Benign Chinese inflation placates investors

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Chinese inflation data Chinese annual inflation: Producer prices fell by 1.6 per cent in the year to January (median forecast was for 1.7 per cent decline). Consumer prices rose by 2.5

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Job losses but grounds for optimism

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Labour force Jobs down: Employment fell by 3,700 in January after a revised 23,000 loss in jobs in December (previously reported as a 22,600 decrease in jobs). Full-time jobs fell by

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Home loans hit record highs

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Housing finance; NAB Business survey Record home loans: The value of all home loans rose by 0.2 per cent to record highs in December. The number of new owner-occupier housing loans fell

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How & where we spent in 2013

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Consumer spending perspective Retail trade in 2013: Over 2013 as a whole, Australians spent $264.2 billion at retail outlets. Spending was up 3.2 per cent over 2012 – the strongest calendar-year

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Home prices surge; Manufacturing contracts

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RP Data Rismark Home Prices; Manufacturing gauge; TD Inflation Gauge Home prices rose for the eighth consecutive month: The RP Data – Rismark Home Value Index reported that capital city home

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Business conditions near 3-year highs

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NAB Business survey; Weekly petrol prices Petrol prices ease: According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the national average Australian price of unleaded petrol fell by 1.0 cent per litre

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Inflation lifts rate cuts of the agenda

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Consumer price index Inflation lifts: The Consumer Price Index – the main measure of inflation in Australia – rose by 0.8 per cent in the December quarter, above expectations for a

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Inflation contained; Subdued Chinese growth

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Inflation, Weekly petrol prices; Chinese Economic data Inflation contained: The TD Securities-Melbourne Institute monthly inflation gauge rose by 0.7 per cent in December to stand 2.7 per cent higher than a

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2013 – Weakest job creation in 17 years

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Labour force Jobs down: Employment fell by 22,600 in December after a revised 10,500 gain in jobs in November (previously reported as a 21,000 increase in jobs). Full-time jobs fell by

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Home loans lift but first home buyer share at record lows

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Weekly petrol prices; Housing finance; Job advertisements Home loans lift: The number of new owner-occupier housing loans rose by 1.1 per cent in November, the tenth increase in the past 11

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