reserve Bank Bulletin The Reserve Bank Bulletin released yesterday has provided a breakdown of the ownership of Aussie equities. The portfolio allocations between households and institutional investors differ significantly. Mum

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Powerhouse mining sector

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Quarterly Labour force data; RBA Speech; Imports In percentage terms, employment in the mining sector expanded rapidly over the past year. In the year to August, mining sector employment grew

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Consumers display caution

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Dwelling starts at six-year Consumer sentiment; New car sales; Dwelling starts The Westpac/Melbourne Institute index of consumer confidence eased in the latest month. The index fell by 5.0 per cent

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More joy for motorists; Construction loans slump

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Lending finance; Petrol price; Credit/debit cards The Australian Institute of Petroleum reports that the average Australian petrol price fell by 2.2 cents last week. Over the past fortnight prices have

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China engineers a soft landing

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Chinese economic data; Mobile phone sales Chinese trade surplus eases as imports surge. China recorded a trade surplus of US$20.03 billion in August – below forecasts centred on a result

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Unemployment rate slides to 19-month low

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Labour force Employment rose by 30,900 in August, in line with forecasts centred on job gains of around 29,000. The July result was revised up to show job growth of

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