RBA Happy to Go its Own Way
Governor Philip Lowe has made it clear the RBA will not be coerced into lifting interest rates by calls from talking heads or the economics departments of the major banks.
Read MoreInterest Rates
Diary: Seeing the Forest from the Trees
On top of the continuing impact on markets of the Ukraine crisis, investors will also have to deal with the almost certain US rate rise late this week, as well as fresh US inflation data.
Read MoreWith Eyes on Europe, RBA Leaves Rates Unchanged
The RBA kept monetary policy unchanged at its March meeting on Tuesday, with the cash rate remaining fixed at 0.1%, but is keeping a close eye on the Ukraine crisis for potential economic fallout.
Read MoreEconomics Wrap: The Peal of Tolling Bells
A hectic week ahead for the Australian economy with the RBA policy meeting tomorrow and the latest economic growth data the day after, along with the usual raft of monthly figures over the remainder.
Read MoreUS CPI Confirms the Inevitable
Investors now expect the US Federal Reserve to lift rates at its March meeting after consumer prices rose at an annual 7.5% rate in January – the fastest in 40 years.
Read MoreThe RBA Ends Bond Buying – but Remains “Patient” on Rates
In this week’s Insights column, AMP’s Dr Shane Oliver runs through the current state of play at the Reserve Bank and the implications of policy moves for local markets.
Read MoreRising Interest Rates Change the Game
Investors Mutual’s Anton Tagliaferro takes an in-depth look at interest rates, how they are set to affect markets in 2022, and how IML is preparing their portfolios in response.
Read MoreInvestors Mutual Discuss Rising Interest Rates
Investors Mutual Portfolio Manager Daniel Moore discusses with Head of Retail Wayne McGauley how the prospect of rising interest rates is affecting markets.
Read MoreFlattening is Not Flattering
The recent flattening of yield curves is incongruous to the beginning of a hiking cycle. Janus Henderson examines the drivers of these dynamics and their expectations for 2022.
Read MoreOz Monetary Policy Skirting the Main Issue
Does anybody truly believe that interest rate rises in Australia will have any impact on oil and petrol prices except to increase the cost of living for millions of people?
Read MoreChina Rethinks its Monetary Policy
China has implicitly acknowledged the failure of its monetary policy aimed at halting the slide in the economy and property sector by announcing two separate rate cuts within four days.
Read MoreCentral Banks at Sixes and Sevens
We are seeing a very different approach to the one taken a year ago, as we again head into 2022 with Covid threatening global health and economic activity.
Read MoreRBA Marching to the Beat of its Own Drum
The RBA maintains that the dramatic change to US Federal Reserve monetary policy announced yesterday will have no impact on its own policy plans for 2022.
Read MoreRBA Remains Resolute, Rates and QE Unchanged
The RBA ends 2021 with its key interest rate steady on 0.10% and no sign of any change soon, despite continuing suggestions that it will be forced by rising inflation to boost rates.
Read MoreUpward Pressure Mounts as RBNZ Lifts Rates
As expected, the RBNZ yesterday lifted its key cash rate 0.25% to 0.75% which will be followed today by an similarly-anticipated decision by South Korea’s central bank to lift its key rate to 1%.
Read MoreRBA Holds its Nerve on Inflation Outlook
Despite some frantic tap dancing in various quarters about inflation, according to the Reserve Bank there remains little chance that official interest rates are going to rise before 2024.
Read MoreGradually Removing Monetary Stimulus is More Good News than Bad
In this week’s Insight’s column, Dr Shane Oliver of the AMP argues that the march of central banks towards removing monetary stimulus is a positive rather than negative move for investment markets.
Read MoreOPEC+ Toes the Lines, BoE Surprises
Two news bites overnight Thursday – one a big surprise with the Bank of England not lifting interest rates, and the OPEC+ group adding 400,000 barrels a day to global production as expected.
Read MoreStreet Takes Taper Decision in its Stride
Wall Street ended at new highs as investors accepted the long-awaited decision from the US Federal Reserve to start tightening monetary policy by reducing its bond buying program, starting this month.
Read MoreRBA Holds Rates Steady, Abandons Yield Target
The RBA has dropped a key part of its monetary policy framework to support the Australian economy, but left in place the record low cash rate of 0.10% and bond purchase commitment.
Read MoreHow Do Interest Rates Affect Stockmarkets?
