

NAB Morning Call
Phil Dobbie
Start your day with the NAB Morning Call for the latest overnight key economic and market information straight from our team of expert market economists and strategists. This includes perspective on overnight news and market price action and the forces shaping movements in Australian and global markets in the days ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 29, 2025 • 19min
Lights out for US government
Tuesday 30th September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThere has been no breakthrough yet in avoiding a US government shutdown from tomorrow. President Trump's focus has been on negotiating a peace deal for Gaza. NAB’s Ray Attrill says markets are concerned the shutdown means non-farm payrolls are not published on Friday, leaving everyone guessing about whether the weakness in the labour market has continued. He also looks ahead to today’s RBA meeting. Phil wonders whether the press conference after the rate announcement will support NAB’s position that a cut is not likely now till May. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 28, 2025 • 17min
Happy Friday
Monday 29th September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABFriday was a day of positivity in the US, with shares bouncing back and a higher than expected read on US personal spending. But NAB’s Sally Auld says inflation is still higher than where the Fed would like it. But we know Jerome Powell is also concerned about a weakening labour market, so that makes Friday’s non-farm payrolls particularly prescient. Sally and Phil also discuss Trump’s latest tariffs, the looming US government shutdown and a swag of data for Australia, along with tomorrow’s RBA meeting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 26, 2025 • 35min
Weekend Edition: China and US. Who holds the cards?
Friday 26th September 2025Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.Donald Trump came out heavy on tariffs against China, supposedly to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, but mostly to offset America’s big trade deficit. Last year that deficit with China was close to $300 billion, more than a third of the US’s total negative trade balance. Since then, tariffs have been reduced in two successive 90-day truces, the current one due to expire in early November. What then? Phil talks to Arthur Kroeber, head of research at Gavekal. He reckons the can will be kicked further down the road. |s that because the US needs China more than China needs them? Could China continue to grow if the US market dries up, particularly given the low levels of consumption in their domestic market? And what’s the role of the PBoC in all this? Monetary policy seems limited, and fiscal policy hasn't been that effective. Part of the solution is to rein in the subsidies of businesses by local authorities as part of a move against ‘involution’.Next week Phil talks to NAB CEO Andrew Irvine. This is your chance to put a question to him directly on this podcast. Whether it’s on the economy, on banking, on management or on NAB itself, send your question (written or as a sound file attachment) to morningcall@nab.com.au. But be quick! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 25, 2025 • 17min
Faster US growth ahead of PCE data pushes us equities lower
Thursday 25th September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABUnexpectedly positive data out of the US, including an upward revision to GDP, has push ed equities lower, and adds to the question of when does the Fed need to cut. NAB’s Gavin Friend joins Phil to dissect the data and examine the (still very varied) views of Fed speakers. It depends on the inflation data, of course, out later today. But if growth is picking up, if the job market isn’t weakening as much as first thought, could inflation pick up faster? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 24, 2025 • 17min
Inflation numbers likely to keep RBA on hold well into next year
Thursday 25th September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABAussie inflation numbers were a bit higher than expected yesterday. On the surface it didn’t seem to be too much of an upside surprise, but NAB’s Taylor Nugent tells Phil that the devil was in the detail, with worrying indicators around services inflation. Taylor says this will have a material impact on the quarterly inflation print. As a result, it is changing its forecasts for rate cuts. Whereas the expectation was for moves down in November and February, now it’ll be well into the new year before the first cut. Phil asks, can we be sure the next move will be down? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 2025 • 13min
Powell keeps quiet, Trump speaks out
Wednesday 24th September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABNot a lot of movement in the markets today, and what there has been mostly comes from what’s not being said. Jerome Powell didn’t give any commitment to a path of cuts from the Fed, instead focusing on the rising challenges of inflation and employment. It was enough to drive bond yields lower and stop the forward momentum in the US share market, particularly for tech stocks. For now. Meanwhile, Donald Trump didn’t hold back at the UN, giving his forthright views on immigration and the climate ‘hoax’. Today the focus is on Australian CPI. NAB’s Sally Auld, on the road in Narrabri, tells us what to look out for in that set of numbers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 22, 2025 • 14min
All talk from central bankers
Tuesday 23rd September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABIt’s been light-on for data so far this week, so the focus has been on the words of central bankers, starting with Michelle Bullock’s testimony to the House Economics Committee, followed by Fed speakers overnight. NAB’s Skye Masters says the sentiment is slightly more hawkish, which is why bond yields are edging up slowly. Equity markets aren’t concerned though, particularly tech stocks where demand is high and deals are being done to pick up the pace of AI. Today the focus will be on the PMIs for Europe and the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 21, 2025 • 15min
US shares carry on regardless
Monday 22nd September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThere’s one thing US equity markets seem to love – no news. If there’s no news they’ll assume everything is good. That was the case on Friday with the Dow, NASDAQ and S&P all reaching new highs. NAB’s Ray Attrill joins Phil to talk about what news was driving markets, including the fall in Sterling after news of a rising government deficit, a continued slump in retail sales for Canada. There was also quite a lively Bank of Japan meeting it seems. Phil asks, with the week starting light on data will US equities continue to break records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 19, 2025 • 28min
Weekend Edition: Stablecoin – the Australian opportunity
Friday 19th September 2025Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.A couple of weeks ago we talked about how Stablecoin in the US was seen as a means to drive demand for the expanding supply of US treasuries. What we didn’t touch on was why people would want to use Stablecoin.’ There are so many different use cases,’ says Drew Bradford, CEO of Catena Digital, currently Australia’s only stablecoin provider. Phil asks whether it will; move from the finance sector to cover more B2B payments, and beyond to B2C transactions.There are clear benefits: it’s faster and cheaper than legacy systems. Drew adds that its more flexible, with the ability to program transactions. That’s useful for traders but could also apply to broader transactions where payment is made on delivery, for example?So if it’s such a golden opportunity, what are the risks? How should it be regulated? And what’s the upside potential for Australian stablecoin providers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 18, 2025 • 19min
More central bank decisions, more US optimism
Friday 19th September 2025NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABIt’s been a busy week for central banks, with many staying on hold. The Bank of England was one of them, but they did announce a slowdown in their QT program. NAB’s Gavin Friend joins Phil to talk through the path for the BoE, the glacial rate of cuts from the Norge Bank and expectations for the Bank of Japan today. Meanwhile markets have responded well to the Fed’s more hawkish outlook, helped a little perhaps by a sharp rise in the Philly Fed manufacturing index. They also discuss yesterday’s Australian employment numbers and the softer GDP print for New Zealand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.