Economy

Breakfast briefing: More trade deals, just not with the US

US factories slower but service sector rises; Canadian retail rises; India PMIs rise; India & UK sign trade deal; ECB ends rate cut cycle; container freight rates dip; UST 10yr at 4.41%; gold lower, oil stable; AU$1 = 66 USc

Breakfast briefing: US & Japan reach tariff deal, one Japanese investors love

24th Jul 25, 6:56amby David Chaston

US data ho-hum; US-Japan tariff deal reached; EU looks for similar; Korea sentiment rises; Taiwan industry zooms; Australian leading index dips; UST 10yr at 4.39%; gold down while oil stable; AU$1 = 65.9 USc

24th Jul 25, 6:56amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Currency markets resetting as tariff taxes bite

23rd Jul 25, 7:44amby David Chaston

US factory survey turns lower as company profits hit by tariffs; Taiwan shines; Japan reacts to election; Europe gets the housing bug; UST 10yr at 4.34%; gold & silver up while US oil drops; AU$1 = 60 USc

23rd Jul 25, 7:44amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: US hides behind tariff wall, China rethinks uber-competition

22nd Jul 25, 7:34amby David Chaston

US leading index weakens again; Bessent attacks Fed, again; Canadians stoic under pressure; China rethinks unrestrained competition; UST 10yr at 4.37%; gold up and oil little-changed; AU$1 = 65.3 USc

22nd Jul 25, 7:34amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Inflation & tariffs take center stage

21st Jul 25, 8:16amby David Chaston

Eyes on NZ CPI; Japan government takes a drubbing, inflation eases; US housebuilding weaker except in Northeast; will Trump fire Powell?; RBA minutes due; UST 10yr at 4.43%; gold and oil little-changed; AU$1 = 65 USc; TWI-5 = 67.5

21st Jul 25, 8:16amby David Chaston

Weekend briefing: Change that makes things worse

19th Jul 25, 6:46amby David Chaston

American housebuilding weak everywhere except in one pocket; US sentiment stabilises at low level; eyes on Japan; Malaysia growth good; UST 10yr at 4.42%; gold and oil little-changed; AU$1 = 65.1 USc

19th Jul 25, 6:46amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Equities rise globally as earnings stay resilient

18th Jul 25, 7:21amby David Chaston

US data positive under tariff protection; Canada concede on dairy access; Singapore exports rise; eyes on RBA as labour market softens wile inflation stays up; UST 10yr at 4.47%; gold down and oil up; AU$1 = 64.8 USc

18th Jul 25, 7:21amby David Chaston

June labour market soft

17th Jul 25, 12:03pmby David Chaston

The June labour market data disappoints with no growth and a small rise in the Jobless rate. Expectations for an RBA rate cut rise

17th Jul 25, 12:03pmby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Bond market steepens yield curves on messy policy

17th Jul 25, 8:16amby David Chaston

US data mixed and lackluster; Canadian housing data good but wealth disparity widens; Indonesia cuts; eyes on Australian labour market; UST 10yr at 4.46%; gold up and oil unchanged; AU$1 = 65.3 USc

17th Jul 25, 8:16amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Tariff-tax costs show up in US inflation

16th Jul 25, 7:24amby David Chaston

US inflation rises; Canada inflation modest; India exports soft; China growth on target, but house prices still falling; Aussie sentiment firms; UST 10yr at 4.49%; gold and oil lower; AU$1 = 65.1 USc;

16th Jul 25, 7:24amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: China shines again in difficult global reordering

15th Jul 25, 7:57amby David Chaston

Inflation eases in India; Singapore gets good expansion; China trade and loan expansion rises; eyes on US CPI; UST 10yr at 4.43%; gold and oil soft; AU$1 = 65.5 USc; bitcoin tops AU$180,000

15th Jul 25, 7:57amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Turning points passed?

