The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has just released the Lending Finance data for December and the results are mixed:
The total value of owner occupied housing commitments excluding alterations and additions (but including refinancings) rose 2.0% in seasonally adjusted terms [see Monday’s housing finance data release for further information]:
The seasonally adjusted series for the value of housing alterations and additions (‘renovations’) rose 1.3%:
The seasonally adjusted series for the value of total personal finance commitments rose 0.4% in December 2011, after falling by -9.3% in November 2011:
The seasonally adjusted series for the value of total commercial finance commitments fell -0.9% in December 2011, after a -10.4% fall in November 2011:
With the recent uptrend in commercial finance commitments driven by New South Wales:
Finally, the seasonally adjusted series for the value of total lease finance commitments fell by -13.1% after rising by 16.4% in November:
So, overall this data release is a mixed bag, with some components rising solidly and others falling.
