Insights on demand
Trusted expertise
Benefit from Westpac’s in-house expertise in economic analysis and financial markets strategy, along with perspectives from Australia's industry leaders.
Tailored subscriptions
Whether you’re interested in global markets, industry-specific insights, or economic trends, we have a publication for you.
Flexible formats
Need a quick overview or prefer a deep dive? We’ve got you covered with in-depth reports, charts, videos, and infographics.
Join the Westpac IQ community
Choose from a variety of publications that match your interests and informational needs and receive them straight to your inbox.
Exclusive financial markets strategy publications are available to Westpac Institutional and Corporate clients. Contact your relationship manager or sales representative to be onboarded.
Latest economics
Australia and NZ Weekly 13 April 2026
Friday edition: analysis and forecasts for this week's key releases.
On hoping you’ll be wrong
Forecasts are an assessment of the most likely outcome, not the preferred one. The ceasefire announcement was welcome, but whether it holds is highly uncertain.
Australia and NZ Weekly 6 April 2026
Tuesday re-issue edition: analysis and forecasts for this week's key releases.
Thought leadership
Restricted to wholesale customers: please contact your relationship manager or sales representative directly to receive financial markets content via email and to get login access to the website articles.
Financial markets strategy
Australian dollar enters a week heavy with consequence
The week ahead is charged with consequence for global markets and the Australian dollar. Markets are being bombarded by mutually contradictory headlines - aggressive escalation rhetoric alongside ceasefire proposals. Through this noise, AUD has carved out a (fragile) pocket of stability. Intraday trade remains messy, but from 2 month lows near 0.6833 last week, the Australian dollar has edged back above 0.6900. This stability is not reassurance though. Pencil in wide ranges for AUD this week. The week also includes the local Feb household spending indicator, FOMC minutes, US Feb PCE/March CPI and an RBNZ OCR decision
The Australian dollar reckons with global energy disruption risks
The Australian dollar finally breached the key 0.6890/6900 support area late last week, and while downside momentum hasn't accelerated meaningfully through this level, it is trading heavy. Four weeks of conflict are forcing a harder reckoning for global markets. US-Iran de-escalation looks increasingly distant, and markets are increasingly pricing in duration, not resolution. The Easter shortened week ahead calendars include the minutes from the RBA’s March meeting and US March payrolls. These releases likely have no more than a fleeting impact while war headlines dominate. The March final global PMIs and the March US ISM surveys are out too, and we should see some more glimpses of the energy supply disruption in these surveys.
Markets hone in on 48 hour ultimatum
The week ahead feels like it could be very consequential for global markets as the US-Iran war potentially comes to a head. President Trump's 48 hour ultimatum risks aggravating the escalation cycle, and bringing substantially more damage to regional energy infrastructure. The Australian dollar hasn't taken these events well and is starting the week on the back foot below 0.7000. Local calendars this week are headlined by domestic Feb CPI, Central Bank speak and global March PMIs, the first read on economic damage since the conflict began.
Frequently asked questions
Please contact your Relationship manager or sales representative directly to be onboarded and to receive financial markets content via Westpac IQ emails and login access to the website areas restricted to wholesale customers.
Passwords to restricted content are only supplied to verified Wholesale institutional or corporate customers.
If you have subscribed via the online form, there is a further step to contact your relationship manager or sales representative to be given access to financial markets strategy content.
Westpac Economics
Thought leadership
For general queries about the Westpac IQ content hub contact the team.
Financial Markets Strategy
For questions about access to restricted Financial Markets strategy content contact the team.