Empower Blog Consumer Sentiment

RBA Rate Decision – July 2014

Hello, Ben Kingsley here. Welcome to the new Financial Year. Today, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) met and we have well predicted, interest rates remain on hold. What was interesting over the last month is being the communication that is coming out from the Reserve Bank in regards to a sluggishness in the transition of our economy from the ...

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Sky Business Channel, Your Money Your Call (June 2014)

In the 16th of June session of SKY Business News Channel, Your Money Your Call, Ben Kingsley joins Bradley Beer and Ian Rodriguez from Bishop Collins to discuss different aspects of property across Australia. This time, they answered a number of emails and calls from viewers and some of the topics are: The Consumer Market Index and Consumer Sen...

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RBA Rate Decision – June 2014

Today the Reserve Bank met and kept interest rates on hold for another month. It's amazing what can happen after a federal budget and more importantly, an austere federal budget. We're actually seeing what I said in my last video from last month is that this budget is an important budget. And it's an important budget in terms of momentum in the ec...

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RBA Rate decision – September 2013

Not even the biggest of mug punters would have bet on a further rate cut this month so close to Saturday’s federal election.  That’s right, as expected the RBA left the cash rate on hold.  Even though the RBA is independent of any sitting government, it is fair to say the upcoming election, in my view, is something the RBA must factor into th...

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RBA Rate decision – April 2013

The Reserve Bank of Australia has left interest rates on hold as widely expected at its board meeting today.  It continues to sit on the fence to consider further economic data following its series of cuts last year, plus the developing story of the new Euro crisis – Cyprus.  Then there’s China, which I come to later.... On the domestic ho...

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Property Investment – Safe and Easy……REALLY?

The early 2013 signs are positive for a return to capital value growth within the residential property sector, as agents report significantly more enquiry and general interest as consumer sentiment improves. Once again the media will add to the potential ‘hype’ as it loves either a falling market or a rising market because it makes for good he...

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RBA Rates Decision – June 2012

The RBA reduced interest rates by a further 0.25% at its board meeting today, which surprised some analysts following last month’s 0.5% cut.  This move further highlights the RBA’s belief that Australia is not immune to the world financial and economic events going on around us, even though we are still very much reliant on the Chinese and oth...

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RBA Rates Decision – December 2011

Although there were plenty tipping this rate cut including the money markets, the RBA’s move to cut rates by a further 25 basis points came as a surprise to me given the minutes of the November meeting suggested it was a close call that we got a rate cut on Melbourne Cup Day. The messages from the RBA following the November cut, was that its Nove...

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RBA Rates Decision – September 2011

The RBA have again left interest rates on hold, after much speculation mid last month around the cash rate being reduced to stimulate the wider economy as it’s believed to be slowing over the past few months. In a recent speech, the Deputy Governor, Mr Ric Battellino, gave his indication that recent global economic uncertainty and the subseque...

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RBA Rates Decision – June 2011

The RBA held off increasing the cash rate / interest rates once again this month, as it digests the March Quarter GDP data.  The numbers for the quarter weren’t good, driven by the natural disaster events in Queensland.  These events caused significant disruption to the mining industry, due to major infrastructure damage from these events. T...

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RBA Rates Decision – May 2011

The RBA has left the official cash rate on hold again in May, making it 6 months since the last cash rate movement.  Minutes from the previous RBA board meeting certainly indicated that the board position was that rates remained adequate for the near term, as subdued consumer spending and the impacts of major disasters still filter through the eco...

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RBA Rates Decision – February 2011

As unanimously tipped by all forecasters and commentators, the RBA chose to leave the official cash rate on hold this month at 4.75%. Although the majority of sentiment is that the cash rate will move higher over the coming year, if our economy and the global economic recovery continue to build momentum. The consensus on the flood in Queensland ...

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RBA Rates Decision – August 2010

The cash rate remains on hold this month after good news on lower than expected 2nd quarter CPI (Inflation) data last week.  The RBA believe the current cash rate setting is adequate for the time being. There is still upward pressure on rates as our economy is in very good shape compared to the rest of the world.  The upward pressure remains d...

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