The data from Australia today was for:

ANZ on the retail sales data:

  • Australia's retail sales jumped 1.4% m/m in Nov, and Oct was revised up from -0.2% to +0.4%.
  • A strong result, but weaker than growth in Nov 2020 (+6.1% m/m) & 2021 (+6.4% m/m).
  • Signal also includes the “noise” that retail was likely a higher % of Nov spend.

I don't think a comparison with November '20 and '21 is valid given both of those months saw a surge in spending on exit from lockdowns (yes, lockdowns went on and on in Australia).

ANZ on the jobs data:

  • Job vacancies stayed very strong at 444,200 in November

Despite falling on the quarter they did remain historically high, yes.

ANZ on the CPI:

  • Monthly CPI rose to 7.3% y/y ahead of electricity impacts. These results reduce any risk of a Feb pause for the RBA and reinforce our view that the peak cash rate will be at least 3.85%.

Yes to this as well. I am expecting a +25bp rate hike from the RBA at the February 7 meeting. If you disagree with me I will concede that:

  • the monthly numbers only include updated prices for between 62 and 73 per cent of the weight of the quarterly CPI basket; thus they incomplete and its rightly so that the quarterly CPI that is the most focus
  • the December monthly and Q4 quarterly CPI will be published prior to the February meeting

But, I've been a consistent anti-pauser in February and today's data does not change my mind.

As I've said before, something is wrong with this picture. Its not tenable that inflation is >7% and the RBA cash rate is 3.1%.

rba cash inflation rate