Consumers remain super-cautious on spending

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Retail trade, International trade Retail spending grew by just 0.3 per cent in September, below expectations centred on a rise of 0.4 per cent. Non-food retailing rose by 0.4 per

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Reserve Bank returns to watchful stance

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RBA Statement on Monetary Policy; PCI The Reserve Bank has tinkered with economic growth forecasts, but the trajectory is largely unchanged. However the Reserve Bank has modestly downgraded inflation forecasts.

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Biggest slide in home building in a decade

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Latest economic data The outlook for home builders is gloomy. Council approvals to build news homes slumped by 6.6 per cent in September. Over the past six months approvals have

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Reserve Bank takes a punt

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Reserve Bank Board meeting For the first time in six months the Reserve Bank has elected to increase official interest rates, lifting the cash rate by 25 basis points to

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Tame inflation; Manufacturing orders sink

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Inflation gauge; Weekly Petrol Price, PMI, House Price Index The TD Securities-Melbourne Institute monthly inflation gauge rose by 0.3 per cent in October after lifting 0.1 per cent in September,

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Budget deficit soars to record high

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Federal budget The underlying budget deficit hit a record high of $63.3 billion in the twelve months to September 2010, indicating that the Government has plenty of work to do

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Business inflation narrowly based

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Producer price index; Weekly petrol price The broad measure of business inflation – the producer price index (PPI) – rose by 1.3 per cent in the September quarter, well ahead

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Consumer bonanza

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Import & export prices Prices of export goods rose by a record 7.8 per cent in the September quarter, courtesy of higher coal and iron ore prices. Export prices are

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Healthy trade; petrol prices to creep higher

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International trade; Job advertisements; Petrol price The trade surplus widened in August. The trade surplus rose by $603 million to $2,346 million. Exports fell by 2.4 per cent while imports

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