Australia’s Consumer Sentiment Darkens Further, Job Ads Slip

Australia’s consumer confidence slipped to a six-month low in October amid renewed doubts about prospects for future interest rate cuts, given the recent strength in inflation.

Sentiment declined 3.5% to 92.1 points, a Westpac Banking Corp. survey showed Tuesday. Pessimists persist in outweighing optimists, and it has now been 44 months since Australian consumers last registered a sentiment reading above 100.