Craig James Quotes (25 Quotes)

Unemployment is low, wages are growing at a healthy pace and interest rates remain stable. Retailers have also played their part by discounting heavily.

The good news for motorists and retailers alike is that petrol prices have potential to fall even further.

Consumer spending has been choppy over the past year in response to volatile petrol prices and a soft housing market. We believe that a recovery in consumer spending is now starting to take hold.

New construction is not keeping pace with demand, meaning that potential renters must compete harder for available properties.

Increased confidence, a strong housing sector and low interest rates have got Australian consumers in buying mode.

Most interest will be in the price indicators contained in both the GDP and personal income releases.

I've really seen him change over the past two months. You could just notice his presence more, how physical he was and what a leader he was. He keeps getting better and better.

It's been raining good news this morning.

So the fact that Australia is currently experiencing a mini baby-boom is clearly of importance to a host of companies, especially across retail and housing sectors.

The Reserve Bank can just about shut up shop until 2006... the two remaining board meetings (this year) will prove nonevents.

If rural exports lift as expected in coming quarters and support expanded export capacity in the mining sector, the much fabled improvement in Australia's trade accounts will be a step closer.

The bottom line is, inflation's still under control. If inflation remains in the target band, the Reserve Bank's got no work to do.

Corporate Australia is firmly behind the wheel of the Australian economy, while consumers have taken on the role of passengers in the current environment.

It is clear that the level of interest rates are at a sweet spot, neither serving to boost economic activity nor acting as a brake on growth.

Given the global outperformance of the Australian share market, some investors are questioning the possibility of further gains.

The US dollar rose on Friday, with investors believing that a rise in the key core PCE deflator will keep the Federal Reserve poised to lift interest rates.

The recovery in consumer spending is in its infancy. Retail growth in real terms has been the weakest in 12 years and is just picking itself up from the bottom. The car market is still weak, with seasonally adjusted sales falling 2 per cent in March after a 2 per cent fall in February.

It is harder to find value. But if the earnings season ends up showing that profitability remains super-strong, then investors would continue to drive their money into share markets, rather than other asset classes.

This time around we believe that the Bank of Japan is going to learn from past experience. We believe that the Japanese government is going to learn from past experience.

We had very solid gains over December and some profit taking is not out of the question at this time of the year.

If it were to extend these sort of gains for the year, it would have 40 growth. Gains of that sort of magnitude just aren't sustainable.

A firmer trend in house construction is expected to take hold later this year, extending into 2007. Approvals probably rose in February, underpinned by a rebound in the apartment sector.

I believe interest rates are going to be on hold as far as the eye can see.

The next change in interest rates is so far off in the distance that there is little point worrying about the likely size or even the direction of the move.

There is only so long business can absorb higher production costs. Something has got to give and what's most likely to give is prices.