1. Ukrainian offensive continues north
Ukrainian forces kept pushing north in the Kharkiv region and advancing to its south and east, Ukraine’s army chief said on Sunday (Monday AEST), a day after their rapid surge forward drove Russia to abandon its main stronghold in the area.

Ukrainian officials accused retreating Russian forces of launching retaliatory attacks on civilian infrastructure, including a thermal power station in Kharkiv, that the authorities in Kyiv said caused widespread blackouts. (AFR)

“No military facilities, the goal is to deprive people of light & heat,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Twitter of the attacks.

2. New poll hints at possibility of hung parliament in NSW election
Nearly six months out from the next New South Wales election, a new poll shows there is little separating the major parties, with a hung parliament a distinct possibility.

The latest Guardian Essential poll of 661 voters showed 36.4% would put the Coalition first on their ballot if an election were held in the state tomorrow, while 32% would choose Labor. (The Guardian)

3. Will the market soar or sink?
It looks like it’s set to be a positive start for stocks, with a big 79-point gain tipped by the futures market.

If the futures are right, this will be a 1.15% gain at the start of trade, and it follows solid rises on all three key US stock market indexes on Friday. Crucially, this is a big week for economic statistics that could either send stocks much higher or could make them sink like a stone.

4. Lots of important data out this week
Let’s check out what are the big economic indicators released this week. These will not only influence what happens to stocks but also interest rates. We have the latest inflation number from the US on Wednesday, and stocks will rise if this number falls. But before that, we see local consumer confidence and business confidence on Tuesday, and then on Thursday, we get the August unemployment number. Ironically, a lower jobless number will worry the Reserve Bank and will mean it will probably raise interest rates again by half-a-percent in September, and that won’t help local stocks.

5. Consider refinancing your home loan?
The Reserve Bank’s aggressive interest rate policy has seen homeowners opt for refinancing, and in June, a record $18 billion worth of mortgages were refinanced! These refinance numbers say mortgage brokers must be run off their feet as the Reserve Bank continues to hike the cash rate. The cash rate is now 2.35% and the CBA predicts it will peak at 2.85% by November, but ANZ and Westpac see it at 3.35% by year’s end. If your mortgage repayments are hurting, refinancing might be worth considering.