Today we discuss the upcoming Jackson Hole Bun Fight and New Zealand Reserve Bank Decision to cut rates and I will argue that the whiff of stagflation is getting stronger, to the detriment of ordinary households and businesses. The RBNZ cut the OCR by 25bp, citing tighter spending by businesses and households, falling home prices … Continue reading "Stagflation Looms As Central Bankers Party Amid Peak Uncertainty!"

Today we look at the latest from the “housing Debate” as reflected in to current talk-fest, the YIMBY versus NIMBY debate, a case study in reality from Rose Bay, together with slides from Edwin which he had hoped to present, but was unable to make the recording today. Get well Edwin! Removing planning restrictions is … Continue reading "The Cracks Are Showing In Housing Policy!"

This is an edit of a live discussion with Tony Locantro as we examine the latest from markets, politics and life. Tony offers several financial services, such as investment management, financial planning, stock selection and fundraising. Tony has helped countless investors and organisations with strategic investment strategies over the last two decades. His understanding of … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A Replay: Can You Handle The Truth? With Tony Locantro"

Another of our occasional series with my friend George as we kick around the question of the current state of the economy, society and politics. Who is in control? Why are people feeling under pressure? http://www.martinnorth.com/ Details of our one to one service are here: https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/dfa-one-to-one/ Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/ … Continue reading "Down The Rabbit Hole Again (With George): Is The Economy Stupid?"

Edwin, sad to say, was too unwell to record our normal show today, hopefully he will be back soon, get well sir….! So I took the opportunity to set out the Productivity stall ahead of the 3-day talk fest to feature some of the inputs posited by industry, politicians and others, as well as drilling … Continue reading "Productivity Special: Half A Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Despite the Reserve Bank of New Zealand cutting the official cash rate (OCR) by 2.25% and with further rate cuts expected, New Zealand home prices nationally are down nearly 17% over 45 months and are only 3.4% higher than five years ago. This, despite the reduction in the OCR has driven down the cost of … Continue reading "How To Fix Housing Affordability, Kiwi Style [But]…."

This is our weekly market update, where we start in the US, cross to Europe and Asia and end in Australia, covering commodities and crypto along the way. Global stocks were flat but still traded near record highs on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held what turned out … Continue reading "Heady Days For The Market, Maybe, But How Sustainable?"

I am joined again by friend of the show Joe Wilkes, as we kick around the high-rise unit question. Why are they being imposed on more and more households, and what are the consequences. How do we stay grounded? http://www.martinnorth.com/ Details of our one to one service are here: https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/dfa-one-to-one/ Go to the Walk The … Continue reading "WARNING: Never, Ever, Ever Buy A Unit: With Joe Wilkes"

More releases from the ABS today, including the update on employment statistics, as well as Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, and also average weekly earnings. Australia’ jobless rate ticked lower and employment rose, signaling the labor market remains tight and reinforcing the Reserve Bank’s cautious approach to policy easing. There was some reversal of the … Continue reading "Population Booms, Again, As Unemployment Falls!"

The elephant in the room of the upcoming dialogue on productivity is that it is mainly performative, despite the weak 0.7% estimate from the RBA as part of yesterday’s rate announcement, and the gap highlighted by recent Treasury data. The latest data on wages and lending also shines a spotlight on the issues we are … Continue reading "Have The Productivity Nuts and Bolts Bolted?"