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Showing 11 - 20 of 58 results for "Bill Evan"

Confidence up but will consumers shop?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 12 OCT 2017
Along with the increasing sun shiny days that spring brings to our part of the globe come the green sprouts of optimism among us, Australians all. For the first time in 11 months, there are more optimists than pessimists in this land girth by sea. This ...

A matter of assumptions

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 26 SEP 2017
While most of the world's biggest central banks have embraced uber-transparency, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) appears to still be subscribing to "fedspeak". It's still keeping Australians in the dark about its next policy movement. In its September ...

Not happy enough

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 14 SEP 2017
Australian consumers are happier in September than last month. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute (WBC-MI) index of consumer sentiment jumped by 2.5% to a reading of 97.9 this month from 95.5 in August with nearly all the survey's sub-indices recording ...

Wage freeze

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 17 AUG 2017
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) 'Wage Price Index' report for the June quarter confirmed what we, Australians all, already know...wages growth remains sluggish. Even market consensus got it on point. Growth in total wages stood still at a ...

Wages separate businesses from consumers

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 10 AUG 2017
Not happy Jan! This is the collective cry of Australian consumers according to the latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment survey. Yet only a day before, the NAB business survey showed that business conditions in July were at their best ...

A-dollar rising

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 16 JAN 2017
... downside ultimately limited by Fed tightening expectations in the months ahead." Then again, so was Westpac chief economist Bill Evan's rationale when he predicted the A$ to fall from US$0.75 then to US$0.72 this year before dropping to US$0.68 in 2018. ...

Economic Wrap

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 22 DEC 2016
Australia leading indicator The Westpac-Melbourne Institute leading index of economic activity was unchanged in November following increases of 0.1% in September and October. The latest result slowed the six-month annualised growth rate in the index ...

Budgets with more super tinkering are possible

DARREN SNYDER  |  MONDAY, 26 SEP 2016
Westpac chief economist Bill Evans warns superannuation funds that further tinkering of the system at Budget time is not beyond the realms of possibilities. As federal politicians become further engrossed in "fixing the Budget" the chief economist reckons ...

Economic Wrap

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 23 SEP 2016
Australia leading index The Westpac-Melbourne Institute leading index of economic activity showed no growth (0%) in August, decelerating from 0.08% in the previous month but the six-month annualised growth rate - indicating the "pace of economic activity ...

Economic Wrap

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 15 SEP 2016
Australian consumer sentiment Although marginal and less than market expectations, the 0.3% increase in the Westpac/Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment to 101.4 in September from 101.0 in the previous month indicates that optimists continue ...