RBA on hold, but retains a hawkish bias By Grant Feng, Ph.D, Senior Economist, Asia-Pacific Markets and economy The Reserve Bank of Australia kept the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% at the monetary policy meeting on 11 August 2026, extending its pause following three consecutive rate hikes earlier this year. Although inflation remains well…
Rotation away from large-cap tech accelerates By Shaan Raithatha, Vanguard Senior Economist Markets and economy Why the AI winners are no longer just the Magnificent Seven The “Magnificent Seven,” the large-cap tech companies that have been the darlings of the U.S. stock market for so long, underperformed in the first half of 2026. While…
Our investment and economic outlook, July 2026 By Vanguard Markets and economy Our latest forecasts for investment returns and region-by-region economic outlook Our economic outlook for Australia Rate hike on hold, but a hawkish bias remains “The combination of still-elevated inflation and weakening economic activity argues for patience rather than an immediate policy…
AI and jobs: Still in an ATM phase By Adam Schickling, Vanguard Senior Economist Markets and economy AI may change jobs, but history suggests mass job losses are unlikely Every wave of technological change seems to arrive with a familiar prediction: This time, jobs are going away for good. The effect of automated teller…
Vanguard Australia becomes first issuer to reach $100 billion in ETF assets By Vanguard ETFs Markets and economy ETF growth in Australia surges as investors demand low-cost, diversified investments Vanguard Australia has become the first Australian ETF issuer to reach $100 billion in assets under management (AUM), marking a significant milestone for the Australian…
Putting the 2026 drawdown in context By Kevin Khang, Vanguard Senior Global Economist Markets and economy A recent market dip was mild by history, offering perspective on risk and resilience The rhetoric around the conflict in the Middle East has been intense, energy supply disruptions, oil futures prices in triple digits, and comparisons to…
Magnificent Seven: More diverse than they may appear By Vanguard Markets and economy The Magnificent Seven are more diverse businesses than their shared label suggests The “Magnificent Seven.” It’s an understandable, memorable, and concise term, but its simplicity masks important distinctions. With the backdrop of strong U.S. stock market performance attributed to a handful of…
What’s driving interest in emerging markets? By Vanguard Markets and economy Growth, innovation and diversification are lifting interest in emerging markets If you’ve been looking at asset class returns over the past year, you may have noticed or heard about the strong performance of emerging markets shares. But what are they, and what’s driving interest…
Why you need to look beyond the price of fuel Markets and economy Navigating volatility In this video clip, Vanguard Global Chief Economist Joe Davis cautions investors against overreacting to rising oil prices, and emphasises that only substantial and sustained oil price increases – among other factors – would ultimately drive significant economic and market…
*Updated* Our investment and economic outlook, March 2026 By Vanguard Markets and economy Our latest forecasts for investment returns and region-by-region economic outlook Our economic outlook for Australia Energy shock reinforces “higher‑for‑longer” outlook “An economy near its capacity and sticky inflation are likely to keep the Reserve Bank of Australia focused on price…