Pacific Perspectives
Americans are ‘entrenched’ in financial stress amid debt and price pressures
Economic conditions like gas prices well above $4 a gallon, according to AAA estimates, and annual inflation nearing 4%, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are pushing Americans’ financial stress levels higher. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling expects Americans’…
Santos venture caught in crosshairs of Labor’s gas reserve
Gas exporters may be forced to invest in domestic gas suppliers or buy the uncontracted volumes of their peers to meet their obligations under the Albanese government’s proposed gas reservation scheme. A draft framework for…
Electricity prices to fall despite global energy turmoil
Household power prices are set to fall across most of Australia from July after record output from wind farms and batteries pushed down the cost of generating electricity, despite pressures on global energy prices due…
Here’s what ASX investors should be buying in a property downturn
UBS is telling clients to get out of ASX-listed banks and real estate stocks and ramp up exposure to mining and healthcare as Australia’s once-booming property market heads for a slowdown. The broker says the…
Oil prices fall 7% after Trump says Iran talks are ‘proceeding nicely’
Crude oil prices fell 7% Monday as the U.S. and Iran showed signs of making progress toward an agreement that would end their three-month long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as the timeline…
Americans are feeling inflation’s pinch into the holiday weekend. Here’s where prices are rising the most
U.S. consumers will shell out more for everything from fuel to hot dogs and hamburgers heading into Memorial Day weekend as the Iran War reignites inflation. Total inflation for shoppers rose 3.8% in April from the same month a year ago,…
Michelle Jablko and the problem of what comes next for Transurban
For Michelle Jablko, the former investment banker and ANZ finance boss who took the reins of toll road giant Transurban two years ago, the next 12 months could be make or break as investors demand…
Bond market mulls dire scenario as budget threatens property sector
The Australian bond market is being caught in a tug-of-war. On one side, global inflation anxiety is dragging interest rates upward. On the other, a softening local economy and a budget-induced property downturn is pulling…
ASX on edge as investors weigh Iran peace deal with bond sell-off
Investors are cautiously preparing to buy the dip in Australian shares on Monday after US President Donald Trump said Washington was close to reaching an agreement with Iran to end the war and reopen the…
Dow adds nearly 300 points Friday for new record close; S&P 500 notches eighth winning week: Live updates
Stocks rose Friday as Treasury yields eased, resulting in a winning week for Wall Street despite heightened volatility. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 294.04 points, or 0.58%, to end at 50,579.70. The 30-stock index…