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Economics

Low-flation becoming less transitory?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 14 AUG 2017
Economic activity is evolving broadly as the Fed expected, but inflation is not.

Trump and Kim go ballistic

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 11 AUG 2017
We have seen this game of one-upmanship before. Only four months ago there were similar reactions from the financial markets.

Wages separate businesses from consumers

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 10 AUG 2017
The question going forward is whether strong business conditions and confidence encourage Australian bosses to hand down larger pay cheques.

Inflation: Cost-pushed and demand-pulled

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 9 AUG 2017
There might be strengthening growth momentum in the Australian economy, but inflation indicators are heading the other way.

No follow through

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 8 AUG 2017
The weaker pound has undoubtedly pushed up inflation but it is also shoring up domestic activity.

Australian dollar poses problem for RBA

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 7 AUG 2017
The RBA's problem is it cannot even promise to lower interest rates to bring down the Australian dollar without re-energising the property market and lifting Australian household's ballooning household debt.

RBI succumbs to low-flation

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 4 AUG 2017
The Reserve Bank of India cut interest rates by 25 basis points its 2 August Monetary policy committee meeting.

Australian businesses lift borrowing

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 1 AUG 2017
Signaling a reorientation in Australia's credit markets, the RBA Financial Aggregates report for June shows that business borrowing has surged relative to home borrowings even as home borrowing still dominates credit markets.

Powered by low-flation

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 31 JUL 2017
Wall Street's on a tear with all of the equity market's benchmark indices: S&P 500; Dow Jones; Nasdaq; and Russell 2000 - hitting record highs last week.

Cheaper imports

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 28 JUL 2017
Year to date the Australian dollar is 10% higher than the US dollar and 6.1% up on the trade weighted index. If this persists, it would pressure import prices down.