Lending lifts but consumers still cautious

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Lending finance; ABARE Crop Report; RBA Board minutes Lending rose in December. Total lending finance rose for the fourth consecutive month up by 2.4 per cent in December. Lending totalled

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Custody to be under the spotlight in a rebalancing world

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The peak body for Australia’s growing custodial and investment administration sector ACSA says the industry will face some unique challenges as it continues to meet the needs of institutional clients

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Confidence stabilises but trend index at 20mth lows

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Consumer sentiment The Westpac/Melbourne Institute index of consumer confidence rose modestly in February following the sharp slide in January. The index rose by 1.9 per cent to 106.6 in February.

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BT Life Insurance launches to the independent financial adviser market

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BT Financial Group will deliver a fresh approach to the life insurance sector by extending their insurance footprint and launching an independent financial adviser (IFA) end-to-end solution. Launching the first

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La Niña gauge hits 10-week low

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La Niña update There are further signs that the current La Niña weather event has peaked. The Southern Oscillation index fell to a 10-week low of +18.1 on February 11.

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Cheaper homes encourage buyers

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Housing finance; Credit card lending; Weekly Petrol Price Lending to build new homes recorded a healthy increase in December. Loans for the construction of dwellings rose by 1.0 per cent

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Insync FM Sees a Better Way into Emerging Markets Through Power Brands such as Nestlé

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International equity fund manager, Insync Funds Management, believes that the best way to access the investment returns in expensive emerging market companies is to follow the consumer power brands into

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Budget deficit target at risk

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Federal budget The underlying budget deficit continued its modest improvement, easing from $59.3 billion in the twelve months to November 2010 to $58.5 billion in the 2010 calendar year. CommSec

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Weekly market & economic update – 11 February 2011

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Headline developments of the past week China continued to tighten the monetary screws with another interest rates hike. This should not really have been a surprise to anyone and further

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Jobless rate steady but young workers left behind

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Labour force Employment rose by 24,000 people in January, slightly above forecasts centred on gains of around 15,000 (range from -11,000 to +35,000 jobs). The December result was revised lower

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