Fitch on Australia 2023 | Fitch Ratings | 22 May 2023 | Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, 161 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Despite the global economy entering a post-pandemic phase, Australia’s recovery is under threat from high inflation, rising interest rates and a subdued global outlook. It forecasts Australia’s GDP growth slowing to 1.5% in 2023, from 3.9% in 2022, as commodity prices come under pressure and consumer spending wanes. And while Australia stands to do better than AAA peers around the world, the new normal is starting to look unstable and potentially volatile.

With a souring outlook come macro pressures and credit risks. How will pressure on consumption and employment levels drive government policy, and potentially impact sovereign credit worthiness? With household budgets shrinking in an inflationary setting, how will banks and structured finance be affected? How will corporate balance sheets cope as consumers wind back spending? And will climate change and extreme weather events prove to be just one burden too many for the economy?

2023 Speakers

MODERATORS:

Brian Coulton
Chief Economist, Fitch Ratings

David Brooks
Senior Director, Business & Relationship Management, APAC, Fitch Ratings

Spencer Wilson
Director, Business & Relationship Management, APAC, Fitch Ratings

SPEAKERS:

John Miles
Country Head, Fitch Australia

Dr Jonathan Kearns
Chief Economist and Head of Regulatory Affairs, Challenger, Ex-Head of Domestic Markets, Reserve Bank of Australia

Alicia Low
Head of Credit Research, Asia Pacific, Vanguard

Jeremy Zook
Director, Asia Sovereign Ratings, Fitch Ratings

Tim Lawless, Executive Research Director Asia-Pacific, CoreLogic

Natasha Vojvodic, Head of Australian and New Zealand Structured Finance, Fitch Ratings

Tim Roche
Head of Australia and New Zealand Financial Institutions, Fitch Ratings

Kelly Amato
Senior Director, South East Asia Industrials, Fitch Ratings

Jane Beresford
Director, Investor Development Australia/NZ, Fitch Ratings