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Interest Rate Update – June 2018

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Cash Rate – No change

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has just announced it will maintain the official cash rate at 1.50%.

Yesterday we heard that retail sales increased by a better than expected 0.4% in April (against an anticipated 0.3%) and company profits rose 5.9% in the March quarter, influenced in particular by a 11.0% increase in mining profits.   Tomorrow we should see Australia’s GDP figures for the March quarter lift by 0.8% or 0.9%.    Notwithstanding these positive results the RBA remains comfortable to remain on the sidelines, possibly until well into 2019, until we see an increase to both our inflation rate (currently 1.9%) and wages growth.

For more information, or if you would like a free review of your residential, commercial or SMSF loans against other competitive products in the market please contact Peter, David or Simon via this email, our phone: (03) 9882 2500, or visit www.firstpointgroup.com.au

 

Interest Rate Update – April 2018

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Cash Rate – No change

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has just announced it will maintain the official cash rate at 1.50%.

The RBA is confident Australia’s economy will be boosted this year by stronger LNG exports as new projects come onstream. In addition, non-mining investment will likely rise solidly, buoyed by population growth, low interest rates and dynamic global economic activity. However, sluggish wage growth, declining productivity and high levels of household debt will continue to weigh on the economy. GDP growth of 2.3 percent for 2017 is further evidence the RBA’s expectations for a pick up to 3.25% this year will be challenging.

We continue to believe that the RBA will maintain the current cash rate until wages growth and core inflation are on a sustained upward trend.  This is not expected until later this year or early 2019.

For more information, or if you would like a free review of your residential, commercial or SMSF loans against other competitive products in the market please contact Peter, David or Simon via this email, our phone: (03) 9882 2500, or visit www.firstpointgroup.com.au

 

Interest Rate Update – February 2018

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Cash Rate – No change

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has just announced it will maintain the official cash rate at 1.50%.

The last half of 2017 and the commencement of the new year has seen an improvement in our domestic economic and employment growth. We have seen more buoyant business conditions, strong non-mining investment and increased business and consumer confidence.

However, with the headline inflation at 1.9% (below the RBA’s target range of 2.0% – 3.0%) and wages growth remaining low, the RBA is comfortable to retain the Cash Rate at current levels.  The recent strengthening of the Australian dollar to over US80c, albeit on the back of a weaker US dollar, is another reason why we do not expect any change to the Cash Rate until well into 2018.

Inflation in the US also remains low but investors have interpreted Friday’s employment figures, which have shown US wages rising at strongest rate since June 2009, as evidence the US economy is heating up. This has influenced higher bond yields and, together with concerns of rising inflation, has caused today’s large global sell-off in stocks.  2018 will certainly be a dynamic year.

For more information, or if you would like a free review of your residential, commercial or SMSF loans against other competitive products in the market please contact Peter, David or Simon via this email, our phone: (03) 9882 2500, or visit www.firstpointgroup.com.au

Interest Rate Update – September 2017

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Interest Rate Update – August 2017

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Interest Rate Update – July 2017

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Interest Rate Update – May 2017

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Interest Rate Update – April 2017

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