Reserve Bank of Australia
News and interviews on ABB Grain including trends, features, blogs and community conversations from an Australian business perspective.
RBA first small business finance roundtable finds small business hit hardest by financial crisisThursday, 24 May 2012
The Reserve Bank hosted its first small business finance roundtable on Tuesday, with the aim of better understanding how the small business sector is financed and where there might be information gaps. ...
Myer downgrades profit as sales fall and warns of carbon tax impact
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Myer's third-quarter sales fell 2.1%, prompting the department store chain to cut its forecast for full-year net profit. ...
Rethinking Australian bank business models: Christopher Joye
Friday, 18 May 2012
Today I want to put to you an idea that the prevailing attitude to, and analysis of, Australia’s banking system is profoundly misguided. ...
Why Australia will not catch the Greek disease: Bartholomeusz
Friday, 18 May 2012
Europe is again on the brink after the Greek revolt against austerity. If Greece defaults will it be 2008-09 all over again? ...
THE BIG PICTURE: Why Swan's smart budget leaves work to do
Monday, 14 May 2012
The federal budget has come and gone for another year. And it was by no means the much-touted "horror" budget. So how did the government manage to achieve the apparently unachievable of turning a budget deficit of $44 billion - or 3% of GDP - into a small surplus? ...
Retailers on the verge of recovery after shock April sales rise, but discretionary categories still suffering
Tuesday, 08 May 2012
Retailers are starting to see the light of recovery, according to surprise figures released yesterday showing a 0.9% rise in sales for April, with experts suggesting Australians are finally spending again as prices hit a 30-year low. ...
ANZ job ads fall 3% in April, bank warns old data may be in error: Midday roundup
Monday, 07 May 2012
The number of job advertisements published in both newspapers and the internet declined 3% during April, according to the latest figures from ANZ. ...
Further rate cuts to prop up business confidence, survey reveals
Monday, 07 May 2012
Businesses are confident activity will increase in the short-term partly due to speculation over interest rates cuts, the latest NAB business survey reveals, although conditions have remained poor. ...
RBA downgrades expectations for property market as confidence and industry conditions still disappoint
Monday, 07 May 2012
The Reserve Bank has downgraded its expectations for the housing market, delivering a downbeat assessment in which it says income-to-housing ratios have reached levels not seen since 2002, and that a recovery is still going to take some time. ...
CBA and NAB cut rates but withhold a large chunk of the Reserve Bank’s reduction
Thursday, 03 May 2012
Commonwealth Bank will lower its standard variable interest rate by 40 basis points joining the National Australia Bank in holding back some of the Reserve Bank's 50 basis-point cut earlier this week. ...
The “super-sized” rate cut is good news for business, but banks still hesitant
Wednesday, 02 May 2012
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to cut the official interest rate by 50 basis points yesterday has been hailed as “courageous” by economists but they warn for the cuts to have a positive impact, banks need to pass on the central bank cut and consumer ...
RBA slashes, Murdoch crashes
Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Like every treasurer before him, Wayne Swan waited less than half an hour to claim credit for the RBA’s surprise decision to cut rates by 50 basis points. ...
The RBA has egg on its face and needs to cut rates by 50 basis points: Kohler
Thursday, 26 April 2012
The Reserve Bank's economics department had a bad year in 2011, and as a result the board is now high and dry with an official cash rate that is obviously wrong. It needs to come down by 0.5%, to 3.75%, next week. ...
Australian Prime Minister politicises the RBA – again: Joye
Friday, 20 April 2012
In a not surprising (for readers of this column) attempt to politically pressure Australia's central bank, a major media outlet reports today that the Prime Minister has broken with historical convention – for an incumbent government – and called on the ...
Property market at “tipping point” as lack of rate cut hurts confidence: Experts
Monday, 13 February 2012
The property market has gotten off to a weak start, with auction clearance rates coming in lower when compared to the same time last year and some experts suggesting consumers will become more cautious after the Reserve Bank kept rates on hold last week. ...
THE BIG PICTURE: Why the RBA is still inclined to cut rates
Monday, 13 February 2012
The Reserve Bank always provides a statement accompanying its interest rate decisions. But that still has left plenty of economists scratching their heads for reasons why rates were left on hold this week. A survey by Bloomberg showed that 24 of 27 economists ...
The RBA can't determine interest rates, but Wayne Swan can: Gottliebsen
Monday, 13 February 2012
One of the pillars of the Australian financial system, the independence of the Reserve Bank of Australia to set interest rates, is crumbling. It will soon be apparent to all that if anyone outside the big banks has the power to set interest rates in Australia, ...
Dollar hits six month high, BHP profit falls in first half: Midday Roundup
Wednesday, 08 February 2012
The Australian dollar has risen to a seven-month high this morning, after a surprise decision by the Reserve Bank to leave rates on hold at 4.25%. ...
Five sectors that are ruing the RBA’s decision to hold on rates
Wednesday, 08 February 2012
Beyond the red faces of economists and pundits who predicted an interest rate cut yesterday, five key sectors are ruing the Reserve Bank's decision to keep rates steady at 4.25%. ...
Rates non-decision won’t help
Wednesday, 08 February 2012
We didn't get an interest rate rise yesterday, but somehow it feels like we did. After so many economists and commentators – including yours truly – predicted a rate cut, the RBA's decision to keep rates on hold at 4.25% will leave many businesses and householders ...
