Superannuation fees can add up to a huge long-term expenditure, costing Australians with modest super balances thousands of dollars a year. But costs may start to fall, with some funds and new players working to disrupt the structure.
While Australian household wealth is hitting new records, research shows much of it is held by just a few people, with the richest 5 per cent of Australians seeing their assets grow in value by 86 per cent over the last 20 years.
Australian companies’ dividend payouts are down 24 per cent from a year ago, as higher interest rates and cash flow challenges darken the outlook. Payouts from miners decreased significantly, although the dividend picture remains positive for banks.
Australian consumers are showing real signs the largest and longest rate hiking cycle in 30 years is starting to bite. It might be the proof the RBA needs to see that its fight against inflation is working, adding further weight to the theory that rate rises are behind us.
Companies were largely able to pass cost increases on to the surprisingly resilient Australian consumer, allowing them to defend profit margins, while retail continued to defy analysts’ expectations of a downturn.
Brokerages raising their target price on Nvidia shares this month have pushed the median view to US$500, and analysts say that may be conservative. After an impressive earnings report, hedge funds and others are piling into the chip maker even as high bond yields threaten tech stocks.
Recently released wages data increases the likelihood the RBA will pause its rate hiking campaign for the near term, economists say. A soft landing for the economy is far from guaranteed, but the runway is getting clearer.
The Australian Taxation Office has extended its data collection to more rigorously check numbers in FY23 tax returns and cut down on tax cheats. Advisers and their accountants are passing the message onto taxpayers.
Rate hikes are causing anxiety for Australian mortgage holders, with new research showing seven out of 10 worry about missing repayments. As large numbers of fixed-rate mortgages expire, analysts say distressed property selling is likely to pick up from its thus-far benign levels.
Corporate profit growth is expected to moderate, especially in sectors focused on consumer sales, and mining companies have seen large downgrades. Meanwhile, markets are still not fully pricing in the high risk of recession, some analysts say.
