The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has cut the official cash rate by 1.75% to 3.75% over the past six months. New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.7% in the Q4 2024 quarter, following a 1.1% decrease in the Q3 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ on Tuesday. The result was
ABS Labour Force today was OK at the headline level but sucked underneath. In seasonally adjusted terms, in February 2025: unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. participation rate decreased to 66.8%. employment decreased to 14,513,200. employment to population ratio decreased to 64.1%. underemployment rate decreased to 5.9%. monthly hours worked decreased to 1,973 million. full-time employment
Deloitte Access Economics has forecast that the federal budget will spend $99 billion off-budget over the next four years, with off-budget spending referring to when governments label spending as an investment rather than an expense. Deloitte Access Economics’ prediction represents a $10 billion increase on the December Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), due to
Markets took a tumble this month. During downturns there are plenty of mistakes that investors make and things that they should be doing. Join us this week as Nucleus Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Damien Klassen dive into the most common mistakes and things you should be doing in your portfolio. Can’t make it to the
And now for a dose of European exceptionalism! The Market Ear. The Old Country is now the new hot darling Everything is going Europe’s way right now. Stocks are outperforming, inflows have just started, there are macro green-shoots and valuations are still cheap. Let’s once again revisit the new darling macro case that is Europe.
The Albanese government has set a fantastical target of building 1.2 million homes over five years. To meet this target, Australia would need to build many shoebox apartments. New South Wales and Victoria have introduced planning reforms allowing the blanket construction of high-rise towers across Sydney and Melbourne activity centres. The widespread push for density
Australian housing affordability is at an all-time low. At the end of 2024, the percentage of income necessary to satisfy median-sized mortgage repayments reached a record high of 50.6%. Rental affordability also dropped to a new low, making it tougher for first-time buyers to save a deposit. Prior to last month’s 0.25% interest rate reduction
It’s a triumph! Australia’s energy shortages have been resolved. Except when you look at how. From the AEMO. Shortfall risks under peak conditions are forecast in southern Australia from 2028, later than forecast in the 2024 GSOO due to expected falls in residential, commercial and industrial consumption of gas, and the delayed retirement of Eraring
DXY and EUR stable. AUD downish. Lead boots are made for walking. Gold has entered some kind of new up smash. Copper doom is here thanks to Goldman. Meh everything else. Big miners meh. EM maybe. Credit surged. Oh dear. Yields down. Stocks up. Is it a sort of Fed put? UBS. Dare anyone say
Last month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the Q4 2024 wage price index, which increased 0.7% for the quarter and 3.2% year on year. The 0.7% quarterly increase was the equal-lowest growth rate since Q1 2022, while the 3.2% annual increase was the lowest since Q3 2022. Real wages deflated by headline CPI