Key surveys from the ANZ and NAB show a very strong February for business conditions, business confidence and job ads.
National australia bank
Interest rates ‘finely balanced’, business conditions fall ‘significantly’
Monetary police remains “finely balanced” as the Reserve Bank board minutes for the February 2 meeting, released today, have again reminded us.
Aussie bankers doing fee-nominally well
Executives at our biggest banks continue to enjoy a myriad benefits, the Big Four being among the most generous remunerators of executives in business. But lower-paid workers have not been so lucky.
NAB: Oz economy to keep growing
We can expect accelerating economic growth, falling unemployment, rising interest rates and higher inflation over the coming two years, according to the National Australia Bank.
NAB boosts growth and employment forecasts
Another strong month for business confidence and conditions has seen NAB boost its growth forecasts and lower its expected unemployment peak.
NAB data has RBA humming a rate rise tune
Buried in yesterday’s very upbeat business confidence and conditions survey from the National Australia Bank was a surprisingly negative forecast on house prices for 2010.
Macquarie makes a mockery of bank guarantee
After Macquarie Group’s funds management expansion in the US, it’s about time all guarantees from the Federal Government are taken off the table.
Directors’ duty to rein in CEO pay
For our well regarded chief executives, the ability to bluff is a skill which is seemingly not possessed, writes Adam Schwab.
Housing finance hits six-year high
Kevin Rudd’s boosting of first home buyers grants sparked a jump in housing finance in December, writes Glenn Dyer.
Business confidence falls back to earth
The latest business confidence figures suggest a case of easy come, easy go for the Australian economy, writes Glenn Dyer.
We’re only partially rooned, says NAB
The National Australia Bank has downgraded Australia’s economic outlook, forecasting a shallow recession, a sharper rise in unemployment and interest rate hikes, writes Glenn Dyer.
Retail sales fall, hold the interest rate rise?
Did the Australian economy hit a pothole in January? The retail sales figures for the month suggest it may have after consumer confidence fell sharply in the month and continued falling in February, writes Glenn Dyer.
NAB insider leaks Crikey what the bank doesn’t want to hear
Morale in a company must be pretty shot when a group of whistleblowers email their complaints to Crikey after getting no response from the board. The company in question is the National Australia Bank.
Consumers aren’t as gloomy as the RBA would like
Let’s make one thing very clear, the Reserve Bank wants us all, individuals and businesses of shapes and sizes to feel very, very scared. So scared in fact that we cut back on spending, investing, buying homes and retreat and keep our wallets closed, cheque accounts quiet, and suffer, writes
Unemployment beyond 5%? Just what the RBA ordered
The Reserve Bank and some of the more hawkish business economists and commentators might rue the day they weighed into the Australian economy with a club, writes Glenn Dyer.
Lift of 0.25% takes cash rate to its highest since 1996
The RBA board hinted very strongly that more rate rises lay ahead if inflation doesn’t start slowing later this year, writes Glenn Dyer.
Happy Christmas: Retail sales hold the key
Naughty Australian shoppers kept their wallets open in December and spent up big for the festive season, writes Glenn Dyer.
Risk modelling: not ready for the subprime crisis
A new IMF report explains how global markets turmoil is in part due to a lack of appropriate measures to evaluate the risk of new financial products, writes Richard Farmer.
Swan on the right track targeting loan fees
It is the fees, rather than interest rate margins, where the Big Five banks are generating much of their super profits of $25 billion a year, writes Stephen Mayne.
Swan goes further than Costello on the bank cartel
Wayne Swan’s hard hitting comments on the ANZ’s “excessive” rate rise were far more substantial than any action the Howard Government took against the banks over its 11 years in office, writes Stephen Mayne.
ANZ does a NAB on rates
The one thing ANZ may have done by choosing not to simply emulate NAB is to reduce the chances of another 25 basis point rise in official rates next month, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz.
More deals, more conflicts for the Rudd family business empire
The Rudd family business interests are back in the news after Therese Rein’s British business won a lucrative $200 million contract to help up to 1 million people with disabilities find work, writes Stephen Mayne.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
The NAB has no connection to Homeside … GetUp!’s pulp mill campaign … pokies … housing affordability … gerrymander this Mr Mayne … apathy and unions … questions for the Libs … Alexander Downer, attack spaniel …
RAMS is now a prime target for a major bank
An overnight dose of bad news for the banking sector in particular and financial markets in general was the disclosure by one of the world’s biggest banks that it may report “very weak” trading results in the September quarter.
