Some favourable news on the global economic front has been trickling in. Markets around the world rallied as the US avoided the fiscal cliff-dive by a nanosecond; China's economy is showing signs of renewed strength, with the powerful manufacturing sector now performing at its best levels in almost two years; and share prices in most of Europe, Britain and even Japan have been trading solidly higher over the past few months. But these developments are not enough to point to a full and sustained recovery in 2013. In Australia, business rode a rollercoaster in 2012, and 2013 looks set to be another volatile year. A soft and patchy economy, strong Australian dollar, higher costs and import competition have all taken their toll on margins and activity. Most industry sectors are feeling the pressure and, clearly, there is a lot of uncertainty out there. Against this background, what's on the cards for Australian markets and in key industry sectors for the coming year? Read what we think: |