NZ consumer confidence ticks back up in March quarter as political jitters fade

NZ consumer confidence ticks back up in March quarter as political jitters fade
Rebecca Howard
By Rebecca Howard March 20 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand consumer confidence retraced its post-election drop to return to average levels in the March quarter as political jitters faded and the economy remains strong.  The Westpac McDermott Miller consumer confidence index rose 3.8 points to 111.2 in the March quarter, just below 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 rose 3.5 points to 111.2 while th...