ECONOMIC INDICATORS – AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence ends its six week streak, down 3.2% to 117.7

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-May-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 3.2% to 117.7 in the week ended 27 May, after six straight weekly gains. Households’ views towards current financial conditions fell 2.7%, entirely reversing gains over the previous two weeks. Views towards future financial conditions fell 4.1% to 122.5, the lowest since November. Sentiment around current economic conditions eased 2.4% following no change previously. Views towards future economic conditions fell 2.5%, adding to the 1.9% loss in the previous week. The "time to buy a household item" sub-index dropped 3.9%, more than reversing the previous week’s rise of 2.6%.

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

Most lack full-time jobs with benefits

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 3 : 29-May-18

Analysis of official data by the Centre for Future Work shows that just 49.97 per cent of full-time workers in Australia had paid leave entitlements in 2017, compared with 51.35 per cent in 2012. The proportion of part-time jobs across the economy has in turn risen from 29.7 per cent to a record 31.7 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of workers who are underemployed has risen from 7.6 per cent to 9.1 per cent over the last five years. The data also shows that 12.4 per cent of employees in the private sector are now covered by enterprise agreements, down from 18.9 per cent in 2012. However, the proportion of workers covered by industry awards has risen from 16.6 per cent to 23.6 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED. CENTRE FOR FUTURE WORK, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australia rises to 19th in IMD rank of competitiveness

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-May-18

Australia has risen from 21st to 19th in the International Institute for Management Development’s latest "World Competitiveness Yearbook". The IMD has attributed Australia’s improved global competitiveness to factors such as population growth, a stable exchange rate and a strong investment environment. However, Committee for Economic Development of Australia CEO Melinda Cilento notes that the nation is still underperforming with regard to metrics such as productivity and tax rates.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence on six week streak

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-May-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.7% to 121.6 in the week ended 20 May, to its highest level in 15 weeks. Households’ views towards current financial conditions rose 2.0% to110.1, the highest in 12 weeks. Views towards future financial conditions were up a modest 0.6%, following a 1.4% rise the previous week. Both subindices remain above their long-term averages. Sentiment around current economic conditions showed no change after a solid 2.4% increase in the previous week. However, views towards future economic conditions eased 1.9%, partially unwinding the previous week’s 3.7% rise. The "time to buy a household item" subindex rose 2.6%.

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

Inflation Expectations up in April led by Melbourne, Adelaide & Perth

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-May-18

Australians aged +14 expect inflation of 4.5% per year over the next two years, according to the Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations Index for April 2018. This is up 0.2% from a month ago, and up 0.1% on April 2017. Despite the increase in April, Inflation Expectations are still well below the eight-year average of 5.0% Analysis of Inflation Expectations by political affiliation shows that supporters of both major parties drove the index higher in April. Inflation Expectations for ALP supporters increased 0.3% to 4.5% and are now in line with the national average, while Inflation Expectations for L-NP supporters increased 0.4% to 4.1%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Productivity blamed for low wage growth

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-May-18

Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has rejected claims by ACTU president Sally McManus that low wages growth is the result of a shift in the industrial relations system in favour of employers rather than unions. Research by the AiG suggests that low growth in productivity is a major contributor to flat growth wages. Willox says low wages growth is a global trend, and he notes that there has been strong wages growth in some sectors due to supply and demand considerations.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Coalition achieves million jobs vow

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 6 : 18-May-18

Official data shows that Australia’s unemployment rate rose from 5.5 per cent to a nine-month high of 5.6 per cent in April. Some 23,000 jobs were created in April, and the economy has added 1.014 million jobs since the Coalition won office in September 2013. Former prime minister Tony Abbott had made an election commitment to generate one million new jobs during the first five years of a Coalition government. Tom Kennedy of JP Morgan notes that the construction and healthcare sectors accounted for more than 50 per cent of the jobs created during 2017.

CORPORATES
JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Flat wages cast doubt on budget

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 17-May-18

New figures show that Australian wages rose by just 0.5 per cent in the March quarter, unchanged from the three months to December. Independent economist Saul Eslake says the wage price index data may undermine the Federal Government’s forecast for a Budget surplus in 2019-20, which is dependent on growth in wages and consumer spending. The subdued growth in wages may also affect the outlook for official interest rates, with Sarah Hunger of BIS Oxford Economics suggesting that the cash rate could potentially be on hold until 2020.

CORPORATES
BIS OXFORD ECONOMICS PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence continues to recover post-Budget

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-May-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 1.0% to 120.8 in the week ended 13 May, to its highest level in 14 weeks. The details were broadly positive, with four out of five subindices posting gains. Households’ views toward current financial conditions rose 0.7%, largely recovering from the 0.8% fall previously. Views towards future financial conditions rose 1.4%, partially reversing the 3.2% fall previously. Both subindices remain above their long term averages. Sentiment around current economic conditions rose 2.4% to 113.2, the highest level in 14 weeks. At the same time, views towards future economic conditions rose 3.7% to 117.5, the highest level in 15 weeks. However, the "time to buy a household item" subindex fell 2.7%, partially undoing the 5.0% gain in the previous week.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence remains elevated at 119.6 pre-Budget

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-May-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.3% to 119.6 in the week ended 5 May, to its highest level in 13 weeks. The details were mixed, with a solid rise in "time to buy a household item" offset by falls in three of the remaining sub-indices. Households’ views toward current financial conditions eased 0.8%, following a 1.7% rise previously. Views towards future conditions declined 3.2%, after three straight weekly gains. Both sub-indices remain above their long term averages. Consumers were less optimistic about year-ahead economic conditions, with sentiment dipping 0.9%, ending the streak of five consecutive weekly gains. Meanwhile, views towards future conditions rose 1.2%, entirely reversing the previous week’s 0.7% decline.

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