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5 Nov US politics fundamentally changed 5 Nov Why building a house keeps getting more expensive, even as demand weakens 4 Nov Australia's $2.25 trillion foreign-currency exposure: A growing risk for superannuation?

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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.

Benchmark Indicators

Australian economy at a glance

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Political Data Alerts

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

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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

Competition

The $12 million vegetable cartel: How suppliers fixed prices charged to ALDI

Perfection Fresh has admitted fixing vegetable prices supplied to ALDI on 11 occasions. The ACCC is seeking a $12 million penalty, while proceedings against other suppliers continue.

Health Care Industry

Healthcare is now Australia's biggest industry. Why has the ABS changed how it measures it?

Healthcare and social assistance has become Australia's biggest industry, generating $265 billion annually. New ABS research reveals surprising facts about the market-based economy and productivity.

Covered Bonds

Why the Government wants to let smaller banks issue 50% more covered bonds

The Government wants banks to commit 50% more assets to covered-bond security pools. The reform could lower funding costs for mid-sized banks, but comes with risks for depositors.

RBA

The RBA warns Australia's superannuation safety net is changing

Australia's superannuation funds receive $1–2 billion in net inflows weekly, helping stabilise financial markets. The RBA warns that growing retirement withdrawals could change that.

Redundancies

NAB cuts 2,500 jobs. Is Australian banking entering a productivity revolution?

NAB plans to cut 2,500 jobs at a restructuring cost of $300 million. We examine whether banking's workforce reductions represent genuine productivity gains or lower-cost employment.

Private Health Insurance

Explainer: Why the Government wants to cut private health insurance rebates for older Australians

The Government proposes removing higher private health insurance rebates for Australians aged 65 and over. The reform could save $3 billion, but faces Senate opposition over pensioners and public hospital costs.

RBA

Explainer: The RBA bought $361 billion in bonds. What did Australia get in return?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reserve Bank purchased approximately $361 billion in government bonds to stabilise financial markets and stimulate the economy. In an interview published on 18 October, RBA Assistant Governor Christopher Kent acknowledged that the policy delivered relatively modest benefits compared with other monetary-policy measures. So

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