Online articles

• Australia's government-sector issuers contemplate rising rates, growing ESG interest and the pandemic exit

  It has been a challenging two years for Australian government-sector issuers, from the spiralling funding needs and dislocated markets of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic through choppy economic outcomes in 2020-21 and the growing spectre of inflation in global markets. Nonetheless, entering the new year these issuers say markets are conducive and their funding tasks manageable, while ever-increasing...

• High-grade issuer profiles and perspectives 2022

  Key data and information on 15 high-grade lenders active in Australia and New Zealand, including programme information, funding strategy, debt data and issuer insights. 

• Move on up

  New Zealand inflation reached its highest point in more than 30 years at the end of 2021 but wage growth has not taken off in a similar manner. Analysts believe wages will catch up but fear this will trigger a wage-price spiral, further fuelling inflationary pressures.

• New Zealand still at the tip of the global market spear

  New Zealand is one of the first countries to re-enter a rate hiking cycle as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic, due to rising inflation and an increasingly tight labour market. Local high-grade issuers are used to being at the forefront of market changes – a leadership position they also hold in the sovereign-sector sustainability space – and say they remain confident on market conditions despite some...

• RBA dove faces market hawks

  The much-awaited first Australian rates decision of 2022 did little to resolve the biggest talking point in the local market over the preceding year: the disparity between the Reserve Bank of Australia’s relatively dovish outlook and market expectations. Analysts continue to expect inflation and wages growth will force  the reserve bank’s hand at some stage this year.