The Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index is out, with sentiment largely unchanged in February, edging up 0.1% to 92.2 from 92.1 in January. Westpac Consumer Sentiment Index basically unchanged in February. Firming rate cut expectations supporting a positive outlook for finances. Weaker current finances point to post–Christmas ‘hangover’. Unsettled global backdrop restraining expectations for the
BofA is pretty good at US inflation and January does tend towards stronger numbers. Core inflation should pick up in January We forecast core CPI inflation of 0.3% m/m (0.33% ungrounded) for January. They/y rate should tick down a tenth to 3.1%, due to favorable base effects. We also expect headline CPI to increase by
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New data from Ray White, published in News.com.au, suggests that property investors continue to flee Victoria following state government land tax hikes. Ray White claimed that investors owned more than one-third of the 4332 Melbourne homes the agency auctioned in the 12 months to February 6, 2025, and 32.2% of regional Victorian homes auctioned. Ray White
Steel profitability is just about gone. CISA has solid output to start the year. The main price driver right now is seaborne uncertainty. Several storms across Australia’s north have damaged port infrastructure and disrupted shipments of iron ore and coal, with more rainfall threatening to saturate the operations of miners including Rio Tinto Group. But
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Opposition is building against Peter Dutton’s plan to reinstate a “golden ticket” visa for wealthy investors who commit $5 million to enter Australia. These visas were abolished by the Albanese government one year ago. Dutton announced his intention at a Liberal Party fundraiser last month after a migration agent, Min Li, requested he reinstate the
A new energy shock is brewing as a cold European winter stalks Australia. European gas storage is falling the fastest since 2021. Prices are reacting, at two-year highs unseasonably. LNG imported to Australia is about $26Gj at these prices. Still nearly double today’s local prices. The cartel appears to be playing dead heading into the
This is a follow-up to my previous post on the end of US democracy and its implications. Here I will discuss how what’s left of the democratic world can respond.
Surprisingly in many ways, the military part of dispensing with the US is the easiest bit, in each of its major areas of operation: Europe, Taiwan, and the broader Asia-Pacific region including Australian and New Zealand.
As regards Europe, NATO would be massively stronger with the US (100 000 troops in Europe) out and Ukraine (Zelensky claims 800 000) in.
Victoria is the most indebted state in Australia, with the lowest credit rating. Victoria’s net debt is projected to skyrocket in the coming years, which is expected to result in additional credit rating downgrades. When these downgrades occur, interest payments will skyrocket, increasing costs for Victorians and resulting in more taxes and less funding for
