Benchmark Analytics

Independent economic and financial services analysis

Original analysis of new Australian economic and financial-services data.

Subscribe Explore Political Data Alerts

Latest updates

11 Nov Consumer Data Right: Australia's Open Banking Revolution Enters Its Next Phase 10 Nov Australia's Public Sector Wage Blowout: $266.1 Billion and Climbing 9 Nov Upcoming Victorian State Election - Brief State of Play

Latest analysis

Bank Competition

Consumer Data Right: Australia's Open Banking Revolution Enters Its Next Phase

Australia's Consumer Data Right enters a critical new phase as non-bank lenders begin sharing customer financial data. We explain its history, why it matters for banking competition and what changes in 2027.

Public Sector Jobs

Australia's Public Sector Wage Blowout: $266.1 Billion and Climbing

Australia's public sector wage bill has climbed to $266.1 billion, an increase of $51.7 billion in three years. Are taxpayers receiving better services for the additional spending?

Victorian State Election

Upcoming Victorian State Election - Brief State of Play

Victoria votes on 28 November 2026 after 12 years of Labor government. A guide to the major parties, leading figures, election issues, polling and possible parliamentary arrangements.

Australian Economy

Iron Ore Prices Fall, But Australia's Trade Surplus Improves

Australia's trade surplus has improved sharply, but iron ore prices are falling. September's figures reveal the important distinction between export volumes, prices and economic prosperity.

Sylvester Stallone

Life Advice from Sylvester Stallone

Five life lessons from Sylvester Stallone's autobiography, The Steps, on resilience, ambition, persistence and the hidden costs of success.

Benchmark Indicators

Australian economy at a glance

View all 15 indicators →

Political Data Alerts

Know what the new data means.

Priority monitoring and rapid analysis of the releases that matter to government relations, corporate affairs and policy teams.

Explore Political Data Alerts

More analysis

Israel

Israel's Arab parties win a record 19 seats: What does this tell us about its democracy?

Arab-led parties won a record 19 Knesset seats in Israel's 2026 election. We explain their histories, differences with Likud and what their electoral success reveals about Israeli political institutions.

China

China's economy is slowing. Why Australia's iron ore exporters should be concerned

China's manufacturing and construction activity contracted in October, with construction new orders falling to 40.0. We explain the PMI figures and the implications for Australian iron ore exports.

Us MIdterm Elections

US politics fundamentally changed

The 2026 US midterm elections have delivered historic Democratic victories in Texas. With major implications for the Electoral College, immigration and government spending, the results raise a fundamental question about the future direction of American politics.

House Prices

Why building a house keeps getting more expensive, even as demand weakens

House-building costs continue to rise despite softer demand. New ABS figures show how skilled labour shortages and competition from infrastructure and data centres affect housing supply.

Hedging

Australia's $2.25 trillion foreign-currency exposure: A growing risk for superannuation?

Australia's net foreign-currency asset exposure has increased $579 billion since 2022. Growing international investments bring opportunities, but also currency and liquidity risks.

Business Lending

Why is Australian business borrowing growing at 11% despite higher interest rates?

Australia's business borrowing is accelerating despite the Reserve Bank's efforts to slow the economy. New RBA figures show business credit increased 11.3% over the year to September 2026, compared with 9.4% a year earlier. That is considerably faster than housing credit growth of 7.

Australian Banks

10 Insights from the Westpac Results

Westpac's $6.8 billion profit tells only part of the story. Its 2026 results reveal ten important developments in business credit, household finances, competition, regulation and the future of banking.

Artificial Intelligence

The RBA's extraordinary warning about AI share prices

How much future profit growth is already reflected in soaring US technology share prices? Speaking on 26 October, Reserve Bank Assistant Governor Brad Jones warned that, until recently, market valuations implied approximately 45% annual earnings growth for the US information technology sector indefinitely, beyond the next three years. The arithmetic

Independent economic and financial services analysis

Latest analysis

Australian economy at a glance

Know what the new data means.

More analysis

Independent analysis when decisions matter

Never miss new Benchmark analysis