Oliver's Insights - How vulnerable is the Australian economy and investment markets?
26 August 2011 - Click here to read the full article
Key points
• The risk of recession in the US and Europe is high. Australia is not immune, but is well placed to withstand a renewed global slump. The initial line of defence includes interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), which we expect to commence possibly as early as October.
• Australian assets are better placed than was the case prior to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), with cheaper valuations for shares and commercial property. Housing is a bit vulnerable in the short term, but should benefit from lower interest rates from around mid 2012. The Australian dollar (A$) is vulnerable to global growth concerns in the short term, but is likely to continue trending higher as major global central banks continue to debase their currencies.
