Tariff standoff with China unsustainable

Tariffs uncertainty – need to do a deal Unfortunately, investors hoping for a quick resolution to tariff discussions so that markets and businesses can ultimately gain some level of certainty isn’t likely to be forthcoming any time soon. U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on 2nd April, with significantly higher tariffs on some … Read more

So was it a soft landing?

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has delivered its first interest rate cut of 0.25% since it began its tightening cycle in 2022. Relative to most of its global peers in other developed markets, RBA is probably the last central bank to begin its easing cycle. However, the interest cut was accompanied with comments from … Read more

A quick pulse check on the Australian consumer

Labour market remains resilientIn line with market expectations, the latest Australian jobs data showed Australia’s unemployment rate at 4.0% as of December 2024. On a positive note, employment increased by 56,300 which was well ahead of expectations of 15,000, however this was driven by part-time jobs which may be perceived by the market as lower … Read more