Weak home lending reinforces need for rate pause

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Housing finance Lending to build new homes was flat in October. A key leading indicator for home construction barely moved in October – ahead of the November rate hike. Loans

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Bumper crop despite floods; Construction slumps

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ABARE Crop Report; Performance of Construction The Government’s commodity forecaster has lifted its crop forecasts. ABARES has lifted its forecast for the 2010/11 winter crop by 6.2 per cent. Despite

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Reserve Bank more relaxed about the road ahead

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Reserve Bank Board meeting The Reserve Bank Board has left the cash rate at 4.75 per cent at its final meeting for 2010. The next meeting is on February 1

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Petrol pain ahead; Tame inflation; Job ads slow

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Weekly Petrol Price, Inflation gauge; Job Advertisements Motorists need to prepare for higher petrol prices. The terminal gate or wholesale price of petrol leapt by over 3 cents a litre

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Migrant numbers hit 4yr low despite tight job market

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Latest economic indicators The job market is tight but permanent settler numbers have plunged. Net permanent and long-term arrivals to Australia hit 4-year lows in the year to October. In

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Depressed services sector; 4WD sales soar

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Latest economic data The services sector is going backwards. The Performance of Services index fell from 50.7 to 46.2 in November. Any reading below 50 suggests that the services sector

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Spending slumps; Trade surplus with China soars

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Retail trade, International trade Retail spending slumped by 1.1 per cent in October, below forecasts centred on a rise of 0.4 per cent. Nonfood retailing fell by a much larger

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Record economic expansion moves into 20th year

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National accounts The current economic expansion began in the September quarter of 1991. The 19th year of the expansion was completed in the June quarter 2010 and the 20th year

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Puritan Australia? Alcohol and gambling shunned

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Consumer spending trends Aussie consumers are making fewer trips in the car but travelling more on planes and trains. And while we are spending more on little luxuries like shoes,

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Dwelling approvals rebound, Credit sluggish

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Latest economic data New dwelling approvals rose for the first time in seven months – up 9.3 per cent in October. The RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Australian Home Value Index –

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