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Coronavirus News

Chief economist update: The virus, the vaccine and Trump

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 23 NOV 2020
It appears the dying days of 2020 swing between optimism and pessimism depending on which side of the bed financial market participants get up on on the day.

Chief economist update: A wonderful set of numbers

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 20 NOV 2020
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has reported a large uptick in the number of Australians finding their way back into the workforce with 178,000 jobs added in October.

Chief economist update: Australian wages slow but still grow

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 19 NOV 2020
While many have seen their wages stagnate, or even drop, this year the latest figures from the Australian Bureau Statistics (ABS) shows wages are up slightly from last year.

Chief economist update: Vaccine optimism sparks AUD resurgence

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 18 NOV 2020
The Australian dollar is back! Back above the US$0.73 level that is.

Chief economist update: A vaccine and a better vaccine

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 17 NOV 2020
It's not even December yet but it's as though Christmas has come to Wall Street, with news of a better COVID-19 vaccine sending both the S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones Industrials Average soaring to record highs overnight.

Chief economist update: Japan's third wave

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 16 NOV 2020
On October 29, in the face of declining COVID-19 infection rates, the Bank of Japan kept its monetary policy unchanged. Fast forward a fortnight and the country has found itself in the middle of a third wave.

Chief economist update: We're not there yet

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 13 NOV 2020
The head honchos of the Fed, ECB and the BOE's collective and cautionary missive comes amid a backdrop of recent COVID-19 vaccine optimism and the rising cases of infections and deaths in their respective domains.

Chief economist update: Oil could slip on fresh lockdowns

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 12 NOV 2020
News that a COVID-19 vaccine is nigh has injected optimism in the world economies, financial markets and commodity markets, including oil.

Chief economist update: Letter V going viral in Australia

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 11 NOV 2020
The letter V is going viral in Australia (pardon the pun). It was most recently seen in the NAB Business Survey for October, underscored by the sharp rebound in business confidence and business conditions.

Chief economist update: V for vaccine

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 10 NOV 2020
The latest COVID-19 vaccine development has eased concerns over Joe Biden's win and the likely potential for a double-dip in the US economy.