Numbers

… is how much companies plan to invest this financial year, 10.2 per cent lower than plans at the same time last year. But "the 5.1 per cent upgrade in investment plans in the June quarter, on top of the 10.1 per cent upgrade in the March quarter, were the best back to back upgrades in four years," says CommSec chief economist Craig James.

5.7 per cent

… was the drop in new home sales in July, with units falling 10.9 per cent.

113.3

… points was the level last month of the Westpac/MNI index of consumer sentiment in China, well down on the 121.7 reading at the start of the year.

3.99 per cent

… is the lowest fixed home rate offered by Heritage Bank in its 139-year history. It is on a one-year term.

-10.1

… is the level of the biannual Bibby Financial Services small business cashflow index, a drop of 15 points from February and only just above the low reached in the aftermath of the GFC.