by Stephen Roberts | 22 Jul, 2024 | Economic Weekly, Laminar Economist Stephen Roberts, Market Commentary
In two weeks, the RBA holds its August interest rate setting meeting and there is an active debate about whether the RBA will leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% or will hike 25bps to 4.60%. Our view is that the bar is set very high for the RBA to consider another...
by Stephen Roberts | 15 Jul, 2024 | Economic Weekly, Laminar Economist Stephen Roberts, Market Commentary
Rising prices and rising rent feature in most forecasts of housing in Australia’s capital cities, Melbourne excepted. The main driving forces for the forecasts are the under-supply of housing relative to strong demand driven by population growth and a range of other...
by Stephen Roberts | 8 Jul, 2024 | Economic Weekly, Laminar Economist Stephen Roberts, Market Commentary
The rising cost of living has become a big, if not the biggest, concern for most Australian households. The usual measure of the rising cost of living is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the most important version of the CPI, at least as far as the RBA is concerned,...
by Stephen Roberts | 1 Jul, 2024 | Economic Weekly, Laminar Economist Stephen Roberts, Market Commentary
What promised to be another strong month for risk assets in June driven by hope of official interest rate cuts was marred for some in Europe by rising concern about the strong electoral performance of far-right political parties threatening to turn back further the...
by Stephen Roberts | 24 Jun, 2024 | Economic Weekly, Laminar Economist Stephen Roberts, Market Commentary
Economic data released in June showed weak global economic growth, still tight labour markets and patchy progress reducing inflation. Some central banks cut their official interest rates for the first time in the current high interest rate cycle, notably the European...
by Stephen Roberts | 17 Jun, 2024 | Economic Weekly, Laminar Economist Stephen Roberts, Market Commentary
Analogies abound as the RBA Governor and the Federal Treasurer try to explain Australia’s economic outlook given current economic policy settings. The narrow and narrowing path getting inflation down sustainably within 2-3% range is a popular analogy at the RBA, while...
