The AUD dropped harder and faster than other Asian currencies on Friday reinforcing its position as a liquid and flexible proxy for the Asia region. Right now the Australian economy is performing at its best in years which should be good news for the AUD, but the currency is sending... Show More
The last week has seen global risk appetite improve, although the AUD has struggled to capitalise and any rallies have proved fleeting. We summarise key events in the market this week in the transcript and video below. Show More
For the last two calendar years, the Australian dollar has defied our expectations for weakness. But after hitting $US0.81 in January it’s been trending down as US interest rates fell below the Australian cash rate, the threat of a US-driven trade war increased and it recently broke below a short-term... Show More
2018 has been a fascinating year so far with many different cross-currents running through markets. We have seen central banks hiking, just as Governments look to expand fiscally. At the same time, the big economic powerhouses go head-to-head on trade. Where does this all lead us? Below we walk through... Show More
In our first monthly letter for the year, we highlighted that 2018 was unlikely to be a ‘set and forget’ year for investment strategy. As we approach the second half of 2018, macro uncertainty and cascading geo-political risks continue to impact markets and seem likely to befriend us for the... Show More
...Or that is what some equity pundits masquerading as bond experts want you to believe. They predict that a ‘bondcano’ of rising interest rates will lead to collapsing prices for bonds and bond-like proxies. Show More
Has the recent weakness in the US dollar surprised you? Has the strength in the Aussie dollar had you scratching your head at all? To many, including your author, these moves have been counter-intuitive to some degree. So what could possibly be placing downward pressure on the Greenback and upward... Show More
One month into 2018 and the AUD has punched above 80 US cents and is looking pretty perky. It is trading around its highs against the beleaguered USD since 2014. So, why is it up here again? Can it last? Is it time to sell? Or strap in for a... Show More
US bond yields are rising more quickly than the equivalent Australian yields. The 10 year government bond in the US is now yielding 2.71 percent, just 14 basis points below the Australian 10-year bond and if the recent trends in the relative economic fundamentals of the two countries is sustained,... Show More
Bitcoin has enjoyed an extraordinary surge in both value and public attention recently. The chart below maps the rise in the price of a Bitcoin in USD over the last few years, and a similar chart could probably be plotted for the number of column inches, the number of internet... Show More
We believe that global diversification should be at the core of each investor’s strategy. A globally diversified portfolio is likely to be better positioned to weather large movements in markets, and provide a more stable set of returns over time. However, one of the implications of a globally diversified portfolio... Show More
Local market was aimless and flip flopped with US futures all day to finish mainly flat. Currency, Commodity and global sentiment remains weak. The historical trend suggests were likely to remain in this up and down trading days till the last week of July. The best performing sectors were IT,... Show More
The recent correction in the technology sector has been particularly volatile for the so called cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies are a US$112 billion market that can turn over US$5 billion a day. Show More
The global economy is now more than seven years into a durable but modest expansion. But what will happen when the cyclical tailwind that began last summer fades? And how will key policies in the world’s major economies pivot in response to both rising populist pressures and diminishing returns from... Show More
When the US Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) Chair announced the much anticipated increase in the Federal Funds or cash rate on 15 March, she noted that the Fed intended to maintain the size of its balance sheet through this calender year. In other words the Fed would, for at least... Show More
Everyone forecast the death of the Aussie dollar in 2016, however, interest rate differentials and resurgent commodity prices pushed the local currency to a peak of 78 cents early in 2016. Of the 600+ Livewire members that responded to our 2017 Outlook Survey only 5% see the currency ending the... Show More
CBA Chief Currency Strategist & Head of International Economics, Richard Grace speaks with CommSec’s Tom Piotrowski about what could happen to the USD if Donald Trump won the US Presidential election. He expects a 10% lift in the USD will be driven by the capital inflows chasing higher asset price... Show More
There’s only a small number of women in top economic roles in Australia’s financial markets but that’s still a lot more than there was a decade ago and today, their views carry more than some serious weight. Financy interviewed four of these women on rates, growth and property ahead of... Show More
Australian inbound tourism data for July 2016 has just been released, and shows some positive trends, including: Total inbound for July 2016 at 716k (+14.1% pcp); 12 Months to July 2016 at 7.94m (+10.6% pcp v 10.0% at end June 2016); Leisure 12 months to July 2016 at 6.0m (+14.8%... Show More
Following the reduction of the cash rate in Australia to 1.5% this week, Saxo's Global macro strategist Kay Van-Petersen is now expecting the Aussie dollar to strengthen against the USD. Not because of the Aussie dollar's own strength; this is more of a relative game. Watch the following video to... Show More
