ECONOMIC INDICATORS – AUSTRALIA

Home and apartment building hits record $54.4b in 2014

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Feb-15

New figures show that $A54.4bn worth of residential dwellings were built across Australia during 2014, compared with $A49.3bn in 2013. Dwelling commencements in the December 2014 quarter topped $A14.3bn, an increase of 12.3 per cent. Non-residential construction activity rose by 1.3 per cent to $A35bn in 2014, although there was 2.9 per cent contraction in the fourth quarter

CORPORATES
MASTER BUILDERS OF AUSTRALIA, WATPAC LIMITED – ASX WTP, CARDNO LIMITED – ASX CDD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence at Six Month Lows

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Feb-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia fell by 1.7 per cent in the week ended 15 February 2015, to the lowest level since early August 2014. For now, it appears that concerns about job security, weak wages growth and the economic outlook are outweighing the boost from the recent interest rate cut, lower petrol prices and rising asset values. Confidence in the economic outlook over the next year fell by 4.3 per cent, and confidence in the economic outlook over the next five years fell by 3.2 per cent

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

Jobless jump points to rate cut

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Feb-15

The Australian economy shed more than 12,000 jobs in January 2015, with the unemployment rate rising to 6.4 per cent. The jobless rate’s rise to its highest level in 12 years weighed heavily on the Australian dollar, which reached a low of $US0.7662 on 12 February. The data also prompted speculation of further interest rate cuts, while business groups say the figures demonstrate the need for industrial relations reforms

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

$A plunges as investors bet on rate cut in March

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 13-Feb-15

The Australian dollar was buying $US0.7646 late in trading on 12 February 2015. The currency was sold down in response to data showing that Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 6.4 per cent in January, with the economy shedding more than 12,000 jobs during the month. The jobs data has heightened expectations of further easing of monetary policy, and Paul Bloxham of HSBC expects the currency to continue to retreat

CORPORATES
HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence: Not-So-Great Expectations

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Feb-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia fell by 0.6 per cent to 111.7 in the week ended 8 February 2015. The modest change likely reflects the positive impact from interest rate cuts, somewhat offset by concerns about the economy and federal government leadership speculation. Confidence in the economic outlook over the next year fell by 3.6 per cent, but expectations of household finances compared with a year ago rose by 1.3 per cent. This sub-index is most correlated with household spending

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

Australian unemployment down in January to 9.8% as full-time employment increases to new record high despite shrinking workforce

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan survey on Australia’s unemployment and under-employed shows that the real unemployment rate fell to 9.8 per cent in January 2015. This compares with an official unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent in December 2014. The total workforce has fallen by 127,000 to 12,627,000 since January 2014, and the number of Australians who are under-employed has fallen by 72,000 to 1,033,000 in the last 12 months. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that more than 2.27 million Australians are either unemployed or under-employed, and the Federal Government must look seriously at industrial relations reform

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Low inflation corners RBA

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 29-Jan-15

Australia’s underlying inflation rate increased by 0.7 per cent in the December 2014 quarter, which was higher than expected. There was an 0.2 per cent increase in the CPI during the quarter, and 1.7 per cent year-on-year. The benign inflation data may strengthen the case for a reduction in the cash rate when the Reserve Bank board meets on 3 February 2015. The central bank may also be swayed by recent monetary policy easing in other countries, which may prompt renewed support for the Australian dollar

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

Rate cut likely as spending slows

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 19 : 22-Jan-15

There was a 2.4 per cent increase in the Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment in January 2015. The index rose from 91.1 in December to 93.2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. Meanwhile, the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index has increased by 1.4 per cent to 113.6, although the data is not seasonally adjusted. Westpac’s chief economist Bill Evans expects the cash rate to be reduced in both February and March

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, WORLD BANK, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Budget deficit saps confidence

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 19 : 20-Jan-15

Roy Morgan Research’s business confidence index has fallen to its lowest level since August 2011. The index fell to 105.3 in December 2014, compared with 123 in November. Roy Morgan’s Norman Morris says business confidence was adversely affected by the Australian Government’s forecast of a $A40bn Budget deficit for 2014-15. A survey by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry also shows that there has been a sharp fall in business conditions

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, TD SECURITIES, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Chance of rate cuts recede

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Original article by Vesna Poljak, Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 16-Jan-15

New figures show that 37,400 jobs were created in Australia during December 2014, with the unemployment rate easing to 6.1 per cent. The general consensus of economists was that about 5,000 jobs had been created. The labour market figures may weaken the case for further easing of monetary policy, with Michael Blythe of the Commonwealth Bank forecasting that the cash rate will remain unchanged in 2015. However, the ANZ Bank expects two rate cuts in the next year

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WORLD BANK, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WATPAC LIMITED – ASX WTP, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS