Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly One more RBA hike should do the job RBA policymakers continued to signal concerns about upside risks to inflation, while survey data showed that firms still face elevated price pressures. We expect a 25bp hike to 4.60% later this month... 11th September 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA will hike rates to 4.60% this month With the economy still growing around trend and trimmed mean inflation showing no signs of slowing, the upside risks to inflation that the RBA has been worried are starting to crystallise. We now... 4th September 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly The risk of another RBA rate hike is growing This week’s firm inflation and household spending data have raised the risk that the RBA’s tightening cycle is not yet over. But the investment picture is more mixed, while softer labour and housing... 28th August 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA’s bark will be worse than its bite With the RBA keeping up its hawkish rhetoric, financial markets continue to see another rate hike this cycle as more likely than not. We remain sceptical. Data released this week show that labour... 21st August 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Housing downturn will prevent further RBA tightening With the RBA still sounding hawkish, investors think that another rate hike over the coming months is more likely than not. However, we are reluctant to bet against history as the Bank has rarely... 14th August 2026 · 6 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Weak labour market will give RBNZ pause for thought New Zealand’s unemployment rate rose more sharply last quarter than the Reserve Bank of New Zealand had anticipated and leading indicators suggest that it will remain high for now. Accordingly, we... 7th August 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA is done hiking rates Underlying inflation in Q2 didn’t pick up nearly as much as the RBA had expected. Although the path to disinflation is likely to be bumpy, we think the Bank will judge policy sufficiently restrictive... 31st July 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Strong jobs, higher fuel prices keep rate hike in play June’s employment surge shows that Australia’s labour market remains resilient despite some broader cooling, while the sharp rise in regional fuel benchmarks is likely to push domestic pump prices... 24th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Data centre boom a mixed blessing for mining sector Strong electricity demand resulting from the rollout of data centres is a mixed blessing for Australia’s mining sector. It could boost demand for lithium to produce storage batteries and demand for... 17th July 2026 · 6 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Will Australia become an agrarian economy again? One Nation’s economic policies focus strongly on those sectors that dominated Australia’s economy in the past rather than on those that will determine its future. Unfortunately, the party’s policies... 10th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Capacity pressures to persist despite housing weakness This week’s data will likely have reinforced the RBA’s view that tighter financial conditions are weighing on the housing market. But we doubt that housing wealth effects will push consumption much... 3rd July 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA still set to hike, housing tax changes pass Australia’s latest activity and labour market data continue to point to softer momentum, but the CPI figures suggest that underlying inflation pressures have not yet been tamed. Accordingly, we still... 26th June 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBNZ on track to hike, One Nation gains ground The 0.8% q/q rise in New Zealand's GDP in Q1 was flattered by residual seasonality and overstated the economy's underlying momentum. Even so, with the RBNZ increasingly concerned about inflation risks... 19th June 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly A cooling housing market but the RBA’s job isn’t done Australian consumers remain deeply pessimistic, particularly about the housing market, with house price expectations falling to a three-year low and auction clearance rates continuing to weaken. Even... 12th June 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA alert to inflation risks even as growth softens The Australian economy slowed noticeably in Q1. Although private demand appeared resilient, thanks largely to the data-centre construction boom, the weakness in household consumption remains a cause... 5th June 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly A June pause doesn’t mean the RBA is done hiking A string of soft April activity and inflation figures, alongside survey data showing firms dialling back their capex plans, will give the RBA room to leave rates on hold in June. However, we suspect... 29th May 2026 · 6 mins read
