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Australian Economy Defies Rate Hikes as Exports Drive Growth
Australia’s economy maintained momentum in the three months through June driven by strong export demand for goods and services, suggesting a still-solid impulse in the face of 12 interest-rate increases. Gross domestic product advanced 0.4%, the same pace as the prior quarter and in line with economists’ estimates, Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed Wednesday. From a year earlier, the economy grew 2.1% from an upwardly revised 2.4%. The result will bolster the Reserve Bank’s confidence that it can bring the economy in for a soft landing as it cools inflation. Policymakers anticipate a slowdown in ... (full story)