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Economics

Pre-Christmas delivery

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 21 DEC 2017
"I promised the American people a big, beautiful tax cut for Christmas. With final passage of this legislation, that is exactly what they are getting." (Donald Trump)

Eurozone low-flation to 2020

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 20 DEC 2017
There's no question that growth in the Eurozone had been gaining momentum by the day but with inflation remaining the ECB's 2.0% target, the ECB's forward guided interest rate hike late next year and/or quantitative tightening becomes questionable.

Ho ho hum MYEFO

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 19 DEC 2017
That ever-elusive surplus is still expected to be reached by FY2020-21 amounting to A$10.2 billion (0.5% of GDP) from A$7.4 billion (0.4% of GDP) anticipated last May.

Expecting the expected

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 18 DEC 2017
Just as the Fed, other central banks see 2017's stronger growth-low inflation dynamics to spill over into 2018.

Jobs, jobs, jobs

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 15 DEC 2017
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) Labour Force report shows a sharp jump in employment in November no matter how it's measured.

Three is the magic number

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 14 DEC 2017
The Fed's 'hint' at where it's taking interest rates takes on a greater importance, and it's going to be another three next year and three more in 2019.

Down, down business conditions are down

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 13 DEC 2017
It appears that October's "puzzle" has been solved, not by business confidence meeting up with business conditions at a higher altitude but with conditions dropping to less puzzling levels

Good news or bad news?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 12 DEC 2017
Depending on one's proclivity, the latest batch of higher than expected liquidity and lending data out of China could be either good or bad.

America is full

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 11 DEC 2017
We could be another rate hike (or two or three) away from breaking the proverbial camel's back in terms of inflation expectations.

Thinning trade surplus shaves A$

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 8 DEC 2017
This may not be good news for Australians planning to spend their Christmas holidays overseas but is definitely a positive for the Australian economy.