New Zealanders are feeling pessimistic about the economy, worried about rising interest rates and the prospect of new Covid-19 variants, Westpac’s latest consumer confidence data shows. The bank’s consumer confidence index dropped 3.6 points in the December quarter, to 99.1. Any reading below 100 indicates that more people are pessimistic than optimistic about the economy. It follows a similarly sharp fall in the September quarter. “It’s been a stressful year for a lot of New Zealand households,” said Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod. “With the combination of lockdowns, rising interest rates and now a new ... (full story)