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Lee Smales

Senior Lecturer, Finance, Curtin University

Lee Smales is a senior lecturer in Curtin University's School of Economics & Finance. Before joining Curtin, Lee was an associate lecturer with University of New South Wales where he also completed his PhD in finance.

Prior to embarking on his academic career, Lee spent 8 years working for a major U.S. investment bank trading foreign-exchange and interest rate derivatives. Lee’s research interests are closely aligned with this prior career and focus on financial markets, and in particular the market response to news-events and the impact of prevailing sentiment and microstructure on this reaction.

Lee has published in leading journals including the Journal of Banking & Finance, Journal of Financial Research, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Accounting & Finance, The Economic Record, and the Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money.

Lee has won awards for research (CBS New Researcher of the Year, 2013) and teaching (CBS New Teacher of the Year, 2014) and is also a CFA Charterholder.

Global Reflation Series

Explainer: what is reflation and is Australia experiencing it?

Apr 26, 2017 07:56 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Since the 2007 global financial crisis, policy makers have been fighting deflationary (falling prices) and disinflationary (prices rising at slow rate) pressures. But the global economy finally appears to be entering...

Three reasons businesses are paying higher dividends rather than investing

Mar 03, 2017 06:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Business Investing

Typically, low interest rates, together with record profits, would create an environment in which businesses would be happy to invest in new projects providing a boost to economic growth and jobs. Unfortunately,...

Why markets care what businesses are buying

Jan 03, 2017 00:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

How we track our economy influences everything from government spending and taxes to home lending and business investment. In our series The Way We Measure, were taking a close look at economic indicators to better...

Worrisome Signs Series

Perfect storm of events could trigger the next financial crisis

Jul 10, 2016 20:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Back in 2007, the first signs of stress in the US housing market were starting to appear. Managed investment funds at Bear Sterns and BNP Paribas were forced to close, or suspend payments, as they were unable to liquidate...

An uncertain election result may lead to stagnant financial markets

Jul 03, 2016 11:49 am UTC| Insights & Views

For the second time in the space of ten days, it appears that betting markets and pollsters have got it wrong. First, despite odds showing a 90% likelihood of Remain winning, the UK voted to Leave the European Union in its...

Economy

Malaysia Inflation Eases to 1.8% in July, Below Forecast

Malaysias inflation rate moderated slightly in July, with consumer prices rising 1.8% from a year earlier, according to government data released on Monday. The latest increase in Malaysias Consumer Price Index (CPI) came...

BSP Sees Philippine Inflation Easing, Keeps Policy Options Open

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects inflation in the Philippines to gradually ease over the medium term, although risks to consumer prices remain tilted to the upside, central bank Governor Eli Remolona said on...

Gold Prices Rise as Weak US Data and Hormuz Risks Boost Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed on Monday as investors weighed weaker U.S. economic data against geopolitical tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, while awaiting the Federal Reserves July meeting minutes for fresh signals on...

US Stock Futures Steady as Cooling Inflation and Strong Earnings Support Markets

U.S. stock futures traded near the flatline during Asian hours on Sunday, with Wall Street sentiment supported by softer inflation data and a strong corporate earnings season following a third consecutive week of gains for...

Asian Stocks Steady as Iran War Keeps Oil Prices and Inflation Risks Elevated

Asian stocks traded mostly flat on Monday as investors monitored rising oil prices and persistent geopolitical tensions surrounding the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz. Prospects for peace talks remain limited, while oil...

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks Escalate as Strikes Hit Moscow, Kyiv and Romania

Russia and Ukraine exchanged major missile and drone attacks overnight, leaving several people dead and damaging industrial and commercial facilities as the war continues to intensify. Russian forces struck ArcelorMittal...

US CENTCOM Chief Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew Amid Mental Health Concerns

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln following a recent visit to the aircraft carrier, describing their performance and resilience as awe-inspiring amid growing...

Lula Targets Brazil’s Gig Workers as Reelection Battle Takes Shape

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched his final reelection campaign on Sunday in Sao Bernardo do Campo, returning to the stadium where his rise as a labor leader began nearly five decades ago....

Trump Envoys Hold Gaza Peace Talks in Cairo as Israeli Strikes Continue

U.S. President Donald Trumps envoys held talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday as diplomatic efforts intensified to advance Washingtons Gaza peace plan while Israeli airstrikes continued...

Migrants in Spain’s Ceuta Protest for Asylum, Refuse Return to Morocco

Hundreds of migrants in Spains North African enclave of Ceuta gathered on a popular urban beach on Sunday, calling on Spanish authorities to grant them asylum rather than return them to Morocco. The protesters are among an...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Alphabet Eyes First Australian Dollar Bond as AI Spending Drives Funding Push

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is preparing for its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance as the U.S. technology giant explores new funding sources amid rapidly rising artificial intelligence investment. The...

Alibaba Sells Lingxi Games for Over $1.5 Billion Amid AI Push

Alibaba Group is reportedly selling its gaming subsidiary Lingxi Games in a transaction that could value the Chinese video game studio at more than $1.5 billion, as the technology giant redirects resources toward...

Nvidia’s $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push Wins Morgan Stanley Support

Nvidia is doubling down on the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with a plan to help mobilize as much as $500 billion in third-party capital, drawing participation from major financial firms including Apollo,...

Alphabet Shifts AI Strategy Toward Commercial Growth, Goldman Sachs Says

Alphabet is increasingly shifting its artificial intelligence strategy toward commercialization, scale and long-term revenue growth, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. The investment bank said recent management changes,...

Nvidia Eyes $3 Billion Investment in SoftBank-Backed AI Data Center

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to invest up to $3 billion in SB Energy, a SoftBank Group-backed company developing a major AI data center campus in Ohio for OpenAI. According to a report by The Information, the...