UniSuper is ramping up its holdings of cash to navigate market uncertainty. John Pearce, chief investment officer of the A$149 billion fund, said its cash holdings were approaching Covid 19-era levels as Donald Trump’s trade war roils global markets. Demand for Australian government bonds fell to the lowest level in about six years by one measure. An auction of 12-year bonds received the lowest bid-to-cover ratio — a gauge of investor demand — since July 2019 as large corporates including Commonwealth Bank of Australia also tapped the market, soaking up demand. The Reserve Bank of Australia discussed the case for an outsized half-percentage point interest rate cut last month, before deciding on a more typical 25 basis point cut. The discussion underscores the weight the RBA is giving to the potential impact of tariffs from Washington. Australia is cracking down on crypto ATMs. The country’s financial crimes agency has placed a $5,000 limit on cash deposits and withdrawals and refused to renew the registration from one crypto ATM provider after the agency identified scam and fraud-related activity. Australia has the chance to attract the world’s top talent. President Trump’s crackdown on foreign student visas is an opportunity for Australian institutions, according to Chennupati Jagadish, president of the Australian Academy of Science, speaking on Bloomberg TV’s Australia Ahead. Click the image to watch. Bloomberg Concerns over international student numbers have hit the stock market. Shares in listed Australian student placement company IDP Education fell 48% Tuesday, their biggest one-day decline, after warning that global policy uncertainty is hindering the market for international students. |