NZ Westpac Consumer Sentiment

Consumer confidence has taken a knock, albeit only a small one at this stage. Our Westpac-McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence index fell 1.8ppts in March, taking it to a level of 94.7 (a level below 100 indicates that there are more households who are pessimistic about economic conditions than those who are optimistic). • A growing number of households actually told us their financial position had been improving over the past year. However, those improving domestic conditions have now been over taken by more worrying global events. ...

With the economy hitting a soft patch mid-year and cost of living pressures on the rise, economic confidence in New Zealand has remained soggy. • The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence index edged down 0.3 ppts in September to a level of 90.9 – effectively unchanged from the June quarter and still a fair way below historic averages. (Note: A level below 100 indicates that there are more households who are pessimistic about the outlook than those who are optimistic). • Notably, confidence has remained subdued despite the ...

Spring is finally here! The days are getting longer. The weather is warming up. And consumer confidence has taken a (small) step higher. The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index rose 9 points in September, reversing most of the fall we saw last quarter. Confidence about the economic landscape is still low, with many households continuing to face some tough financial conditions. However, it looks like some of the pessimism about the outlook is now starting to ease. Financial pressures remain front of mind for most New ...

New Zealand households have been feeling a bit perkier. The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index rose 4.3 points in March, taking it to a level of 93.2. That’s still below the 100 level, signalling that the number of New Zealanders who are feeling pessimistic about economic conditions still outnumbers those that are feeling optimistic. However, some of households’ concerns about financial pressures are starting to ease, and that has seen confidence picking up to its highest level in more than two years. Stepping back ...

The holiday season is upon us. The weather is warming up. Champagne corks are popping. And New Zealand households are starting to feel more upbeat – or at least less pessimistic – about the economic outlook. The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index rose 8.7 points in December, taking it to a level of 88.9. That’s still well below average, with many more New Zealanders feeling pessimistic about economic conditions than those who feel optimistic. However, the rise in the index in recent months is an encouraging sign, with ...