Australia’s Hotter Economy Largely Priced In

Bob Elliott · Nonconsensus · February 25, 2026 at 11:22 · ⏱ 3 min read  | Read on Substack ↗
TLDR
The article reviews the Australian economy's acceleration since last summer, which led the RBA to shift from easing to tightening, a move that was initially nonconsensus but is now largely priced into markets. While the Australian dollar remains a relatively compelling long against the US dollar, the author suggests that the easy money has already been made, and future mispricings must be sought elsewhere. • The Australian economy has strengthened, driven by private demand, with GDP growth reaching its best levels in years and unemployment declining. • Inflation has remained elevated, prompting the RBA to become the first major developed economy to flip from an easing to a tightening cycle. • Market pricing has adjusted dramatically, with short rates now expecting hikes and bond yields at highs while US yields have fallen. • The author's previous call on Australian economic acceleration last summer was correct and profitable, but that view is now consensus. • The Australian dollar has appreciated nearly 10% to multi-year highs, suggesting much of the easy gains have been realized. • With the economic strength largely priced in, the author indicates it's time to look for opportunities elsewhere in the world.
Full Analysis

{ "tldr": { "summary": "The article reviews the Australian economy's acceleration since last summer, which led the RBA to shift from easing to tightening, a move that was initially nonconsensus but is now largely priced into markets. While the Australian dollar remains a relatively compelling long against the US dollar, the author suggests that the easy money has already been made, and future mispricings must be sought elsewhere.", "key_points": [ "The Australian economy has strengthened, driven by private demand, with GDP growth reaching its best levels in years and unemployment declining.", "Inflation has remained elevated, prompting the RBA to become the first major developed economy to flip from an easing to a tightening cycle.", "Market pricing has adjusted dramatically, with short rates now expecting hikes and bond yields at highs while US yields have fallen.", "The author's previous call on Australian economic acceleration last summer was correct and profitable, but that view is now consensus.", "The Australian dollar has appreciated nearly 10% to multi-year highs, suggesting much of the easy gains have been realized.", "With the economic strength largely priced in, the author indicates it's time to look for opportunities elsewhere in the world." ] }, "trade_ideas": [] }

Read time 3 min
Length 3,995 chars
Category finance
More from Nonconsensus