NAB Morning Call

Friday 12th June 2026

Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.

Japan finds itself performing a high-stakes economic balancing act as the nation navigates its most aggressive structural pivot in decades. In this weekend edition of the NAB Morning Call, Phil Dobbie welcomes Tokyo-based independent macro strategist Tetsuo "Harry" Ishihara to unpack how Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration is fiercely driving growth via an interventionist, multi-year fiscal strategy—employing heavy gas subsidies and targeted funding across 17 growth sectors to absorb the massive shock of the Middle East energy crisis. Yet, this state-sponsored growth push directly collides with the Bank of Japan's urgent agenda. With the yen weakening back past the precarious 160-per-dollar mark, the central bank is looking clean through artificial headline numbers to an "ex-institutional" inflation metric that is creeping toward 3%. Can the government maintain its growth-at-all-costs mandate while the BOJ prepares to bite the bullet with a historic interest rate hike to 1% next week to defend the currency and tame import costs? Tune in to discover how Tokyo plans to pull off this delicate macroeconomic manoeuvre without bringing the entire apparatus crashing down.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 12th June 2026

NAB Markets Research Disclaimer
Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NAB

A major coordinated market reversal took place overnight as Donald Trump posted a dramatic Truth Social message stating that a comprehensive US-Iran peace deal is "just about done," prompting an immediate unwind of trades built on escalating tensions. NAB's Ray Attrill joins Phil to dissect this massive shift, which saw Brent crude plunge back below $90 a barrel, US Treasury yields drop 9 basis points, and the Nasdaq snap back into a roaring 3.5% rally. Yet Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency swiftly downplayed the announcement, stating no text has been formally approved. Beyond the Gulf,: the European Central Bank delivering its first interest rate hike since 2023 to combat broad-based inflation pressures, and today sees the historic debut of the largest initial public offering (IPO) in global history, dwarfing Saudi Aramco with a mind-boggling valuation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 11th June 2026

NAB Markets Research Disclaimer
Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NAB

Oil prices are higher again as the US and Iran tit for tat measures pick up a pace, with more rhetoric from the US President. The question global banks are asking, is how are rising oil prices impacting core inflation? The Fed seems is expected to wait, even with headline inflation at 4.2%. The ECB, though, is concerned about the second-round effects of oil price rises and is likely to raise rates tonight. China, meanwhile, reported lower consumer inflation but rising producer prices. NAB’s Skye Masters joins Phil to talk through the numbers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 10th June 2026

NAB Markets Research Disclaimer
Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NAB

There hasn't been a strong market reaction to the downing of a US helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, even though Donald Trump has talked retaliation. Instead, markets seem to have focused more on the fact that some oil tankers have successfully made their way through and that Kuwait has been actively selling oil to refineries. Meanwhile NAB has revised its expectations for the RBA and doesn't see any rate hikes this year with the next move likely to be down. NAB’s Ken Crompton takes us through the reasoning, including the latest data from the NAB business survey yesterday and the consumer sentiment read. Today the focus is going to be on US and China inflation numbers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 5th June 2026

NAB Markets Research Disclaimer
Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NAB

A blowout U.S. non-farm payrolls report has injected definitive hawk-ish certainty into central bank paths, while a hyper-volatile tit-for-tat missile exchange between Israel and Iran leaves the outlook for the Gulf structurally unsettled. Phil and NAB’s Rodrigo Catril work through the geopolitical and data crosscurrents, noting that while global oil prices spiked past $98 a barrel during the weekend combat before settling back to $94, prediction markets continue to aggressively push back the timeline for a lasting regional truce. This unresolved energy shock contrasts sharply with a block of robust North American labour metrics—led by a 172,000 U.S. hiring beat in May and an 88,000 full-time employment surge in Canada—which triggered a massive bear flattening across core treasury yield curves. Wall Street managed a partial recovery from its brutal tech sell-off, yet broader equity configurations show distinct vulnerability as a highly anticipated, multi-billion-dollar SpaceX flotation triggers significant liquidity churn. At home the focus pivots to a critical testing day for local momentum with the simultaneous drop of the NAB Business Survey and the Westpac Consumer Confidence index, which will offer fresh visibility on whether worsening price pressures, margin squeezes, and post-budget sentiment are altering the structural direction of the Australian economy.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.