NZ consumer confidence dips in March quarter, still upbeat and keen to spend

NZ consumer confidence dips in March quarter, still upbeat and keen to spend
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth March 20 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand consumer confidence dipped in the March quarter as people grew wary about the short-term economic outlook, but extended the nation's run of optimism to six years.  The Westpac McDermott Miller consumer confidence index declined 1.2 points to 111.9 in the March quarter, still above the long-run average of 111.4. A reading above 100 indicates optimists outnumber pessimists, and the survey has been above that level since March 2011. The present conditions index decreased 0.2 points to 111....