Binance is under the microscope in Australia, DLNews reported. Austrac, the country’s financial crimes regulator, has ordered the crypto exchange to appoint an external auditor after allegedly finding shortcomings in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems. “Big global operators may appear well resourced … but if they don’t understand local money laundering and terrorism financing risks, they are failing to meet their AML/CTF obligations in Australia,” the country’s top regulator Brendan Thomas said.
Read more
Australia's central bank cut interest rates on Tuesday for a third time this year and signaled further policy easing might be needed to meet its inflation and employment goals as the economy lost some momentum, Reuters reported. Wrapping up a two-day policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia board cut the main cash rate by a quarter point to 3.6%, saying that data suggested core inflation would moderate to around the middle of its 2% to 3% target band, assuming a gradual easing in policy.
Read more
Australia’s central bank is poised to deliver its third interest-rate cut this year as inflationary pressures ebb, while Governor Michele Bullock is expected to stick with her cautious stance on the monetary policy outlook, Bloomberg News reported. Traders and most economists polled by Bloomberg anticipate the Reserve Bank will lower its cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.6% on Tuesday, bringing its cumulative easing in the current cycle to 75 basis points. The RBA will also publish its quarterly update of macroeconomic forecasts alongside the 2:30 p.m. decision.
Read more
Australian household spending rose modestly in June as a rush for cars and electronics was offset by a slump in services, showing lower borrowing costs and higher real incomes are only slowly flowing into the broader economy, Reuters reported. Tuesday's data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed its monthly household spending indicator (MHSI) rose 0.5% in June, just half of the gain seen in May. Analysts had looked for an increase of around 0.8%.
Read more
Australia's central bank judged lowering interest rates for a third time within four meetings was not consistent with its strategy of easing in a cautious and gradual manner, a reason that it shocked markets by holding steady this month, Reuters reported. Minutes of its July 7-8 policy meeting showed the majority of the Reserve Bank of Australia's nine-member board judged rates at 3.85% were still modestly restrictive, but it was difficult to know how far they could be cut before becoming neutral.
Read more
Australian employment rose only marginally in June as the jobless rate jumped to the highest since late 2021, showing perhaps the first crack in what had been an unusually resilient labour market and adding to the case for a rate cut next month. Investors sent the Australian dollar down 0.7% to $0.6480, the lowest in over three weeks. Three-year government bond yields slid 10 basis points to 3.386% as markets ramped up bets for an August rate cut to 85% from 76% previously.
Read more