Market News

2 Mar 21. The RBA has left the target rates for both the cash rate and 3-year government bond yield at 0.10%, as well as the $100 billion bond-buying program.

1 Mar 21. The debt servicing ratio (net income on foreign debt, ratio to goods and services) fell from 3.6% to 3.1% in the December quarter – a 41-year low.

1 Mar 21. Dividends are returning. Just under 79% of companies issued a dividend (long-term average 86%). Aggregate dividends are actually up by 5% on a year ago with the big trend being the lift in cash holdings.

1 Mar 21. National home prices surged 2.1% in February – the most since August 2003. Regional home prices also gained 2.1%.

1 Mar 21. Petrol prices at the bowser have spiked to over $1.60 a litre as discounting cycles end in Sydney and Melbourne.

1 Mar 21. ANZ job advertisements rose by 7.2% in February to a 28-month high of 174,010 available positions. Ads have lifted for nine successive months.

23 Feb 21. The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence rating fell by 0.6% to 109.2 - a third successive weekly decline.

22 Feb 21. Global crude prices are just off 13-month highs but one positive for motorists is that the higher Aussie dollar is working to restrain local pump prices.