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Articles from MacroBusiness

Even more iron ore

February 17, 2026 - 08:30 -- Admin

China is closed for CNY for a week. SGX is closed for two days. Steel profits have improved, and we will probably see a decent rebound in output post-holiday. However, I expect this will only serve to drive steel prices lower amid stalling (and contracting) steel export growth plus weak domestic demand. On the supply

Australia replaced the mining boom with a government spending boom

February 16, 2026 - 12:30 -- Admin

Australia is experiencing a major economic shift driven by a decade-long surge in federal and state government spending: Economists claim government spending is now structurally reshaping the economy in a way comparable to the early‑2000s mining boom. Alex Joiner, chief economist at IFM Investors, clearly illustrates the shift from the mining boom to the government-spending

First home buyers sweat on future rate hikes

February 16, 2026 - 11:30 -- Admin

The Australian Treasury set aside $35.7 million in contingent liabilities for defaults under the federal government’s 5% deposit scheme for home buyers in the mid-year budget update in December. Under this scheme, the Treasury guarantees 15% of first-home buyer mortgages, allowing homes to be purchased with only a 5% deposit without requiring lenders’ mortgage insurance.

Chinese property bust worsens

February 16, 2026 - 11:00 -- Admin

Goldman believes that after accounting for seasonal fluctuations, the weighted average property price in the Chinese primary market decreased by 5.3% on an annualized basis in January, according to NBS 70-city data. Prices varied widely among city tiers. NBS and third-party platforms’ secondary market data indicate price decreases of 10% to 25% throughout the previous

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