Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment fell 2.6% in November

  • biggest monthly drop in 6 months
  • prior was +2.9%
  • drop to 79.9 from prior 82.0
  • index has been below the neutral 100 level since March 2022, the longest streak since the early 1990s recession
  • survey found a 6% drop in confidence immediately after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) last week lifted interest rates by 0.25% to a 12-year high of 4.35%

Westpac:

  • "The RBA's hike has put renewed pressure on family finances and reignited concerns about both the rising cost of living and the prospect of further rises to come."

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Earlier, another dire week for consumer sentiment:

Australian consumer confidence plummets to a 4-month low as the RBA raises cash rate