As we begin to wrap up the winter season, we can embrace the last of the cooler days and make the most of the opportunities the months ahead may bring.
July provided some welcome signs for the Australian economy, although inflation pressures persist. CPI eased to 3.8% in the year to June, down from 4.0% in May, supporting expectations that the Reserve Bank may be less likely to raise interest rates in the short term. But underlying inflation was unchanged at 3.6% because of persistent price pressures.
Consumer confidence improved a little, rising 4.1% to 83.9 in July. Despite the gain, sentiment is still deeply pessimistic.
Oil prices were volatile throughout July but ended well below the peaks reached earlier in the year.
Australian share markets finished the month stronger, with the ASX 200 moving above 9,000 points following the latest CPI figures. But caution in US markets following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep rates on hold tempered sentiment.
The Australian dollar delivered a resilient performance throughout July to close above $0.70, hitting a six-week high.