14th Jul 25, 8:22amby David Chaston

US tariffs still in flux, costs start to mount; USD depreciates, credit quality turns down; Canada data positive; China faces pension crunch in 10 years; UST 10yr at 4.42%; gold and oil stable; AU$1 = USc

14th Jul 25, 8:22amby David Chaston

Weekend briefing: Equities & cryptos hit records as investors go all-in on greed

12th Jul 25, 7:13amby David Chaston

US tariffs paid by importers to hit US$300 bln; interest paid on debt to top US social security payments in 2025; Canada delivers strong labour market data; UST 10yr at 4.42%; gold and oil up; AU$1 = 65.1 USc

12th Jul 25, 7:13amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Silly season sentiment elevated

11th Jul 25, 6:44amby David Chaston

US jobless claims at 4 year high; Japanese PPI trends lower; China car sales surge, especially NEVs; Korea holds rates; container freight rates fall; UST 10yr at 4.35%; gold up and oil down; AU$1 = 66.1 USc

11th Jul 25, 6:44amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: The Trump pandemic twists American summer priorities

10th Jul 25, 6:45amby David Chaston

US travellers shunned, turn to trading houses; US Fed minutes reveal split; Japanese machine too orders healthy; Nvidia hits a unique valuation; UST 10yr at 4.34%; gold and oil unchanged; AU$1 = 65.1 USc

10th Jul 25, 6:45amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: More tariff own-goals signaled

9th Jul 25, 10:29amby David Chaston

US data stable but consumer debt demand falls; Canada expands; German exports dip; Australian sentiment improves; copper prices leap in the US; UST 10yr at 4.42%; gold dips and oil rises; AU$1 =

9th Jul 25, 10:29amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Risk off as tariff shambles extends

8th Jul 25, 8:00amby David Chaston

US issues unilateral tariff letters, pushing trade partners into China's orbit; global data stable; eyes on RBA and household reactions; UST 10yr at 4.39%; gold dips and oil firms; AU$1 = 64.9 USc

8th Jul 25, 8:00amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Eyes on the RBA and RBNZ

7th Jul 25, 6:19amby David Chaston

Japanese households spend more; so do Singaporeans, and Australians; EU PPI levels out; EU house prices rise, some sharply; eyes on RBA and RBNZ; UST 10yr at 4.33%; gold up and oil flat; AU$1 = 60.6 USc

7th Jul 25, 6:19amby David Chaston

Weekend briefing: Weirder by the week

5th Jul 25, 7:44amby David Chaston

Bad choices to haunt US financial markets; Japanese spending rises; China property woes back; EU house prices rise; Australian household spending rises; UST 10yr at 4.33%; gold up and oil flat; AU$1 = 65.5 USc

5th Jul 25, 7:44amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: 'Big, beautiful' deficits locked in

4th Jul 25, 7:22amby David Chaston

US budget locks in monster deficits; US payrolls rise, pay falls; US factory orders flat except for aircraft; China services expand slowly; freight rates dive; UST 10yr at 4.34%; gold down and oil flat; AU$1 = 60.7 USc

4th Jul 25, 7:22amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Financial markets stay positive while waiting for key signals

3rd Jul 25, 6:32amby David Chaston

US jobs data gets an unexpected negative signal; US car sales retreat; China car sales strong but brittle; Singapore PMI firms; Aussie retail lackluster, eyes on RBA; UST 10yr at 4.29%; gold and oil firmer; NZ$1 = 60.8 USc; TWI-5 = 68.1

3rd Jul 25, 6:32amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: US adopting budgetary self-harm

2nd Jul 25, 6:59amby David Chaston

US budget close to passage; US data unimpressive; Japanese sentiment rises; EU inflation modest; Sydney bracing for wild weather; UST 10yr at 4.25%; gold up but oil holds; AU$1 = 65.8 USc

2nd Jul 25, 6:59amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Bond markets await US budget vote

1st Jul 25, 7:02amby David Chaston

US data weak and US budget bill debated; India slows; China holds slow; air cargo volumes get tariff push; air travel rises; Aussie house prices rise; UST 10yr at 4.23%; gold up but oil dips; AU$1 = 65.7 USc

1st Jul 25, 7:02amby David Chaston

Breakfast briefing: Halfway through a year of little progress

30th Jun 25, 6:40amby David Chaston

Eyes on China's economic resilience and American household finances; Canada attacked by US Big Tech via Trump and by Chinese video surveillance; UST 10yr at 4.27%; gold drops but oil holds; AU$1 = 60.4 USc

30th Jun 25, 6:40amby David Chaston

Weekend briefing: Trade bullying ramps up

28th Jun 25, 7:15amby David Chaston

US consumers signal recession with affluent consumers now struggling too; US ramps up bullying of Canada, EU; Japan rice imports surge; UST 10yr at 4.27%; gold drops but oil holds; AU$1 = 65.2 USc

28th Jun 25, 7:15amby David Chaston