Finance in Focus Portal
RBA Bulletin – April Quarter 2025
The Reserve Bank of Australia has published its latest quarterly Bulletin for the April Quarter 2025, which provides a number of key insights into Australia’s economy and financial system.
CommSec State of the States
Commonwealth Bank of Australia has published its latest State of the States report that determines which Australian state or territory economy is performing best by tracking eight key economic indicators and comparing the latest observation with decade averages.
CreditorWatch Business Risk Index – March 2025
CreditorWatch, has released the March results for its Business Risk Index (BRI), revealing that ongoing cost-of-living and cost of doing business pressures continue to drive elevated payment defaults between Australian businesses across a number of key sectors.
RBA Minutes of the Monetary Policy Board Meeting
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has published the minutes of its most recent monetary policy meeting which concluded 1 April 2025, with the Board deciding to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.10 per cent, and the rate on Exchange Settlement balances unchanged at 4.00 per cent.
Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2025
Treasury has published the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook report as required within 10 days of the issue of the writs for a general election.
AFIA Federal Budget Analysis
AFIA’s Federal Budget 2025-26 analysis reveals a backdrop of modest economic growth and persistent challenges. While inflation is easing and labour market conditions remain relatively strong, households continue to face cost-of-living pressures and higher interest rates.
Monthly ABS CPI indicator
The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicator rose 2.4 per cent in the 12 months to February 2025, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
CreditorWatch monthly Business Risk Index
CreditorWatch has published its latest monthly Business Risk Index (BRI) for February, with data on invoice payment defaults, a key measure of business stress, showing a 47 per cent increase for the 12 months to February 2025 as higher costs of inputs and softer demand over much of last year meant more businesses struggled to pay their trading partners.
OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report March 2025
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has published its Economic Outlook, Interim Report March 2025 which finds the global economy remained resilient in 2024, expanding at an annualised pace of 3.2 per cent.
Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index
Westpac has released its latest Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index which has reported a 4 per cent rise in March, rising to 95.9 from 92.2 in February.
Treasury opening statement to the Economics Legislation Committee
In an address to the Economics Legislation Committee, Treasury Secretary Dr Steven Kennedy outlined key challenges facing the global and Australian economies, including weak global growth, trade tensions, and domestic cost-of-living pressures.
Consumer Price Index rises 2.5 per cent
Australia’s monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicator rose 2.5 per cent in the year to January 2025, unchanged from December, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
RBA and Productivity Commission warn of weak productivity growth
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) economist Michael Plumb has warned that weak productivity growth is limiting Australia’s economic potential, with labour productivity barely improving since 2016. While the RBA expects a recovery to one per cent growth in the medium term, past projections have not materialised, raising concerns about long-term economic stagnation.
ACCC announces 2025-26 compliance and enforcement priorities
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb delivered the keynote speech at the Committee for Economic Development Australia (CEDA), Thursday 20 February 2025, on the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for 2025-26.
RBA lowers interest rates
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced a cut to the official cash rate, reducing it by 0.25 per cent to 4.1 per cent. This decision marks the first rate cut in over four years and comes as a response to the easing inflationary pressures in the Australian economy. In the December quarter, underlying inflation was 3.2 per cent.
CreditorWatch releases January Business Risk Index
CreditorWatch has released the January results for its Business Risk Index (BRI), which indicates positive signs for Australian businesses at the end of 2024 and early 2025.
Home lending picks up as investor activity grows
Australia’s housing loan market grew in the December 2024 quarter, with the total value of new loan commitments reaching $87.2 billion, up 1.4 per cent from the previous quarter and 16.0 per cent higher than the same period in 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
CommBank releases Household Spending Insights Index
The CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index remained unchanged at 153.4 in January 2025, as Australian consumers took a break from spending following a surge during the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day sales.