Economy's Chill: Aussie Consumers Tighten Purse Strings Further

5

Fresh insights have emerged from two significant reports. The first came from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which unveiled April's Household Spending Indicator (HSI). This vital measure represents nearly two-thirds of total household expenditure.

Justin Fabo of Antipodean Macro provided charts showing the ABS HSI, indicating that nominal spending growth remained sluggish in April. More worryingly, the spending numbers in discretionary sectors, which are often seen as indicative of consumer confidence, appeared particularly feeble.

It’s worth noting that these charts measure spending in nominal terms. Adjusting for population and inflation would show an even steeper decline in real per capita spending, painting a more concerning picture.

Meantime, Westpac released its own data on consumer activity via the Card Tracker Index. This index tracks the vast volume of daily credit and debit card transactions processed by the bank. Recent findings are not encouraging.

According to the latest figures, the Westpac Card Tracker Index dipped by 2.2 points in the final two weeks of May, landing at 132.7 as of the week ending June 1. The downward trend has been persistent, with the average reading for the past eight weeks falling by approximately 0.5 points compared to the preceding eight weeks.

The quarterly growth pulse recorded a conspicuous negative rate of -1.1%, indicating substantial contraction in economic activity when adjusted for inflation.

When looking at the state-level breakdown, a uniformly broad decline is evident, though Western Australia shows somewhat milder quarterly decreases. Despite this slight regional resilience, the overall story remains grim.

The detailed assessment of HSI and Card Tracker Index data suggests that real per capita household consumption, as captured in the national accounts, continues to plummet.

The narrative is clear—Australian households are navigating through an intractable recession without a foreseeable short-term respite.

Published:Sunday, 9th Jun 2024
Source: Paige Estritori

Share this news item:

Finance News

Clear

Calls Intensify for Swift Financial Advice Reforms in Australia 06 May 2025: Paige Estritori Amid pressing concerns from industry associations, the call for rapid finalization of financial advice reforms in Australia has been amplified. The lack of direction from the Labour government regarding the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) is causing uncertainty in the sector, potentially stalling essential reform work. The impending retirement of Stephen Jones has only added to the speculation surrounding the future of these reforms. - read more

Unlocking Income Opportunities Through Commercial Real Estate Debt 06 May 2025: Paige Estritori Investors are increasingly discovering income prospects in commercial real estate (CRE) without owning property directly. CRE debt investments offer a popular method to generate returns by lending to those requiring capital for commercial property ventures. The investors' gains are derived from borrowing costs, encompassing interest and fees, once fund expenses are deducted. - read more

Navigating the Challenges of Bond Income Distributions 05 May 2025: Paige Estritori As global bond yields experience a resurgence, many income-seeking investors face diminishing returns from cash distributions. According to a recent analysis by investment researcher Zenith, a noticeable discrepancy has emerged between the average yields of bond fund portfolios and their actual income distributions. - read more

Westpac Records Slight Profit Drop Amid Geopolitical Risk Concerns 05 May 2025: Paige Estritori In a cautious signal to the market, Westpac has recorded a marginal decline in its half-year profit, posting a $3.45 billion result, down by one per cent compared to previous figures. This financial outcome marks the first under the direction of their new CEO, Anthony Miller, who commenced his role in December last year. Westpac has flagged geopolitical unpredictability as a significant ongoing risk, reflecting a challenging environment for the financial sector. - read more

US Federal Reserve Rate Decision Grips Australian Investors 04 May 2025: Paige Estritori The upcoming interest rate decision by the US Federal Reserve is creating significant anticipation among Australian investors. As the announcement is set for Thursday, the market is particularly keen on understanding the future direction beyond the expected maintenance of the current cash rate, which Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has previously indicated for May. - read more

Court Imposes $11 Million Penalty on Advice Firm for Breaching Remuneration Rules 02 May 2025: Paige Estritori The Federal Court has imposed a substantial $11 million penalty on a financial advice firm after discovering the firm breached conflicted remuneration regulations. The case revealed that DOD Bookkeeping, formerly Equiti Financial Services, engaged in practices that involved providing standardized advice that improperly favored in-house property investments. - read more