Lending slides; Futures market bets on rate cut

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Lending finance; RBA Board minutes; New Car Sales Lending slumped in January. Total lending finance fell for the first time in the five months – down by 6.0 per cent

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Credit cards on the outer; Petrol on the rise

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Credit card lending; Weekly Petrol Price Credit card balances are growing at the slowest annual pace in 16 months. The average credit card balance in January was up just 0.8

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China: Food inflation remains high

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Chinese economic data Inflation prints above forecast. China’s annual inflation rate held steady in February at 4.9 per cent, but was above expectations centred on a result near 4.8 per

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Biggest fall in jobs in 18 months

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Labour force Employment fell by 10,100 people in February – the biggest decline in 18 months (since August 2009). Economists had tipped job gains of 20,000 (range from -10,000 to

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Aussie travellers ahead in new Global Airfares Index

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Global price comparisons The Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation has released new airfares data covering routes across the globe: http://www.centreforaviation.com/profiles/airports/ (select airport, then click Fares and select route). CommSec has

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Construction lending hits two year low

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Consumer sentiment; Housing finance Lending to build new homes slumped in January. Loans to build homes fell by 9.4 per cent in January to their lowest level in two years.

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Petrol at 29-month highs and rising

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Weekly Petrol; Job Ads; Performance of Construction According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the national average Australian price of unleaded petrol rose by 2.9 cents per litre to 139.2

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House approvals slump to near 2-year lows

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Building Approvals; Trade; New Vehicle Sales The outlook for home builders is gloomy. Council approvals to build news homes slumped by 15.9 per cent in January. In annual terms approvals

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Economic expansion still stuck in second gear

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National accounts Australia’s record economic expansion is now well into the 20th year. The Australian economy grew by 0.7 per cent in the December quarter, after lifting by a downwardly

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RBA: Start of an extended rate pause?

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Reserve Bank Board meeting The Reserve Bank Board has left the cash rate at 4.75 per cent at its second meeting for 2011. The next meeting is on April 5

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