Job losses not RBA’s priority as bank keeps rates on hold

Original article by Shane Wright, Millie Muroi
The Age – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Reserve Bank of Ausralia governor Michele Bullock says that keeping inflation under control will be its top priority, after the central bank’s new monetary policy board left the cash rate unchanged on Tuesday. Bullock contends that there is no point in letting inflation rise because it would eventually result in higher unemployment. The RBA’s monetary policy statement noted that although underlying inflation is continuing to ease, the board needs to be confident that inflation will return to the middle of its target range of 2-3 per cent and stay there. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says the RBA’s interest rates decision affirms the fact that living standards have declined since Labor took office in 2022.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Inflated promise to low-paid workers

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Apr-25

The federal government will call for an "economically sustainable real wage increase" for people on award and minimum wages from mid-July. Its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review will not specify a percentage amount, except that it should be above the inflation rate. The budget papers show that the Treasury expects an inflation rate of 2.5 per cent for 2024-25, rising to three per cent in 2025-26, when the new minimum wage will take effect. A three per cent increase would equare to a minimum wage rise of $27 per week. Employers’ groups are expected to urge the FWC to opt for a minimum wage rise that is in line with or below the inflation rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations increased to 4.9% in late March – up from 4.6% for the month of February

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Mar-25

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were 4.9% for the week of 17-23 March 2025; this is up 0.3% points from the month of February, following four straight weeks of increases. However, a look at monthly Inflation Expectations for February shows the measure at 4.6% for the month – a decrease of 0.4% points from January, and the lowest monthly Inflation Expectations since September 2021. Looking back over the last year, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a band of 4.2% to 5.3% since the start of 2024, and averaged 4.9%. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,300 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations fell to 4.2% in late February – well down from 5.0% for the month of January

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Feb-25

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were 4.2% for the week of 17-23 February 2025; this is down 0.8% points from the month of January, and the lowest since August 2021. However, a look at monthly Inflation Expectations for January 2025 shows the measure at 5.0% for the month – an increase of 0.2% points from December, and just above the average for last year of 4.9%. Looking back over the last year, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a band of 4.2% to 5.3% since the start of 2024 and averaged 4.9%. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,300 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade and includes interviews with 6,086 Australians aged 14+ in January 2025.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Inflation fall fuels election fight

Original article by Greg Brown, David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Jan-25

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says a ‘soft landing’ for the Australian economy is becoming "more and more likely" following the release of CPI data for the December quarter. The headline inflation rate fell 0.4 per cent to 2.4 per cent in the year to December; the Reserve Bank’s preferred measure of underlying inflation eased to 3.2 per cent, below the central bank’s own expectations of 3.4 per cent. Three of Australia’s four major banks now expect an official interest cut in February. However, Warren Hogan from Judo Bank says the economic case for a rate cut is very weak; he notes amongst other things that core inflation remain above the RBA’s target range of 2-3 per cent, while the cost-of-living crisis is still a major issue for many Australians.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, JUDO BANK PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations increased to 5.2% in mid-January – up from 4.8% for the month of December

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jan-25

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were 5.2% for the week of 13-19 January 2025. This figure is above the average for last year of 4.9%, and up 0.4% points from the month of December. A look at monthly Inflation Expectations for December 2024 shows the measure at 4.8% for the month – up 0.1% points from previous three months of September to November, but below the average for last year of 4.9%. Looking back over the last year, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a narrow band of 4.5% to 5.3% since the start of 2024 and averaged 4.9%. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,200 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations are at 4.8% in mid-December – up from 4.7% for the month of November

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Dec-24

The latest weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations are 4.8% for the week of 9-15 December. This figure is below the average this year of 4.9%, but up 0.1% points from the month of November. A look at monthly Inflation Expectations for November shows the measure at 4.7% for the month – unchanged from September and October, and below the average so far this year of 4.9%. Looking back over the year, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a narrow band of 4.5% to 5.3% and averaged 4.9%. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,200 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade, and includes interviews with 6,012 Australians aged 14+ in November 2024.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

RBA lifts Labor hopes of rate cut

Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 11-Dec-24

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.35 per cent on Tuesday had been widely expected. However, the RBA’s monetary policy statement has notably omitted a line which stated that the board is "not ruling anything in or out". RBA governor Michele Bullock has in turn noted that the latest wages and economic growth data has given the board some confidence that inflationary pressures are declining; however, she cautioned that the board is of the view that underlying price pressures are still too high. Bond traders have now priced in a 62 per cent chance of an official interest rate cut at the RBA’s next board meeting in February; a second rate cut has been widely tipped for April, with the federal election set to be held no later than mid-May.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Inflation pain for households will linger well beyond 2026

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 5 : 27-Nov-24

Analysis of the Reserve Bank’s forecasts in its statement on monetary policy for November suggests that real household income per capita will rise by 1.3 per cent in the current quarter, followed by growth of 1.2 per cent in 2025 and 1.1 per cent in 2026. However, Australians’ living standards are still set to be 4.4 per cent lower at the end of 2026 than at the time of the May 2022 federal election; this is despite the central bank factoring in a fall in the cash rate from 4.35 per cent at present to 3.5 per cent over the next two years. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said Australians are paying the price for Labor’s economic mismanagement, and they will continue to live with the damage of the inflation crisis well into the late 2020s.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Resist your urge to splurge, ALP told

Original article by Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 6-Nov-24

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.35 per cent on Tuesday had been widely expected. The RBA remains focused primarily on underlying inflation, which governor Michele Bullock says is still too high for the central bank to consider reducing the cash rate. Underlying inflation was 3.5 per cent in the year to September, and Bullock notes that temporary electricity rebates contributed to the headline inflation rate falling to 2.8 per cent. Bullock has also emphasised the need for Treasurer Jim Chalmers to avoid any spending measures that may fuel inflation ahead of the federal election.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY