Australia - ANZ Roy Morgan Weekly Consumer Confidence (this time for the week ended April 5): 109.7

  • prior was 112.3

Weakest reading in almost 8 months

  • Weakness was broadly based
  • 4 of 5 sub-indexes fell
  • Largest fall seen in 'time to buy a major household item' (down 4.6%, now at its lowest level since June 2014)

Comment from ANZ chief economist Warren Hogan:

  • Says that a key question for the outlook is the extent to which a soft labour market will offsetthe 'feel good' factor from higher asset prices
  • "In our view, these conflicting forces suggest the road for confidence and retail over the next year may be bumpy"