― The Westpac–Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index has continued to rally, rising 1.8% in Jan to be up over 10% from its Aug low. At 105.1 the Index is in ‘cautiously optimistic’ territory with Jan marking the most positive start to a calendar year since 2010.
― A less threatening outlook for interest rates and improving confidence around the economy and jobs have been the main positives.
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David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific's leading geo-politics and economics portal.
He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.
