Economy

After weak jobs data US eyes now turn to upcoming inflation and sentiment readings; Canada pushes active economic defense; global food prices stable; UST 10yr at 4.09%; gold stays near ATH, oil soft; AU$1 = 65.6 USc

US factory jobs shrink as overall labour market cools; US inflation stays high; Canada turns active in economic defense; global food prices stable; UST 10yr at 4.09%; gold jumps to new ATH, oil retreats further; AU$1 = 65.5 USc

Kenneth Rogoff explains how the era of cheap money limited policymakers' ability to respond to future shocks

US labour market data generally weak; US services sector stays expanding; markets expect a Fed rate cut; China juices personal loans for consumption; UST 10yr at 4.17%; gold settles back, oil holds low; AU$1 = 65.1 USc

Westpac sees tight supply lifting housing markets with a discernible shift in response to lower interest rates. Price growth has lifted, auction clearance rates are up, and more people say it is 'time to buy'

US data very unimpressive; China services expand faster; Korea eyes joining the CPTPP; Australian GDP rises faster than expected; UST 10yr at 4.22%; gold rises sharply again, oil firmish; AU$1 = 65.5 USc

Key US indicators point lower, risk appetite fades; dairy prices drop; EU inflation stable; global electricity demand surges; UST 10yr at 4.28%; gold rises sharply to new ATH, oil firmish; AU$1 = 65.2 USc

World's factories rise despite tariff threats; Australia building consents fall but house prices rise; wheat crop forecast jumps; UST 10yr at 4.25%; gold rises again with silver, oil firmish; AU$1 = 59 USc

Cotality says housing values bloom ahead of what is likely to be a very active spring selling season

Eyes on upcoming US jobs data; Chinese PMIs stay weak; China housing market weaker; Japan & Korea positive; Jakarta riots unsettling; air travel and air freight grow strongly

Keun Lee says one of the forces of innovation or financialization has had a negligible effect while the other is gutting the middle class

Trump's war on numbers he doesn't like is driving some to source the quality public data they relied on elsewhere - but that will then give them an economic advantage to the detriment of good public policy

US data imbalanced and faces a reckoning; Korea and Japan show economic gains; EU inflation expectations anchored; air cargo volumes rise, except in US; UST 10yr at 4.23%; gold rises again but oil holds; AU$1 = 65.5 USc

Luci Ellis says President Trump's attempt to sack Fed Governor Cook is part of a broader pattern, not only for his administration but an increasingly partisan US. Other high-income countries are not going the same way

US data uninspiring but equity markets hit records again; Canadian wages rise faster; India factories busier; freight rates fall; UST 10yr at 4.21%; gold rises but oil holds; AU$1 = 65.4 USc

Eyes on Nvidia; US mortgage applications dip; US caught doing covert ops in Greenland; Taiwan sentiment weakens; Aussie inflation turns up; UST 10yr at 4.24%; gold firmer and oil firmer; NZ$1 = 58.6 USc; TWI-5 = 66.3

US durable goods orders fall, factory surveys mildly negative; consumer sentiment dips; Canadian data positive; South Korean sentiment stays firm; UST 10yr at 4.25%; gold firmer and oil lower; AU$1 = 65 USc

Even superprime US consumers now showing credit stress; other US data lackluster; Singapore beats inflation; Chinese yuan rises with equity markets; UST 10yr at 4.28%; gold stable and oil firmer; AU$1 = 58.6 USc

China reveals extended weak FDI; Canada gets tariff inflation; Japan inflation dips but rice still a problem; US markets like that Powell de-emphasising the inflation fight; UST 10yr at 4.26%; gold and oil firmer; AU$1 = 64.9 USc;

Markets embrace US rate cut signals; tariff-tax costs embed; Canada rolls back some tariffs; China's FDI stays very weak; AI investments juices R&D; UST 10yr at 4.26%; gold and oil firmer; AU$1 = 64.9 USc

Powell awaited but US data doesn't support rate cuts; Japanese business rises; China in more debt stress; Australia data upbeat; freight rates ease; UST 10yr at 4.33%; gold soft and oil firmer; AU$1 = 64.3 USc

Fed vote isolates dissenters, Trump goes after a governor; Canada SMEs positive; Taiwan export orders strong; Indonesia cuts; UK inflation rising; NZ makes dovish cut; UST 10yr at 4.29%; gold and oil firmer; AU$1 = 64.4 USc

Financial markets in broad but shallow retreat, led by commodities; Canadian inflation lower; Malaysian exports strong; Australian consumers more bullish; UST 10yr at 4.30%; gold and oil weaken; AU$1 = 64.6 USc

RBA’s third rate cut for the year has clearly boosted consumer sentiment, after a long period of pessimism. Consumers are less anxious about finances, and cautiously positive on the economy