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Economics

Australian business increasingly bullish on 2004

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 4 NOV 2003
Australian businesses remain bullish about 2004 with capital investment intentions on the rise, a survey has found.

RBA may crack the whip on rates today

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 4 NOV 2003
The Reserve Bank board may use Melbourne Cup day to crack the whip on interest rates.

October retail index positive

AAP  |  TUESDAY, 4 NOV 2003
Australian consumers are gearing up for a big spending Christmas with retail confidence high, according to the October Retail Activity index.

Alternative investments proving hugely popular: Glebe

Latest research reveals that hedge funds have been hugely popular and ethical and Socially Responsible Funds (SRIs) have also consistently grown above the total market.

Retail trade up 0.6% in September

AAP  |  MONDAY, 3 NOV 2003
Retail sales rose again in September for the ninth month in a row as shoppers spent up large on homewares, new figures showed today.

RBA likely to keep interest rates on hold till early 2004: ICAP

Michael Thomas, senior economist at ICAP, has said that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will keep interest rates on a holding pattern till early 2004 and are unlikely to be concerned by inflationary pressures, saying that they are well within control.

Manufacturing boosted by domestic demand

AAP  |  MONDAY, 3 NOV 2003
Solid domestic demand has helped lift the Australian manufacturing sector in October, an index released today showed.

Inflation may slide below RBA target

AAP  |  MONDAY, 3 NOV 2003
Underlying inflation fell in October and is in danger of sliding below the bottom of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) target of between two and three per cent, an inflation gauge showed today.

Budget surplus already at $337 million: DOFA

AAP  |  MONDAY, 3 NOV 2003
The federal Budget was more than $300 million in the black after the first two months of the 2003/04 financial year, new figures showed today.

ANZ job ads up 1.4%

AAP  |  MONDAY, 3 NOV 2003
Australian newspaper job advertisements rose for the sixth consecutive month in October, the longest stretch of gains in four years, a survey found.