With interest rates at all time lows around the world, Kevin Murphy from Schroders looks at how interest rates affect stockmarkets and what may happen in the event of fiscal tightening.
Read MoreHigher Yields: September spike or sustained trend?
The recent sharp sell-off in government bond yields is testing the patience of central banks and bond markets are reacting to the hawkish messages, as Andrew Mulliner from Janus Henderson explains.
Read MoreWhat if Interest Rates Stay Low Forever?
Given the current backdrop, GAM Investments’ Julian Howard suggests it is difficult to see how central bankers might ever return to what might be deemed a ‘normal’ interest rate environment.
Read MoreRBNZ Tightens Rates, APRA Tightens Rules
As expected, the Reserve Bank of NZ (RBNZ) has lifted its key interest rate; not so expected was APRA’s decision to introduce a small tightening of controls over housing finance.
Read MoreReserve Bank Holds Fire on Rates for Now
No change to monetary policy from Tuesday’s October meeting of the Reserve Bank board and no updates on mooted moves to control the surge in house prices, either.
Read MoreThe Bledisloe Cup of Interest Rates
Monetary policy in Australia and New Zealand will head in radically diametric directions this week as the two countries’ Reserve Banks look set to provide very different decisions and post-meeting statements.
Read MoreCorrection Time? Seven Things Investors Need to Keep in Mind
AMP’s Dr Shane Oliver suggests seven key things for investors to bear in mind in light of the recent pull back in investment markets and renewed uncertainty regarding the outlook.
Read MoreCommodities Surge Drowns Out Fed Chatter
Despite the US Federal Reserve telegraphing its intention to raise rates in 2022, for Australian markets the big news overnight Wednesday was the surge in commodity prices, led by iron ore.
Read MoreRBA Equivocation Highlights Broad-Based Confusion
The equivocation inherent in the RBA’s qualitative easing policy announcement this week and the market’s response to it both highlight the fact that nobody is remotely sure where the economy goes from here.
Read MoreRBA Tapers, Albeit with a Twist
The gathering economic impact from the continued lockdowns has seen the RBA taper its quantitative easing program of bond buying by 20%, but extend the program until at least mid-February.
Read MoreRates Uncertainty Has Borrowers Skittish
ABS lending finance data for July showed that borrower refinancing of housing loan commitments between lenders reached an all-time high of $17.2 billion after an adjusted monthly rise of 6.0%.
Read MoreLooking Past the Peak
As Australia transitions from policy-driven growth to organic growth, elevated volatility presents opportunities for investors who are flexible, liquid and patient. PIMCO’s Robert Mead and Adam Bowe with more.
Read MoreDelta Flare-Up Puts NZ Rate Rise on Hold for Now
The sudden outbreak of Covid Delta in the Auckland area and snap lockdown has forced the Reserve Bank of NZ to hold off lifting its key cash rate.
Read MoreDiary: That Was Then, This Is Now
A raft of various factors from corporate earnings to Covid Delta infection rates likely mean another challenging week for markets, which on Friday were in record-setting mode.
Read MoreRBA Governor Allays Recession Fears
As we head further into the Delta-driven lockdowns in place across the country, RBA Governor Philip Lowe says he believes it is “quite unlikely” Australia will suffer a recession this year.
Read MoreRBA Plays Wait and See Game with Rates
The RBA held official interest rates at record low levels and kept its quantitative easing program unchanged in a modest reaction to the worsening lockdowns in Sydney and Southeast Queensland.
Read MoreDiary: August Set to Kick off with a Bang
Major events this week include the US jobs data for July on Friday, a continuation of the June 20 earnings season, and in Australia there’s the Reserve Bank’s August monetary policy meeting.
Read MoreFive Reasons for Optimism Amid the Coronavirus Havoc
With Covid’s rampant delta variant seemingly taking hold across the globe, things seem pretty grim again. But, argues AMP Capital’s Shane Oliver, there are some reasons for optimism among the gloom.
Read MoreFed Happy to Hold Its Course – For Now
The US Federal Reserve has moved closer to winding back its support for the US economic recovery by declaring that “progress” had been made towards its economic goals.
Read MoreDiary: Something’s Gotta Give
With stockmarkets at record highs despite the Delta variant continuing its advance, surging Australian inflation, mixed signals on inflation and a weak ore price: what will out in this shaky equation?
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