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Economics

Daily economic update

US economic data continues to surprise on the upside, creating doubts over expectations that the US Federal Reserve is nearly finished with its interest rate hikes.

Daily economic update

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 3 MAY 2006
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) finally put to rest market speculation over monetary policy by raising the official cash rate by 25 basis points to a five year high of 5.75 per cent. The RBA last lifted interest rates in March 2005.

Rate hike catches economists unaware

KATE HAGE  |  WEDNESDAY, 3 MAY 2006
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) handed down a controversial decision today to lift the official cash rate from 5.5 per cent to 5.75 per cent, a move economists say caught many unawares.

Daily economic update

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 2 MAY 2006
While Australia anxiously awaits the RBA's decision on monetary policy, strong US economic reports released overnight kept alive expectations that the US Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates.

Weekly economic round-up

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 1 MAY 2006
This week's Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board meeting takes on a particular significance in light of the higher than expected Australian headline CPI inflation report for the March quarter.

Daily economic update

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 28 APR 2006
In an unexpected move, the Peoples Bank of China increased its one year lending rate to 5.85 per cent - the first increase since October 2004 - from 5.58 per cent.

Daily economic update

A sharp increase in durable goods orders in March affirms expectations of a strong first quarter US GDP growth. US durable goods orders rose by 6.1 per cent in March - the biggest increase in 10 months.

Daily economic update

Australian headline consumer prices rose by a slightly higher-than-expected 0.9 per cent in the March quarter taking the annual inflation rate to three per cent - right at the upper limit of the Reserve Bank of Australia's 2-3 per cent target band.

Weekly economic round-up

Like a dodgy taxi meter, the price of crude oil has lately been ticking higher almost every day. So much so that concerns are beginning to mount over the negative repercussion on inflation and global growth.

Daily economic update

Economic data released today becomes less significant for forward viewing compared with the continuing escalation in crude oil prices.