Good morning all.

1. The vaccine situation continues to look worse for wear, to put it lightly. “A complete stuff up at all levels,” might also cover it. Following Scott Morrison’s announcement on Tuesday night that under-40s can access the AstraZeneca shot if they consult with their GP, the Commonwealth’s expert vaccine panel ATAGI has shot it down. “There are some situations where that would be warranted, but they are quite small,” said co-chair Christopher Blyth. “The ATAGI advice is that Pfizer is our preference for those under the age of 60 years.”

2. New South Wales recorded 22 new local cases of COVID-19 yesterday. Eleven of these were in isolation while they were infectious. Meanwhile, Victoria recorded no cases this morning.

3. Runaway housing prices could pose a risk to Australia’s longterm pandemic recovery, suggests a new report from the Bank of International Settlements. The annual paper says central banks will face risks if interest rates are hiked too soon, or if cheap money flows into red-hot housing markets too long. The consequences could be heavy because “the debt burden has never felt so light,” the report states.

4. Meanwhile, only 39% of Australians think it’s a good time to buy property right now as prices skyrocket. New survey data from Finder shows property buyer sentiment has plummeted in the past six months. The dip in buyer sentiment reflects the impact of Australia’s hot property market in 2021, which has seen massive price spikes.

5. The number of Australians escaping capital cities to regional areas has reached its highest level since 2018, as a trend kickstarted by the pandemic persists into its second year. A new report developed by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) examines the migration trends reshaping regional Australia as city-dwellers seek tree changes and those living in the regions stay put.

6. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) is seeking input on rules which could see cryptocurrency exchange traded funds hit the ASX for the first time. A new consultation paper, released Wednesday, aims to address whether crypto-assets are stable and secure enough to be treated like other listed securities. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the only assets likely to meet ASIC’s proposed eligibility criteria, the paper says.

7. Australian rideshare drivers will miss out on crucial government support as four of Australia’s capital cities face stay at home orders. In Sydney, which faces the longest lockdown, sole traders must turn over more than $75,000 a year in order to be eligible for $5,000 and $10,000 grants. Drivers join a host of workers, such as those in the arts sector, who are finding little support throughout these latest restrictions.

8. Aussie lingerie chain Honey Birdette has been sold to the company behind Playboy for $AU443 million. The brand – which frequently falls afoul of the advertising standards watchdog – is set to open new flagship stores in Dallas, Miami and New York. “We strongly believe in the power of brands, and are thrilled by Honey Birdette’s potential to become a multi-billion-dollar luxury lifestyle franchise,” said PLBY Group CEO Ben Kohn.

9. Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi raised $4.4 billion in its US IPO on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. This would give the company a valuation of $67.5 billion. Didi pushed Uber out of the Chinese market and bought its China operations, and operates in a number of countries including Australia.

10. Russia is failing to meet demand from foreign countries for its Sputnik V vaccine. It promised vast numbers of shots, competing with Western producers. But many never arrived, and now Russia says it needs all available shots for itself as it battles the Delta variant.

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