Business News
Record number of firms shun finance - 15 February 2012
Cautious businesses – the NAB business confidence index rose from 3.1 to four in January, below the long-run average of 6.4. Business... read more >
Rate cuts spur interest in housing; Petrol set to rise - 13 February 2012
Rate cut boosts home loans. The number of new owner-occupier housing loans rose by a larger-than-expected 2.3 per cent in December while the... read more >
Rate cuts still likely as RBA downgrades growth - 10 February 2012
The Reserve Bank has not ruled out further interest rate cuts. Near-term growth and inflation forecast have been downgraded, albeit mildly... read more >
Lunar holiday distorts inflation landscape - 09 February 2012
Chinese New Year boosts inflation. China’s annual inflation rate rose from 4.1 per cent to 4.5 per cent in January – above... read more >
Interest rates on hold â for now anyway - 07 February 2012
The Reserve Bank Board has left official rates at 4.25 per cent. Last year the Reserve Bank cut rates at both the November and December... read more >
More migrants: joy for housing and retail sectors - 07 February 2012
More migrants for Australia. The number of permanent settlers entering Australia hit a 34-month high of 13,900 in December. Over the past... read more >
Consumers still on strike; Petrol price to fall - 06 February 2012
Consumers are cautious. Retail spending fell by 0.1 per cent in December. For the 2011 calendar year, retail sales grew by just 2.4 per cent.... read more >
Rate cuts working; Record SUV sales - 03 February 2012
More cars sold in January. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reports that 76,783 cars were sold in January, up 4.3 per cent on a... read more >
International trade surplus swells - 02 February 2012
Trade surplus widens. Australia’s trade surplus rose by $366 million in December to $1709 million. But the net services deficit hit a... read more >
Still not building: building approvals - 02 February 2012
Building approvals disappointed. Approvals to build new dwellings fell by one per cent in December, well short of expectations for a two per... read more >
Home sales slide in December - 01 February 2012
New home sales fell by 4.9 per cent in December and was holding just shy of the 11-year lows reached in September. Private sector detached... read more >
Manufacturing rebounds: Performance of Manufacturing index - 01 February 2012
Manufacturing has expanded for the second consecutive month. The Performance of Manufacturing index (PMI) rose by 1.4 points to 51.6 in... read more >
Rate cuts boost business confidence - 31 January 2012
Rate cuts support business confidence. The NAB business confidence index rose from +2.4 to +2.9 in December. Business conditions improved from... read more >
Could the pokies reform create more jobs? - 31 January 2012
The claims that poker machine reform will cost $5 billion are greatly exaggerated, says The Australia Institute. Following new analysis of the... read more >
Seasonal businesses blow hot and cold - 31 January 2012
Seasonal businesses rely on ‘normal’ weather conditions. In simple terms, in summer it needs to be hot and in winter in needs to... read more >
Rising Aussie dollar caps petrol price gains - 30 January 2012
According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the national average Australian price of unleaded petrol fell by 0.5 cents per litre to... read more >
Luxury car sales â light at the end of the tunnel? - 30 January 2012
An index on luxury cars has highlighted the conservative nature of Aussie consumers. The CommSec Luxury Car index fell by 8.2 per cent in... read more >
Regional jobs data: the winners and losers - 27 January 2012
The Hunter region of NSW had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation over 2011 averaging 2.3 per cent while the Far North of Queensland had... read more >
Lowest inflation reading in three years - 25 January 2012
No inflation: The Consumer Price Index – the main measure of inflation in Australia – was unchanged in the December quarter. It... read more >
Investing for the long haul: CommSec Mums and Dads index - 25 January 2012
Investors in commonly-held shares are still in front. Despite a raft of tumultuous events over the past 13 years, Mum and Dad shareholders are... read more >
