The ABS released more data on Thursday from which we can deduce that despite some headline growth in spending thanks to the Taylor Swift events, underlying growth in retail turnover was up only 0.1 per cent in trend terms so after a period of higher volatility from November through to January, underlying spending has stagnated. … Continue reading "Pressure: Retail Spending Stagnates, Despite “Growth” In Wealth!"

We got the latest monthly data on inflation on Wednesday, and it came in a bit below market expectations, standing at 3.4% unchanged in February and has been 3.4 per cent for three consecutive months according to the ABS. Monthly data does not cover all the categories, so results are always a bit uncertain. But … Continue reading "CPI Data Says Higher For Longer, Again!"

BlackRock co-founder and CEO Larry Fink, in his annual letter to shareholders has rattled some important cages, even if you can see self-interest shining through. He highlights a couple of not necessarily unrelated issues. First, he is frightened by the US public debt situation, and second he warns of a looming “retirement crisis” facing the … Continue reading "No Hope And Massive Debt Is Not A Good Recipe For The Future!"

This is an edited version of a live discussion with Cameron K. Murray, Author of The Great Housing Hijack which reveals how vested interests pull the strings on the property market in Australia, and offers a solution for genuinely affordable housing for those who need it. With 120,000 people homeless each night and one in … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: Fixing Housing After The Hijack: With Cameron Murray"

Another important discussion with Edwin Almeida, our property insider. Not only has the price of coco tripled ahead of Easter, but listings are down, despite more property investors listing, while the gap between property demand and supply widens, as more migrants seek to buy. https://www.ribbonproperty.com.au/ http://www.martinnorth.com/ Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/ … Continue reading "Its Edwin’s Monday Evening Property Rant!"

Last week has turned out to be an important one in terms of household finances and mortgage rates. The RBA this week said households are generally weathering the record run of interest rate rises but one in twenty owner occupied mortgage holders are in a dire financial position because of the higher interest rates and … Continue reading "RBA Admits Around 175,000 Mortgaged Households Have A Cash Flow Problem!"

In this week’s market update as normal, we will start in the US, cross to Europe, Asia and end in Australia, and cover the key points in Oil, Gold and Crypto. My aim is to try to integrate the main themes of the week, and point forward to what may happen next. There were a … Continue reading "Uncomfortable Highs And Wonky Data Says Brace, Brace, Brace…"

Journalist Tarric Brooker and I deep dive on the Australian Housing Crisis, as conclude that there is no easy fix, thanks to generations of bad policy and active intervention. So who are the winners and losers? Tarric slides are here if you want to follow along: https://avidcom.substack.com/p/dfa-chart-pack-22nd-march-2024 http://www.martinnorth.com/ Go to the Walk The World Universe … Continue reading "The Aussie Housing Crisis Out To 2030 And Beyond? With Tarric Brooker…"

Australian employment soared in February and the jobless rate declined, highlighting the ongoing resilience of the nation’s labor market to restrictive monetary policy according to the latest Numberwang from the ABS. As a result, the currency rose as much as 0.6% after the data while yields on the policy-sensitive three-year government bond climbed to 3.7%. … Continue reading "Wanted A Reliable Jobs Data Compass!"

In a mega week for Central Bank news, after the seminal but small rise from the Bank of Japan into positive territory for the first time in eight years, the all options on the table no change from the RBA, the expected hold from the Bank of England, and the surprise 0.25% cut from the … Continue reading "Central Banks In Wonderland…"