central bank economy, business and finance inflation and deflation interest rate mortgages politics prices

‘Too high’: risk to economy forces RBA’s hand on rates

Minutes from the Reserve Bank's latest meeting reveal the thinking behind its call to lift interest rates for the first in more than two years.

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Private demand under the microscope after rate hike

Fresh data will reveal whether the strong momentum in private spending, which spurred the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates, has continued into 2026.

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Reserve Bank boss calls on businesses to invest smarter

Opposition MPs have grilled Reserve Bank officials over whether government spending and monetary policy errors contributed to the first rate hike in two years.

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Borrowed time: rate hike unlikely to be one-and-done

Mortgage holders could face back-to-back rate hikes after the Reserve Bank raised interest rates amid rising inflation pressures.

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Mortgage holders brace for hundreds more in repayments

Two incorrect assumptions have set the Reserve Bank on track for a costly U-turn on interest rates, with borrowers facing steeper repayments on their mortgages.

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Why some economists go against the flow on RBA rate bet

The Reserve Bank is widely tipped to become the first major central bank on Tuesday to U-turn from rate cuts to rate hikes in the post-COVID inflation era.

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Trump names Kevin Warsh as next Federal Reserve chair

US President Donald Trump says he'll nominate former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to be the next Fed chair.

central bank economy, business and finance inflation and deflation interest rate mortgages

Row over government role fuelling inflation, rate rise

Spending blow-outs by the government will force the Reserve Bank to hike rates, critics say, but the treasurer argues the private sector is driving inflation.

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Magic number that could decide an interest rate hike

Traders now tip a greater-than-50 per cent chance of an interest rate hike in February, but some pundits are holding out hope for a Reserve Bank reprieve.

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Complacency risk for economy as tariff wars re-emerge

A deterioration in the job market could spare Australian borrowers interest rate hikes in 2026, an economist says.

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Central bankers defend Fed’s Powell after Trump threat

Fed chair Jerome Powell has the backing of fellow central bankers from Europe to Australia after the Trump administration threatened him with criminal charges.

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Robust jobs market risks adding fuel to inflation fire

Australia's labour market remains tight, with limited spare capacity keeping pressure on already-high inflation and shortening the odds of interest rate hikes.

central bank economy, business and finance politics

US Dept of Justice probe into Fed chair sparks backlash

The Trump administration's criminal investigation of Fed chair Jerome Powell has triggered a backlash that threatens to undermine the White House's goals.

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Rate hike ‘risks hurting’ fragile consumer sentiment

A fresh survey of Australian consumer sentiment doesn't make for encouraging reading as the central bank weighs lifting the cash rate at its next meeting.

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Fed subpoenaed, indictment threatened: chair

Fed chair Jerome Powell says the Department of Justice has served the central bank with subpoenas and threatened indictment over his testimony on renovations.

central bank economy, business and finance interest rate macro economics

Divided US central bank cuts rate, signals pause

The US central bank has reduced its key interest rate for the third time in a row but signalled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months.

central bank economy, business and finance inflation and deflation interest rate

February is live: RBA warns of impending rate hike

The average mortgage-holder's repayments could soon jump an extra $90 a month, with another Reserve Bank interest rate hike on the cards as early as February.

central bank economy, business and finance mortgages retail

Rate rise flagged as RBA does a Grinch with no Xmas cut

More rate relief for borrowers has essentially been ruled out by the Reserve Bank governor as the central bank mulls over when to lift rates again.

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Christmas rate relief off the table at last RBA meeting

The official cash rate is expected to remain on hold when the Reserve Bank decides on interest rates for the last time in 2025.

central bank economy, business and finance politics

Chinese economic slowdown at top of RBA’s mind

Slowing Chinese economic growth and persistently high inflation are "top of mind" for the Reserve Bank of Australia.

breaking_news central bank economy, business and finance mortgages politics

Australian economy builds as investment roars back

Australia's economic growth rate came in below market expectations, but a strong domestic pulse shows the economy is in good shape.

central bank economy, business and finance interest rate

Early Christmas for RBA with landmark inflation print

Inflation data will dominate the domestic economic dashboard, while the UK budget and New Zealand rate cuts are on the agenda abroad.

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RBA reveals what would rule out more interest rate cuts

Barring a material rise in unemployment or weaker-than-expected economic growth, mortgage holders can just about give up hope for any more interest rate relief.

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Wages data could force RBA to turn page on rates cut

Unlikely to receive another rate cut in the next six months, borrowers will at least see the big four banks face parliamentary scrutiny in Canberra this week.

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The roles expected to be in hot demand from AI boom

Data engineers, cybersecurity experts and customer experience designers are in for an AI jobs boom, although firms expect to reduce headcounts as uptake grows.

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RBA bigwig reveals how economy can escape slow lane

The Australian economy's spare capacity will be key to deciding how many times the Reserve Bank can cut interest rates, a senior official says.

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Interest rate cuts might have less impact than thought

Mortgage holders were smashed by the fastest interest rate hiking cycle in decades post-pandemic, but a study has found it did little to dampen spending.

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The worrying trend that could put an end to rate cuts

The rising cost of new homes and services such as takeaway meals were key to the Reserve Bank's inflation miss in September and could rule out future rate cuts.

central bank economy, business and finance mortgages politics

Sticky inflation cruels chances of interest rate relief

Borrowers face the possibility of interest rates going up rather than down again after the Reserve Bank held steady following a spike in inflation.

breaking_news central bank economy, business and finance prices

Next rate cut uncertain as shutdown fogs Fed windscreen

The Federal Reserve has cut its key rate for the second time this year as the United States government shutdown clouds the economic outlook.

central bank economic indicator economy (general) inflation and deflation interest rate mortgages prices

Pre-Christmas rate relief dashed after inflation spike

All four major banks predict mortgage holders will have to wait until 2026 for rate relief after a larger-than expected inflation rise.