Inflation holds steady but services prove stubborn

27 March

The final stretch to bring inflation back to target is proving challenging, based on fresh data, though that is broadly what the Reserve Bank expected. The Australian Bureau of Statisticsā€™ monthly inflation indicator held steady at 3.4 per cent...[Read More]

Swifties boost spending

13 March

The Australian economy got a leg up from Taylor Swift concerts but the much-anticipated visit was not enough to counter penny pinching elsewhere. Spending as tracked by Commonwealth Bank has been generally subdued and fell 0.3 per cent over the...[Read More]

Consumer price index steady at 3.4 per cent in January

28 February

Australiaā€™s consumer price index held steady at 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to January, coming in below expectations. The index had been widely expected to rise by 3.6 per cent on an annual basis, when the data was released by the Australian...[Read More]

Jetsetters and shoppers spend big as confidence returns

17 January

Australians have begun opening their wallets, with consumer confidence making a comeback amid positive economic signs. Consumers spent an average of nearly $200 more during the 2023 Black Friday and holiday season compared to the year before,...[Read More]

Heated inflation figures put rate hike firmly in play

25 October

The latest inflation data has come in hotter than expected and may stir the Reserve Bank into a Melbourne Cup Day rate hike. Consumer prices as tracked by the Australian Bureau of Statistics rose 1.2 per cent over the three months to September, up...[Read More]

Inflation surprise as rate of price growth slows in May

28 June

A sharp fall in consumer prices will take pressure off the Reserve Bank, but persistent growth in rents and services will keep further rate hikes in play. The consumer price index sunk back to 5.6 per cent in the year to May, from 6.8 per cent in...[Read More]