Here are the key things you need to know before you leave work today (or if you already work from home, before you shutdown your laptop).
MORTGAGE RATE CHANGES
ASB, Kiwibank, Cooperative Bank and HSBC all announced their floating rate changes today. They all also raised fixed rates, although ASB didn't change their 4 or 5 years rates. Only BNZ is yet to declare its new floating rate. WBS also raised their home loan rates.
TERM DEPOSIT RATE CHANGES
BNZ raised term deposit rates late yesterday. And so did ASB, Kiwibank, Cooperative Bank, HSBC and Heartland Bank.
BRACKET CREEP PLUS INFLATION
The Crown accounts for October were released revealing a breakeven situation in October where taxes and revenues nearly equaled outgoings. This was an unusually small deficit for an October of just -$183 mln. But if comes after taxes on individuals rose to be +15% higher than the same month a year ago as bracket creep bites harder. And GST receipts rose to an unusually high $2.6 bln in the month, a massive +56% higher that the same month a year ago. Inflation on top of free-spending consumers is swelling the tax coffers. Governments love bracket-creep-plus-inflation.
TERMS OF TRADE WEAK
Our terms of trade has been going against us as import prices rose very much faster than export prices. A lot of that was due in Q3 to the combination of a weakening exchange rate and rising oil prices. Of course, the situation has changed since September, where now our NZD is appreciating. But that is only half of it - our exports haven't grown much since and our dairy and meat volumes are struggling. Increasing numbers of farms going out of production (so that foreign investors can keep polluting and offset that with a New Zealand forest).
TRADE DEFICIT WORSE
Our trade deficit in the September quarter grew to -$7.5 bln covering both goods and services. The rush to buy EV cars which now includes increasing numbers from China (like Teslas, MGs, Havals, LDVs, etc) , means that the big surpluses we used to run with China have disappeared. It was a deficit of -$102 mln in Q3-2022 with the Middle Kingdom. And with the closure of Marsden Point, the deficit with Singapore is now very significant (-$1.8 bln or a quarter of our total deficit) as that is now our main source of refined fuels.
ANOTHER COMMITTEE
The Government said today: "Some of the country’s most difficult health issues will be tackled by a newly established public health advisory committee, whose members have now been appointed."
AUSSIE HOUSING IN THE DOLDRUMS
In Australia, the number of loans for the construction or purchase of new homes fell further in October, down by almost -1% to its lowest level in over three years. Separately, lending for housing fell -2.7% in dollar terms in October from September to be down -14% year on year. But at least the month-on-month fall is less that the -5% they were expecting.
RESTRAINING PAYDAY LENDING
And staying in Australia, their parliament is about to pass a law that payday loan repayments cannot exceed 10%of a person’s net income. Their new law will also require payday loans to have equal repayment intervals, as well as prohibiting lenders from charging monthly fees for the residual of the loan term if the borrower pays off the balance early. Lenders will also be banned from making unsolicited communications to consumers to enter into a payday loan. Cash Converters is a big Aussie payday lender, but certainly not the only one.
SWAP RATES SLIP
Wholesale swap rates were likely lower today on global trends. The real action comes near the close. Our chart will record the final positions. The 90 day bank bill rate is up +2 bps at 4.43%. The Australian 10 year bond yield is now at 3.41% and down another -9 bps. The China 10 year bond rate is at 2.92% and little-changed. The NZ Government 10 year bond rate is now at 4.03%, and down -12 bps and the same as the earlier RBNZ fix for the NZGB 10 year which is up +3 bps at 4.03%. The UST 10 year is now at 3.54% and down another -8 bps from this time yesterday. (A week ago it was at 3.68%; a month ago at 4.10%.
EQUITIES FLAT OR LOWER
Wall Street ended its Thursday session little-changed. Tokyo has opened -1.6% lower today. Hong Kong has opened flat as has Shanghai. The ASX200 is down -0.6% in afternoon trade. And the NZX50 is down -0.2% near its close and for the week so far that is a +2.2% gain.
GOLD FIRMER
In early Asian trade, gold is at US$1798/oz and up +US$22 from this time yesterday. It was over US$1800/oz earlier and closed in both London and New York above. The gold price in USD is being boosted by a retreating USD exchange rate.
NZD RISES FURTHER
The Kiwi dollar is another +½c higher from this time yesterday at 63.7 USc. Against the AUD we are up more than +¾c at 93.6 AUc. Against the euro we are unchanged at 60.6 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 is now at 72 and up another +40 bps.
BITCOIN SLIPS
Bitcoin is now at US$16,950 and down -1.7% from where we were this time yesterday. The bitcoin price seems to get not boost from a falling USD. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just over +/- 1.3%.
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