India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
Gold and Silver Prices Climb in Asian Trade as Markets Eye Key U.S. Economic Data 
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Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
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Australian Household Spending Dips in December as RBA Tightens Policy 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence was essentially unchanged last week, rising just 0.1 percent. Current financial conditions were down 2 percent, while future financial conditions were flat for the week.
Economic conditions readings were mixed, with current economic conditions up 0.2 percent while future economic conditions lost 0.9 percent. The ‘time to buy a household item’ gained the most among the sub-indices, rising 2.7 percent. Four-week moving average inflation expectations were up by 0.1 ppt at 4.3 percent.
In this final survey for the year, consumer sentiment finished well above average, though below the highs of earlier in the year. It is a touch higher than at the end of 2017. Not a bad outcome, given that households have faced a barrage of negative news in recent months about the state of the housing market and what it might mean for the economy.
"It seems there are sufficient offsets to this news; among them, a still robust labour market. The November employment report on Thursday will tell us just how robust, though we always caution against reading too much into what can be a volatile data series," said David Plank, ANZ’s Head of Australian Economics.
