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Australia consumer confidence remains fragile
A measure of consumer confidence held steady in July as people became more optimistic on the economic outlook even as they fretted about their personal finances. The very mixed survey of 1200 people by the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank showed its index of consumer sentiment edged down by 0.05 percent in July from June, when it rose 4.7 per cent. That left the index 3.0 per cent higher than in July last year at 102.1, meaning optimists still slightly outnumbered pessimists. "The survey detail points to powerful 'cross-currents' underlying the stable headline result," noted Westpac senior economist Matthew ... (full story)