ECONOMIC INDICATORS – AUSTRALIA

Landlord nation: 18,000 own six or more rental properties

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Su-Lin Tan, Fleur Anderson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Aug-15

New figures show that some 16 per cent of Australian taxpayers owned a residential investment property in 2012-13. More than 110,000 taxpayers owned more than three rental properties, while about 18,000 had a portfolio of at least six. Shane Garrett of the Housing Industry Association says factors such as rising house prices and population growth means a lot more people probably now own at least one investment property.

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Jobless rate matches 13-year high of 6.3pc

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 7-Aug-15

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the nation’s unemployment rate rose from 6.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent in July 2015. However, it is estimated that the economy added 38,500 jobs during the month, compared with economists’ expectations of just 10,000. Treasurer Joe Hockey says this demonstration that the transition from the construction phase of the mining boom is proceeding well, while Ivan Calhoun of National Australia Bank expects interest rates to remain on hold in the near-term.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence edges higher

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Aug-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia rose by 0.4 per cent to 112.9 in the week ended 2 August 2015. Consumer confidence has recovered from the lows experienced three weeks ago (up 5.5 per cent from the recent low). However, confidence remains subdued and is down 1.8 per cent compared with a year ago. While an improvement in consumers’ views about the economic outlook has helped the lift in overall confidence more recently, views towards current financial conditions remain the highlight. Consumers’ view of their personal finances compared with a year ago reached the highest levels in the history of the weekly confidence survey.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence edges higher

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Aug-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia rose by 0.4 per cent to 112.9 in the week ended 2 August 2015. Consumer confidence has recovered from the lows experienced three weeks ago (up 5.5 per cent from the recent low). However, confidence remains subdued and is down 1.8 per cent compared with a year ago. While an improvement in consumers’ views about the economic outlook has helped the lift in overall confidence more recently, views towards current financial conditions remain the highlight. Consumers’ view of their personal finances compared with a year ago reached the highest levels in the history of the weekly confidence survey.

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

New house sales may have peaked

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 4-Aug-15

Sales of new detached homes across Australia topped 73,507 in 2014-15, compared with 72,706 in the previous financial year. Harley Dale of the Housing Industry Association says that while demand for detached homes will remain strong in 2015-16, sales are likely to be lower due to a dearth of land being released for development.

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Australian July real unemployment 8.7% – down for fifth consecutive month

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Aug-15

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 8.7 per cent in July 2015. The number of people in the workforce now totals 12,673,000 (306,000 since July 2014), while the number of people who are underemployed has fallen by 102,000 in the last 12 months to 977,000 (7.7 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 6.0 per cent in July 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the Federal Government must look at the abolition of Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for the tourism and retail industries, as these measures have a detrimental impact on small businesses, which are forced to close on Sundays and public holidays.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Creeps Higher

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Jul-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia rose by 0.6 per cent to 112.5 in the week ended 26 July 2015. This follows a rise of 4.5 per cent in the previous week, driven by easing concerns around the Greece debt crisis and China stock market volatility. Despite this bounce, consumer confidence remains subdued and is down 3.2 per cent compared with this time in 2014. The sub-index for households’ finances in the next year rose by 1.1 per cent, but the sub-indices for confidence in the economic outlook over the short-term and medium term fell by 1.4 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively.

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

Median house price in Sydney tops $1m

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-15

New data from Domain Group shows that the median house price in Sydney rose by 22.9 per cent in 2014-15, to a record high of slightly more than $A1m. The harbour city’s median house price was just $A814,285 in 2013-14. Meanwhile, Sydney’s median apartment price rose by 13.9 per cent to $A656,078. Housing remains more affordable in Melbourne, with the median price of houses rising by 10.3 per cent to $A668,030 and apartment prices rising by 4.5 per cent to $A443,549.

CORPORATES
DOMAIN.COM.AU, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Bounces

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Jul-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia rose by 4.5 per cent to 111.8 in the week ended 19 July 2015, partially reverses the eight per cent fall over the previous two weeks. The bounce was likely driven by easing concerns around international events, as the Chinese stock market rebounded and Greece reached an agreement with its creditors. The sub-index on "economic conditions in the next year" rose by 10.8 per cent, and the sub-index on "economic conditions in next five years" rose by 7.1 per cent.

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

The credits roll for arts and recreation productivity score

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 21-Jul-15

New data from the Productivity Commission shows that Australia’s arts and recreation industry achieved an 8.2 per cent increase in labour productivity in 2013-14. In contrast, there was a modest fall in productivity in the mining, construction and manufacturing industries. Meanwhile, the output of arts and recreation companies increased by 2.6 per cent, despite a 5.6 per cent decline in labour.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION