2+ day, 12+ hour ago  (526+ words) State governments risk credit rating downgrades if spending rises, S&P warns, amid political pressure to provide cost-of-living relief. Soaring diesel costs mean the state's major projects could "grind to a halt, putting the credit rating under pressure as handouts…...

11+ hour, 6+ min ago  (109+ words) Australia should brace for a "big, real income shock" due to soaring oil prices, RBA deputy governor Andrew Hauser says. Reserve Bank of Australia deputy governor Andrew Hauser says Australians will suffer a big income shock from the Middle East…...

16+ hour, 1+ min ago  (638+ words) While investors might see global instability and run for cover, currency strategists see a bold recovery on the horizon, backed by higher interest rates. Structural elements that have helped keep a lid on inflation are in reverse, which does not…...

1+ day, 14+ hour ago  (116+ words) Ideally, the government would not rely solely on demand-side pump priming, but would also focus on sharpening productivity and growth incentives. It's always a challenge to make predictions, especially in the midst of elevated financial and geopolitical volatility. But policymakers…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago  (57+ words) Buyers scurried to make offers on this family home, fearing they'd lose financing power after the Reserve Bank's impending meeting. We speak to the team behind last week's most intriguing property sale. The property: A six-bedroom, three-bathroom house at 3 Butterley…...

1+ day, 23+ hour ago  (82+ words) AFR Home buyers are waiting to see if the Reserve Bank of Australia notches interest rates higher and the Iran conflict continues, with the national auction clearance rate holding below 60 per cent for a second consecutive week. The success rate…...

3+ day, 9+ hour ago  (79+ words) AFR US consumer sentiment fell in recent weeks to a record low, indicating Americans" increasing worries about mounting inflation due to the Iran war. The preliminary April sentiment index slumped to 47. 6 from 53. 3 in March, according to the University of Michigan…...

3+ day, 20+ hour ago  (99+ words) AFR The economic fallout from the war in the Middle East could push up the cost of building a detached home by as much as 10 per cent, according to economists who say consumers should brace for inflation beyond petrol prices…...

5+ day, 8+ hour ago  (92+ words) AFR Prices for homes eligible for Labor"s first home buyer scheme have jumped 6. 7 per cent in just six months since the expanded scheme was launched, fuelling concerns that new home owners are stretched to their limit already and are…...

6+ day, 18+ hour ago  (72+ words) AFR Truck drivers grappling with surging diesel costs say some customers are beginning to reduce or refuse orders as the industry attempts to pass on massive price increases resulting from the Middle East conflict. Drivers say some customers are already…...