Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly New Zealand’s recovery will remain gradual National income data released this week showed that New Zealand households are still saving at a high rate. However, with real income growth slowing and housing wealth continuing to fall, they are... 9th October 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA’s tightening cycle is likely at an end The RBA left the door open to further tightening when it hiked rates by 25bp this week. However, policy is already well into restrictive territory and much of this year’s tightening has yet to work... 2nd October 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update No reprieve for the housing market yet Australia’s housing downturn still has further to run, even if there are tentative signs that demand is beginning to stabilise. Weakening housing market conditions should help ease shelter inflation... 1st October 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Public sector still not providing helping hand to RBA The public sector has reined in its profligate tendencies ever so slightly in recent quarters, but the 2026/27 state and federal Budgets point to continued strong growth in government spending. That... 30th September 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response Australia Consumer Prices (Aug. 26) Measures of core inflation didn’t strengthen any further in August, supporting our view that the RBA’s tightening cycle is likely at an end. 30th September 2026 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA keeps its options open after hawkish hike The RBA hiked rates as expected and kept the door open to further tightening. We still think the cash rate has peaked, as the cooling labour market should help reduce capacity pressures. However, the... 29th September 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response Reserve Bank of Australia Meeting (Sep. 2026) The RBA hiked rates as expected, but it left the door ajar for further tightening in the months ahead. While we continue to believe that the cash rate has now peaked, risks to this view are growing. 29th September 2026 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response Australia Household Spending Indicator (Aug. 26) The weakness in household spending in August suggests that the recent acceleration in consumption is already losing momentum. That probably won’t prevent the RBA from hiking rates at its meeting later... 29th September 2026 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly AI boost to productive capacity remains elusive We share RBA Governor Bullock’s view that the AI boom is currently doing more to boost demand than the economy’s supply side. With business surveys also suggesting that price pressures remain elevated... 25th September 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response Australia Labour Market (Aug. 2026) A solid rebound in employment in August didn’t prevent the jobless rate from rising again. With the labour market likely to cool even further in the coming months, we think the RBA’s 25bp hike next... 24th September 2026 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economic Outlook Rate hikes nearing their end The RBA will deliver another 25bp hike in September, given continued stickiness in underlying inflation. But unlike markets we doubt further tightening will prove necessary. With the labour market... 23rd September 2026 · 20 mins read
RBA Watch One more and done for the RBA With some of the upside inflation risks it had warned about now crystallising, the RBA is almost certain to hike rates by 25bp at its September meeting. However, we believe that will mark the end of... 22nd September 2026 · 8 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly RBA won’t crush the labour market to rein in inflation With RBA Governor Bullock arguing this week that upside risks to inflation are materialising, a rate hike at the Bank’s September meeting looks like a done deal. And given that headline inflation will... 18th September 2026 · 5 mins read
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 Rapid Response Australia GDP (Q2 26) With GDP growth and inflation holding up better than the RBA had anticipated, the Bank will probably hike rates again before long, perhaps as soon as this month. 2nd September 2026 · 2 mins read