The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday released data showing that the nation’s fertility rate—i.e., the average number of registered births per woman aged 15 to 49 years—fell to a record low of 1.481, which is down from 1.795 a decade ago and roughly half the level of the 30 years between 1944 and
The ferrous complex continues to bifurcate, with steel getting flushed while iron ore enjoys the good times. CISA data for early October rebounded after the Hebei shutdown, but inventories soared 8%. Mills are still overproducing. Goldman explains it. …change in demand patterns, driven by the need for blast furnaces to reduce steel costs, has led
In this week’s podcast, Nucleus Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Damien Klassen, examines why Australia’s stock market looks expensive compared to global peers—and whether the nation’s limited exposure to high-growth tech and AI could see it left behind once again. Join us for the podcast at 12.30 pm AEDST. Can’t make it to the live series? Catch
Trade war tensions are keeping most risk markets contained but not in selling mode as Wall Street lifted again despite sentiment around the US economy as the latest Biege Book from the Fed was released overnight. The USD continues to decline as Fed members are still broadcasting a softer economy, particularly labour markets as ICE
DXY is fading again. AUD has bounced but not very convincingly. CNY stable. That is a golden parabola. AI metals not so much. RIO has broken the big bear downtrend. EM strong bounce. Junk not so much. Yields firmed. Bulls returned. One should expect more volatility as we approach the Trump/XI walkover. The balance of
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released dwelling construction data for the June quarter of 2025, which suggested that Australia’s housing shortage has worsened. The number of dwellings that commenced construction in the June quarter declined by 4.4% to 45,156, driven by a 6.6% fall in detached housing: However, over the year to the June
Honestly, is there no end to this woke claptrap? Jenna Price thinks kids are the abusers of poor victim teachers. Here’s where we are today. One in four teachers feels unsafe at work, says Fiona Longmuir of Monash University. That makes them want to leave teaching. Years ago now, she and her colleagues set out
The NAB survey out yesterday was not very encouraging. The pent-up demand released by RBA rate cuts delivered a significant increase in consumer expenditure in the June quarter. However, business investment stayed low, indicating that companies were not inclined to make significant investments until they see more proof of a revival in domestic demand. Businesses
Cotality’s rental data continues to deteriorate. The latest weekly market indicators report shows that rental listings have collapsed to a fresh low across the combined capital cities: Over the past year, total listings across the combined capital cities have declined by 18.6%, with double-digit falls recorded across every market: The vacancy rate across the combined
The Guardian’s Luca Ittimani asks why state and local government plans to convert empty office buildings into apartments to ease the housing crisis have not come to fruition: Momentum to create homes out of empty offices has faded even as office vacancies rise and housing shortages intensify. Developers have not submitted a single application to