Australia Westpac Consumer Confidence Change

Info

History

Chart

Impact:

High

Latest Release:

Surprise:

-5.1%

AUD

Actual:

-6%

Forecast: -0.9%

Previous/Revision:

Period: Apr 2025

Next Release:

Forecast: 2%

Period: May 2025

What Does It Measure?

The Westpac Consumer Confidence Change measures the sentiment of consumers regarding their financial situation and the overall economic outlook in Australia. This indicator primarily focuses on household spending intentions, financial conditions, and general economic expectations, providing insights into consumer behavior and confidence levels.

Frequency

The Westpac Consumer Confidence Change is released monthly, usually on the first Tuesday of each month, and it reflects preliminary findings based on survey data collected during the previous month.

Why Do Traders Care?

Traders pay close attention to consumer confidence data as it serves as a leading indicator for economic activity and consumer spending, which is a significant component of Australia's GDP. Higher consumer confidence levels can lead to bullish trends in currencies and equities, while lower results may negatively affect the market by signaling potential weakness in future economic growth.

What Is It Derived From?

This indicator is derived from a national survey conducted by Westpac that typically includes responses from about 1,200 households across Australia. The survey employs a series of questions assessing consumers' views on their financial situation, current economic conditions, and future expectations, using a diffusion index to gauge overall sentiment.

Description

Preliminary data from the Westpac Consumer Confidence Change is based on early survey responses and is subject to subsequent revisions to increase accuracy, typically resulting in a final report released later in the month. Financial markets often react more strongly to preliminary figures due to their immediate nature; however, the final data can lead to adjustments in market positions based on a more comprehensive picture of consumer sentiment.

Additional Notes

The Westpac Consumer Confidence Change is considered a leading economic indicator as it tends to predict fluctuations in consumer spending and overall economic performance. It is related to other indicators, such as retail sales and the unemployment rate, and reflects broader economic trends both domestically and globally.

Legend

High Potential Impact
This event has a strong potential to move markets significantly. If the 'Actual' value differs enough from the forecast or if the 'Previous' value is significantly revised, it signals new information that markets may rapidly adjust to.

Medium Potential Impact
This event may cause moderate market movement, especially if the 'Actual' deviates from the forecast or there's a notable revision to the 'Previous' value.

Low Potential Impact
This event is unlikely to affect market pricing unless there's an unexpected surprise or a major revision to prior data.

Surprise - Currency May Strengthen
Actual deviated from Forecast on a medium or high impact event and historically could strengthen the currency.

Surprise - Currency May Weaken
Actual deviated from Forcast on a medium or high impact event and historically could weaken the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Strengthen
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely strengthen the currency.

Big Surprise - Currency More Likely To Weaken
'Actual' deviated from 'Forecast' more than 75% of historical deviations on a medium or high impact event and may likely weaken the currency

Green Number	Better than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Red Number	Worse than forecast for the currency (or previous revise better)
Hawkish	Supports higher interest rates to fight inflation, strengthening the currency but weighing on stocks.
Dovish	Favors lower rates to boost growth, weakening the currency but lifting stocks.

Date	Actual	Forecast	Previous	Surprise
Apr 08, 2025	-6%	-0.9%	4%	-5.1%
Mar 10, 2025	4%	-0.3%	0.1%	4.3%
Feb 10, 2025	0.1%	0.4%	-0.7%	-0.3%
Jan 13, 2025	-0.7%		-2%
Dec 16, 2024	-2%	3.2%	5.3%	-5.2%
Nov 11, 2024	5.3%	-0.8%	6.2%	6.1%
Oct 08, 2024	6.2%	0.8%	-0.5%	5.4%
Sep 10, 2024	-0.5%	-1.2%	2.8%	0.7%
Aug 13, 2024	2.8%	0.5%	-1.1%	2.3%
Jul 09, 2024	-1.1%	-0.3%	1.7%	-0.8%
Jun 25, 2024	1.7%	-0.1%	-0.3%	1.8%
May 21, 2024	-0.3%	0.9%	-2.4%	-1.2%
Apr 09, 2024	-2.4%	0.5%	-1.8%	-2.9%
Mar 25, 2024	-1.8%	-1.6%	6.2%	-0.2%
Feb 12, 2024	6.2%	-0.8%	-1.3%	7%
Jan 15, 2024	-1.3%	0.5%	2.7%	-1.8%