Empower Blog Europe Economy

RBA Rate Decision – December 2016

So much to talk about in this December Rates Announcement! Firstly, we'll start with interest rates on hold at 1.50%. The Reserve Governor and the Board met and kept rates on hold. Now, what's fascinating is if we had have waited another day, when our GDP numbers came out in Australia, we could have seen a different result. As you know, there's ...

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RBA Rate Decision – July 2016

Wow, to be a fly on the wall at the latest RBA Board Meeting. It would be fascinating as the conversation would have move to the political uncertainty that we currently got in federal politics. Really important to understand that this 'circus' that is happening in Canberra and this new structure of our government, the lower house and the upper hous...

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2015 Share Market & Equities Outlook – Part 2

Hard Minerals & Global Market – Asia, US & Europe Ben: Let’s talk about hard minerals and hard resources. Obviously iron ore is the big talking point down from peaks of $150 a ton thereabout down to earlier in the $130 a ton, now down to collapsing sub $65 a ton. Michael: Similar to the oil market story, it is a discussion area on t...

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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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RBA Rates Decision – October 2012

The RBA has reduced the cash rate at its October Board Meeting by 0.25%.  This brings the cash rate down to 3.25%. Most market analysts were split 50/50 on this decision to reduce rates, but for an economy that is definitely showing signs of slowing, it comes as welcome news to a mortgage holder. How welcome that news is will be left i...

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RBA Rates Decision – July 2012

Welcoming in the new financial year and after two rate movements in recent times reflecting a total of 75 basis points the RBA is now at the point of sitting on its hands to see the impact of its monetary policy, especially following the recent ‘surprise’ GDP figure showing the economy growing at 4.3% p.a which caught most analysts out. We a...

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RBA Rates Decision – April 2012

The RBA has held off on a cash rate movement again this month, as they still appear happy with the current economic activity within the economy. Those doing business in the two biggest state economies of Sydney and Melbourne might disagree about the level of growth they are enjoying! But it’s not the RBA’s job to set cash rates for each state; ...

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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 – November 2011

Finally the planets have aligned and we have our long awaited cash rate cut of 0.25% bringing the cash rate down to 4.50%. I would think all the banks/lenders will be sensible in passing on this full amount without incident, CBA and Westpac have already done that and now I’d expect the others to follow. However history tells me they will set a da...

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RBA Rates Decision – October 2011

Anyone tired of hearing about the European debt crisis or the US economy yet? Of course we all are, but as the saying goes ‘Money makes the world go around’, so these global events are unfortunately part of Australia and ultimately a part of our personal worlds.  And a clear reminder of this is the equity markets and how they have been so v...

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US Economy heading into the festive season and 2010

US consumer sentiment unexpectedly fell in November while the trade deficit widened by more than forecast in September, which appears to be in line with the Federal Reserve's view of a fragile economic recovery. Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said US monetary policy will remain "highly accommodative" for quite some time, and possibly beyo...

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