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The Reserve Bank anticipates a strong rebound in GDP growth, with annual growth accelerating from 1.4% currently to 3.1% by end-2021.

President Trump has signed the Hong Kong human rights act.

The effective lower bound for the policy rate is negative, but the Reserve Bank only seems comfortable with a 0.25-0.5% floor for the cash rate.

Household debt is growing very slowly at present, up only 4% over the past year.

Total income is growing strongly, led by a boom in mining profits as non-mining profits languish, while growth in disposable income is more measured.

Business investment is exceptionally weak at present, only slightly above the multi-decade low reached as a share of GDP in the early 1990s recession.

The Weekly explores the impact of interest rate cuts on consumer sentiment.

With the cash rate at a record low of 0.75%, short-term interest rates broadly match the all-time low reached in the 1950s. 

Across advanced economies, business investment has underwhelmed since the global financial crisis, contributing to weak productivity and lower potential growth.