Cheaper petrol, low mortgage rates bolster consumer confidence in run-up to Xmas

Tue, 18 Dec 2018

By Paul McBeth Dec. 19 (BusinessDesk) - Consumer confidence rose from a six-year low in the lead-up to Christmas, as cheaper petrol and low mortgage rates left more in household budgets, the latest Westpac McDermott Miller survey shows. The consumer confidence index rose 5.6 points to 109.1 in the December quarter, unwinding all of September's decline, but still below the 111.3 long-run average level. Consumers were more upbeat about both their current situation and their future outlook, with the present conditions index up 4 points at 1...

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