NAB Morning Call

Thursday 29th October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABPhil Dobbie and NAB’s Ray Attrill unpack a frantic 24 hours of central bank decisions, domestic inflation data, and shifting rate calls. Global bond yields plunged—led by a sharp 8-basis-point drop in US two-year Treasury yields—after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh struck a surprisingly dovish tone during his post-FOMC press conference, suggesting inflation medicine is taking effect and casting doubt on a December hike, whilst holding rates steady today. In Wellington, the RBNZ delivered a major shock by voting 4–3 to hold rates on hold rather than deliver a widely priced hike, sending the Kiwi dollar sliding 1%, while the Bank of Canada moved in the opposite direction with a 25-basis-point increase. Domestically, with Australian Q3 trimmed mean CPI printing at a sticky 1.0% quarter-on-quarter (4.3% year-on-year) alongside hawkish parliamentary testimony from Governor Michele Bullock, NAB has officially updated its forecast to call for an RBA rate hike on Melbourne Cup Day next week. Meanwhile, Brent crude edged back above US$115 a barrel amid ongoing Middle East tensions, French bond spreads continued to widen, and equity markets braced for high-stakes post-market earnings from Alphabet and Microsoft.

Wednesday 28th October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABPhil and NAB's Skye Masters break down a risk-on session across global equity markets set against a tense, pivotal day for monetary policy. Wall Street rallied—led by a 2.2% surge in the Nasdaq and broad tech strength—fuelled by news of mega-cap chip-financing deals and solid US consumer confidence readings. The primary focus, however, turns squarely to domestic macro data, with Australian Q3 CPI arriving today. With markets pricing in roughly a 60% probability of an RBA rate hike on Melbourne Cup Day, Skye explains why NAB sees downside risks to the consensus 1.0% trimmed mean expectation. Across global central banks, attention turns to meetings for the RBNZ, Bank of Canada, and the FOMC, alongside the delivery of the UK budget.

Monday 26th October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABPhil talks to NAB’s Ken Crompton at the start of what is set to be one of the most critical weeks of the year for global financial markets. Investors face a relentless barrage of catalysts: five major central bank meetings (including the RBNZ, Bank of Canada, FOMC, ECB, and the Bank of Japan), high-stakes quarterly earnings from Big Tech giants like Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon, the Israeli national election, and the looming shadow of next week’s US midterms. Oil prices broke through the USD$117/bbl mark on Friday as geopolitical tensions flared across the Middle East, while flash PMIs revealed unexpected resilience in the UK and steady momentum in the US alongside mounting cost pressures. Domestically, the Australian dollar pushed above 70 US cents ahead of this week’s critical Q3 Australian CPI release, which follows hawkish rhetoric from RBA Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter on 60 minutes last night, leaving market expectations split on a potential Melbourne Cup Day rate hike.

Friday 23rd October 2026Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.In this Weekend Edition, Phil speaks with Erin Leigh Brown, co-author of the Grattan Institute's landmark report Budget Reboot: How to Fund Australia's Future. They break down Grattan's controversial proposed tax reform package: broadening and raising the GST from 10% to 15% across all goods (including fresh food, health, and education) to raise $76 billion annually, while directing $33 billion to targeted income tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners and $25 billion to welfare boosts. Brown addresses criticisms from both sides of the political spectrum—responding to free-market arguments around state expenditure controls as well as welfare advocate concerns regarding GST regressivity—and explains how the package aims to put low-income households $150 a week ahead while creating fiscal room to replace inefficient state taxes like stamp duty.

Friday 23rd October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABPhil is joined by NAB's Gavin Friend to analyse a sharp risk-off session across global markets, driven by tech valuation worries and ongoing Middle East energy supply disruptions. US equities fell heavily—led by a 2.7% drop in the Nasdaq following Meta’s increased capital expenditure outlook—while benchmark Brent crude oil surged near $113 per barrel amid Houthi drone strikes and escalating transport costs. Investors rushed into safe-haven Treasuries, pushing US 10-year yields down 16 basis points, while European bond markets saw further divergence as French OAT yields jumped on fiscal uncertainty, pushing the French German 10-year spread wider. Market attention will remain on US tech earnings alongside central bank decisions next week, and preliminary October PMI prints today.

Thursday 22nd October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABPhil and NAB's Taylor Nugent discuss how market sentiment around AI is rebounding following strong Q3 earnings from SpaceX, even as local infrastructure bottlenecks loom large—highlighted by NextDC's 42% stock plunge following delays to its Melbourne data centre rollout. Domestically, RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser emphasized that the inflation backdrop has "materially worsened" relative to August projections, pushing market pricing for a November rate hike to nearly 50%, while NAB's monthly spend tracking showed resilient consumer spending driven primarily by non-mortgage holders. Globally, French 10-year bond yields climbed past 5% for the first time since 2002 as fiscal debate drags on, UK inflation printed slightly higher than expected at 3.5%, and oil prices remained elevated around $108 per barrel for Brent.

Wednesday 21st October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABNAB's Skye Masters joins Phil to break down a highly volatile session where investors remain caught between geopolitical oil shocks and European political instability. Crude oil touched a five-month high near $112 a barrel before pulling back to hover around $108 for Brent. In Europe, widening political and fiscal unrest in France drove French 10-year government bond (OAT) yields higher and widened the OAT-Bund spread past 150 basis points, though markets showed little signs of broader European contagion. On Wall Street, tech stocks staged a recovery ahead of major earnings releases from Meta and SpaceX, while US pending home sales plunged 12.6% year-over-year under the weight of elevated mortgage rates. Meanwhile, the Australian dollar briefly touched 70 US cents.

Monday 19th October 2026NAB Markets Research DisclaimerFinancial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABNAB’s Sally Auld joins Phil to navigate a session defined by rising global bond yields, with US 10-year Treasuries up 7 basis points to 5.15% and French 10-year yields jumping 13 basis points amid worsening social unrest and local curfew proposals. US equities pulled off a tech-led rebound ahead of key corporate earnings. Oil prices edged higher but found strong technical resistance near $110 a barrel for Brent, balancing regional escalation—such as Houthi strikes targeting Saudi transit hubs—against reports that Middle Eastern crude export flows remain near 80% of pre-conflict levels. Meanwhile, the Australian dollar rallied half a percent toward the 70 US cent mark on broader currency strength, though domestic monetary tightening expectations and economic slowing continue to cap a broader breakout.