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Episode #92: Is another rate hike still imminent? In the last week, we saw the RBA leave interest rates on hold for the fourth month in a row, against the backdrop of increasing uncertainty around political developments in the US and geopolitical risks concerning China. AMP’s chief economist Dr. Shane Oliver explores the outlook for interest rates amid the further softening of the jobs market, falling jobs vacancies and rising levels of mortgage stress. Important …
Econosights: Three reasons why Australia is more vulnerable to higher rates Key points Australian consumers are more vulnerable to interest rate rises compared to our global peers because of : 1) higher levels of household debt; 2) a higher share of variable rate mortgages and even those on fixed-loans only fix for a relatively short period of time; and 3) a large share of recently fixed mortgages are due to expire in the second half …
The impacts of interest rate hikes on conusmers are well known: higher interest means that mortgage debt servicing costs will go up which is negative for consumer spending. But, rate hikes are also bad news for home prices.. Econosights: Impacts from falling home prices – the wealth effect Key points Declining home prices will have a negative impact on household wealth as 65% of wealth is related to housing. Lower household wealth is negative for …
2021-22 saw poor investment returns – the bad news and the good Key points 2021-22 was a rough year for investors as high inflation, rising interest rates and recession fears impacted. Shares could still fall further as interest rates continue to rise and recession risks are high. However, inflation pressures are showing some signs of easing which may take pressure off central banks from later this year. Some key things for investors to keep …
Econosights: How are consumers responding to higher interest rates? Key points Consumers are responding to higher interest rates: housing market indicators are slowing (home price declines have accelerated and auction clearance rates are falling), consumer sentiment is weakening and retail spending is slowing. This is the expected consumer response as interest rates rise. The RBA wants to see slowing economic activity to reduce current inflation and inflation expectations. The concern is around too many rate …
Australia’s Achilles’ heel – high household debt and rising interest rates…it’s not as bad as it looks, but it’s still an issue Key points Australian household debt has risen dramatically since the 1980s and is high compared to other countries. The rise is not as bad as it looks because it’s been matched by rising wealth and debt servicing problems are low. However, this will likely change as interest rates rise further & if …
