In the lead-up to December’s Q2 population release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), several key data sets were pointing to rebounding net overseas migration (NOM). First, the Q3 national accounts, released just a few weeks prior in early December, showed that Australia’s population growth had rebounded: Second, the civilian (15-plus) population data released
The ferrous jaws must close! CISA’s second ten days of January output was well below last year. Worse, inventories rise to 16.13mt. This one million tonnes above last year and the prospect of anything but weak restock is all but certain now. The iron ore great pyramids continue to grow. The Steelhome measure is approaching records
Its all about the structural “off-America” risk trade with the US dollar index now down to a four month low with the Australian dollar making another new high as it surged through the 69 cent level at the start of the trading week. Gold and silver surged again while Wall Street kept hope alive as
DXY is fast approaching critical support. If it breaks down, and why not, given it is now a measure of the madness of the POTUS, then all bets are off on everything. AUD is more than the mirror image. Supported by rate hike fever and the roaring JPY. Rushing past the plodding CNY. Golden parabola.
Labour force data released last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that the nation’s official unemployment rate eased to a seven-month low of 4.1% in December. The result compared with 4.3% in November and economists’ expectations that unemployment would rise to 4.4%. The latest Statement of Monetary Policy (SoMP) from the Reserve
Australia’s housing market is an unmitigated disaster on almost every metric. Cotality’s latest housing affordability report showed that dwelling values relative to household incomes were tracking at a record high of 8.2 in the September quarter of 2025: The ratio of mortgage payments to household income was tracking at a near record high of 45.0%
The news first. Andrew Hastie has been given the blessing of his young family to enter the Liberal leadership race, as conservative powerbrokers lean towards backing the 43-year-old to replace Sussan Ley. Just hours after likely leadership rival Angus Taylor returned from overseas, sources close to Mr Hastie confirmed that the West Australian MP had discussed
From the marvellous Michael Hartnett at BofA. Zeitgeist: “When the market goes up, they should lower rates” Trump on the Fed. Zeitgeist: “Only three certainties are death, taxes, and new highs in Japanese banks.” Tale of the Tape: Japan yen weakest vs. China renminbi since 1992 (Chart 6); biggest risk to max bull Q1 consensus
New Zealand experienced one of the biggest house price booms in the world during the pandemic. However, since prices peaked in late 2021, values in real inflation-adjusted terms have plummeted by more than 30% to levels last seen in 2019, nearly six years ago. The latest house price results from the REINZ showed that home
Last year, I claimed that the Australian Treasury’s modelling of Labor’s 5% deposit scheme for first home buyers demonstrated that the Treasury had become the federal government’s propaganda arm. Labor’s First Home Buyer Guarantee program, which went into effect in October 2025, allows nearly all first home buyers to purchase a property with only a