The explosion of artificial intelligence has triggered one of the largest capital expenditure booms in history. Trillions of dollars are being poured into building and upgrading data centres, which now sit at the heart of the global economy. Understanding their underlying economics—cost structures, pressure points, and investment implications—is becoming essential for investors and policymakers alike.
Former Coalition Prime Minister John Howard used a ‘bait-and-switch’ on the Australian public, scapegoating and closing the door on the very few refugees arriving by boat while throwing the door wide open to economic migrants arriving by air. The ultimate result was a significant increase in Australia’s net overseas migration (NOM), which surged from the
Health Minister Mark Butler has stated organised crime had recently taken a “stranglehold” over the illicit tobacco market and that the tobacco black market has “exploded” into the biggest threat to public health in Australia. “It started in Melbourne and it spread right through the country. It means that there is violence and arson taking
In the world of traditional metrics of economic activity, there are few indicators that are more important than the volume of freight moving through a nation. Perhaps one of the most notable metrics to quantify these days is the Cass Freight Index, which has been producing data since 1955. The Cass Freight Index – Shipments
This month, the Albanese government unveiled its 2035 climate targets, which promise to reduce emissions by more than 62% and up to 70% below 2005 levels. The hundreds of billions of dollars worth of investments required to meet Australia’s emissions reduction targets will drive up Australian energy costs and taxes, resulting in further deindustrialisation as
From the Market Ear: The 4k magnet Gold continues marching higher. We have been pointing out the similarities with the early 2025 break out for weeks…the triangle, the support from the 50 day, positioning etc. The early 2025 set up saw gold rise some 25% before the euphoria calmed down. A similar move this time
Cotality’s daily dwelling values index, which measures dwelling value growth across the five major capital city markets, lifted in September amid RBA rate cuts. The following chart shows that dwelling values at the 5-city aggregate level rose by 0.9% in September, led by Perth (1.6%), Brisbane (1.1%) and Adelaide (0.9%). Over the September quarter, dwelling
Appearing at the UK Labour Party conference over the weekend, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to “defend democracy itself” alongside “my mate”, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Albanese said he shared a “determination” with the UK leader and an “absolute resolve to stand together and defend democracy itself”. “We all know this is
With each rate cut, commentators discuss how it will impact the housing market, make borrowing more accessible, and enable more people to enter the market. Yet, when you look at the numbers on a long-term time horizon, the era of low interest rates has resulted in fewer people entering the market and less mobility for
The ghost of Australian manufacturing, Birregurra, Victoria AUD/USD EUR/USD USD/JPY GBP/USD Gold WTI Brent Australia 200 US S&P 500 UK 100 Japan 225
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