ECONOMIC INDICATORS – AUSTRALIA

Gary Morgan comment on this week’s strong Consumer Confidence result

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Original article by Gary Morgan, Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Sep-16

This week’s rise in the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index, up 3.8pts to 118.1, comes after a strong Australian GDP result last week which showed the Australian economy growing at an annual rate in the year to June of 3.3 per cent. This is the fastest annual GDP growth for the Australian economy for four years since 2012. Although this week’s increase in Consumer Confidence might seem to contradict the fall in the Roy Morgan Business Confidence – down 7.5pts to 108.6 in August, released yesterday, the two indicators are measured over a different time period (the month of August compared to the weekend just past) and have therefore been impacted by different socio-economic drivers.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

One in five first-year uni students drops out

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Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 8-Sep-16

New figures show that the proportion of Australian university students who quit their course in the first year rose to a record 21.09 per cent in 2014. However, this falls to 15.25 per cent if students who change courses are taken into account. Andrew Norton of the Grattan Institute says the rise in the first-year drop-out rate can be linked to the increase in university enrolments in recent years. The number of Australian students enrolled in university courses rose above one million in 2014.

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Taxpayer funds hold up economy, families ease back

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Sep-16

The latest national accounts data shows that the Australian economic expanded by 3.3 per cent in the year to June 2016. It is now 25 years since the last recession in Australia, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has attributed the almost unprecedented period of economic growth to factors such as the nation’s commitment to free trade and economic reform. However, growth in household spending slowed to just 0.4 per cent in the June quarter, while growth in household incomes is also subdued. A sharp rise in government spending contributed to GDP growth in 2015-16.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, EAST ASIA SUMMIT

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence falls again – down 4.1pts to 114.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Sep-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence has fallen fell for the second week in a row, down 3.5 per cent to 114.3 in the week ending 4 September 2016. The sizeable decline more than offset the jump in confidence three weeks ago, which took the index to a 33-month high. The decline in confidence was largely driven by households’ views over the economic outlook. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months fell by 7.6 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current and future finances fell by 2.7 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

China land ownership tiny

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Original article by Simone Fox Koob
The Australian – Page: 5 : 7-Sep-16

New data shows that Chinese interests have bought only 1.4 million hectares of the 385 million hectares of agricultural land in Australia, which equates to less than 0.5 per cent. The Treasury report notes that foreign investors own 53 million hectares of the nation’s farmland, with British interests accounting for 27.5 million hectares. Treasurer Scott Morrison has stressed the importance of foreign investment to the domestic economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, S KIDMAN AND COMPANY PTY LTD, DAKANG AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence falls after Olympics ends, but still at high levels – 118.4 (down 3.4pts)

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-Aug-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 2.8 per cent to 118.4 in the week ending 28 August 2016. The decline in confidence was entirely driven by households’ views of the economic outlook. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months fell by 7.0 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current and future finances rose by 1.9 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Low $A, ad push to spur tourist growth

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Aug-16

Deloitte Access Economics states in its tourism and hotel market outlook that the number of international visitors rose by 10 per cent in 2015. Meanwhile, visitor spending has increased by 17.9 per cent over the past five years. The firm forecasts an annual average growth of 6.2 per cent in international visitors over the next three years.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, TOURISM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence jumps to near three-year high of 121.8 (up 4.2pts) during Olympics

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Aug-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose by 3.6 per cent to 121.8 in the week ending 21 August 2016, to its highest level since November 2013. The improvement in confidence was broadly-based. Households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months rose by 5.4 per cent, while consumers’ views of their current and future finances rose by 1.3 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Jobs growth makes for murky reading in census aftermath

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Original article by Philip Baker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 19-Aug-16

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the economy added 71,600 part-time jobs in July 2016, although it shed 45,000 full-time positions. Currency traders responded positively to the net gain of more than 26,000 jobs, with the Australian dollar peaking at $US0.7720 in local trading on 18 August. However, Kate Hicks of Capital Economics notes that some of the jobs would have been temporary ones associated with the census.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Wages growth stuck at record low of 2.1pc

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 18-Aug-16

The Wage Price Index for the June 2016 quarter indicates that wages growth has stagnated at 2.1 per cent for the past 12 months. Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on 17 August 2016 show that wages in the private sector increased by 1.9 per cent over the period, while the public sector recorded wages growth of 2.3 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, ACTU, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA