Economy

Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, economists are confident that the RBA’s decision to hike the cash rate will happen again at its next meeting.

Interest rates will increase again this month following a previous rate rise in February.

The Reserve Bank is expected to raise rates again today, but should postpone increasing rates until the dust from the war in Iran has settled, AMP has said.

The first round of reports for mandatory climate reporting show significant variation in how well companies understand the requirements, according to Grant Thornton.

A recent wave of capital expenditure has driven productivity improvements for Australian businesses, according to Commonwealth Bank data.

With the escalating conflict in the Middle East likely to drive up oil and commodity prices, RSM has outlined steps that Australian businesses can take to prepare.

In the December quarter 2025, Australian GDP has increased by 0.8 per cent quarterly and 2.6 per cent annually, with an RBA rate hike, hold or cut depending on the results of April’s CPI report.

The labour market has rebounded from its previous flat patch, but economic uncertainty suggests growth could remain uneven throughout 2026.

Ranking higher as a risk than both climate change and armed conflict, a new era of economic statecraft is reportedly on the horizon.

The accounting body has stressed that the state of national productivity is enough to threaten economic growth, competitiveness and living standards without appropriate government action.