Sharon Tan

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Strong domestic demand pulled in imports and miners paid more dividends overseas, pushing Australia‘s current account into deficit for the first time in three years last quarter. However, the impact on economic growth was less severe than initially expected. According to figures released Tuesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the current account deficit widened to A$2.3 billion ($1.54 billion). It was much lower than the A$14.7 billion surplus recorded in the prior quarter and the A$6.2 billion surplus that had been anticipated. Grace Kim, acting head of international statistics at the ABS, said that the deficit

With people dipping into savings to shore up spending and a decline in property services, Australia’s economy slowed more than projected in the September quarter. Growth in gross domestic product slowed to 0.6% from 0.9% in the previous quarter and 0.7% from the last June quarter. The 5.9% annual rate was an improvement over the prior year when about half of the economy was locked down due to Covid. The new Springfield housing subdivision in Ipswich, Australia. The rise in the third quarter of 2018 was driven by consumer spending buoyed by higher incomes and reduced savings. The ABS said

A new analysis finds that smaller capital cities will shine in 2023, providing the greatest value for property searchers, whereas regional locations were the hot destinations to purchase this year. Canstar’s annual Rising Stars Report, which tracks the Australian real estate market and is driven by investment research company Hotspotting, has identified which areas are most likely to see property price increases in 2023. Based on sales, price growth, vacancy rates, rental growth, infrastructure expenditure, and amenity availability, 110 property sites were selected nationwide. After factoring in current prices, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth all had the highest expected gain in

Homebuyers may be excused for assuming that, by the age-old adage “buy low, sell high,” investors would pour into the housing market during a slump. But this puzzle lacks one component despite decreased property costs and other variables that make brick-and-mortar attractive to landlords, such as low vacancy rates and growing rents. This is a result of rising interest rates, according to analysts. Recent increases are the primary reason for investors’ inactivity, resulting in higher mortgage repayments and increased uncertainty. Higher mortgage rates have effectively discouraged investors from joining the market, even though it is less expensive to acquire an