【环球财经】2月澳大利亚消费者信心指数因加息继续下滑

Core Viewpoint - The Westpac Bank and Melbourne Institute report indicates a further decline in consumer confidence in Australia, with the index dropping 2.6% to 90.5 points in February 2026, reflecting ongoing pessimism among consumers due to interest rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) [1] Group 1: Consumer Confidence Index - The consumer confidence index has decreased to 90.5 points, remaining in a pessimistic state, influenced by the RBA's interest rate hike [1] - The decline in consumer confidence is less severe than historical averages, with a 2.6% drop compared to an average of 3.8% following past rate hikes [1] Group 2: Economic Indicators - The sub-index predicting the economic situation for the next year increased by 0.1% to 88.5 points, while the five-year outlook decreased by 2.5% to 94.1 points [2] - Indicators related to household finances show a slight decline, with the one-year financial outlook down 0.1% to 97.7 points and the past year's financial situation down 4.7% to 78.8 points [2] - The index for purchasing major household items fell by 5.6% to 93.5 points, and the housing market index dropped 6.3% to 84 points [2] Group 3: Interest Rate Expectations - The interest rate expectations index surged by 16.1% to 177.5 points, the highest level since June 2023, indicating rising consumer anticipation of further rate hikes [3] - The RBA is expected to hold its next monetary policy meeting in mid-March, with potential for another rate increase in May, depending on upcoming inflation data [3] Group 4: Additional Consumer Confidence Reports - The ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index fell by 3.6 points to 76.9 points, marking the lowest level since December 2023, coinciding with the RBA's rate hike to 4.35% [4] - The most significant decline in consumer confidence was observed in assessments of the macroeconomic situation, particularly among households repaying mortgages [4]