Perth’s business & finance trends – 01-04-2025

Welcome to the Baseline Business & Finance Wrap!

If you’re a business owner in Perth, this is your weekly no-fluff update on the numbers that matter:

📊 Markets – ASX, interest rates & commodity prices

🏡 Property – Perth house prices & rental trends

💰 Business Finance – Lending insights & smart money moves

🤣 Dad Jokes – Because finance shouldn’t be that serious

We’ll keep it short, sharp, and packed with value.

📩 Hit “Subscribe” to get this in your inbox each week! Now, let’s dive in…

Markets

• Mondays are never pretty. But Monday the 31st of March? That one turned up in Crocs and a mullet.
• If you’re an equity investor, you felt it. The ASX just clocked its worst start to the year since COVID – and like many bad habits, this one came straight out of the US.
• Early signs suggest Uncle Donald’s high-stakes trade war is starting to rattle consumer confidence, drive up inflation, and slow spending. JPMorgan’s even slapped a 40% chance of a US recession on the table. But apart from that? Everything’s fiiiiine.
• NAB’s latest Business Confidence report is out, and it’s serving up some sobering stats. Confidence in the mining sector is now the lowest it’s been since COVID, and WA business conditions have softened to levels we haven’t seen since mid-2020. But let’s be fair – we’ve had a pretty solid run. Dig into the detail and you’ll see most of the slide is coming from the mining space.
• Meanwhile, Gold continues to shine like it’s headed to the Met Gala – up 4.63% for the week. Who knew something whose main job is just to sit there and look pretty could be worth so much? Basically, it’s the Ryan Gosling of commodities.

Property

• Back home, property listings in Perth dropped this week – a plot twist after the steady climb we’ve been seeing.
• It’s not a big fall, but enough to raise an eyebrow. Surely the RBA’s latest 25 basis point nudge wasn’t that influential?
• Hotspots this week: East Perth, Scarborough, Gosnells, and good ol’ Rockingham. Beach, budget, or both – take your pick.

Rates

• Not a lot to report here, but BBSW has trickled up a little bit.
• Competition is still fierce.

Baseline Success Story of the Week

• We’ve conducted a number of debt reviews in the last week, with early signs being that there are some quick wins for clients.
• If you haven’t re-visited your affairs within the last 24 months, you are almost certainly in for upside.

Bad/Dad Jokes of the Week

• I tried to open a puzzle shop, but I couldn’t piece things together.
• I lost my job at the orange juice factory—couldn’t concentrate.
• I bought a book on the history of glue—I just couldn’t put it down.

Need Help Navigating Finance? Let’s Chat.

Whether it’s commercial property finance, business lending, or investment strategy, I’m here to help you make the right move.

Let’s have a quick chat — call 08 6108 3925

Email – brad@baselinefin.com.au

Or just reply to this newsletter—I read every message.

Until next week.

Brad | Baseline Finance