No, r-star doesn’t stand for “rock star”! Rather, it is the official cash rate that has a neutral impact on an economy: neither contractionary nor expansionary. It is critical for both central bankers and investors. R-star is the i...
Learn moreTourist and alternative lifestyle mecca Byron Bay may be getting stripped of its nudist beach but it is the RBA that is getting embarrassed by larger than expected figures! Meanwhile, the EU has started cutting, the US remains on course for cuts, Japan ...
Learn moreChatGPT is dominating public attention but behind the scenes there is arguably a bigger computer revolution brewing. If the potential of quantum computing is realised, all current cryptography will be made obsolete and meteorological models could dramat...
Learn moreLike a heroine in a horror movie that suddenly feels that something is not quite right, the RBA Board is starting to feel a little uneasy. Sure inflation is still sticky, the labour market tight, and the economy slowing but the consumer is reducing thei...
Learn moreSomething new, something green! On June 3, Australia’s federal government issued its first-ever green bond: AUD 7 billion (see chart below). It was oversubscribed three-times over. While it represents a small start compared to total treasury bonds...
Learn moreUS consumers seem more Garfield than Furiosa at the moment with some good news on the inflation and consumer confidence fronts in May. Inflation may not be so sticky in the US after all? The Fed Reserve is however still talking tough. Inflation is still...
Learn moreAgeing populations can be a real drag. A drag on government finances, debt, and economic growth. Many countries with fast ageing populations look to the future with foreboding. Australia however is doing better than most. Thanks to government foresight ...
Learn moreAt a Glance: The Federal Reserve's delays in the much anticipated rate cuts have widespread implications for the U.S. economy and the private sector. In this higher-for-longer interest rate environment, U.S. fund managers are deal...
Learn moreThe cash rate was left unchanged on Tuesday. It’s been a bumpy ride over the last 6 months in terms of economic data according to RBA Governor Michele Bullock. The weight of data in the last half of 2023 and early 2024 suggested that the next ...
Learn moreCentral banks have been wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin' that inflation would keep falling all the way back to their 2% target. Sure, the last mile will be the hardest they said. Well the US and Australia have just hit i...
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