BOJ Raises Interest Rates to 1% as Inflation Pressures Persist 
Asian Stocks Rally as Japan and South Korea Reach Record Highs on US-Iran Peace Deal 
German Industry Employment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
Japan Trade Deficit Narrows as Exports Surge in May 
Oil Prices Ease as Markets Weigh U.S.-Iran Peace Deal and Strait of Hormuz Reopening 
Dollar Surges After Fed Holds Rates Steady, Signals Potential Tightening Ahead 
U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Extends Gulf Ceasefire, Reopens Strait of Hormuz 
Trump and Iran Sign Framework Peace Deal in France Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions 
China Industrial Output Beats Forecasts as Domestic Demand Weakens 
Australia’s ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index, which was unchanged in September at 118, close to the historical average. The current conditions index fell 4 points to 120, while the future conditions index lifted 2 points to 116.
Consumer confidence remains pretty steady – and pretty average. Perceptions of current conditions remain strong, but there is some caution about the future, particularly around the broader economy rather than respondents’ own financial situations.
One of the most useful questions in the survey is whether respondents think it’s a good time to buy a major household item. This question bucked the trend this month, dipping 6 points to be the lowest in three years – admittedly three unusually stable year. This is worth keeping an eye on.
"The growth indicators out of business surveys are impacted around times of political change, and we await further evidence to assess how large the growth hiccup may prove. But monetary conditions and fiscal policy are stimulatory, and barring a global shock, we suspect the economy will muddle through," ANZ Research reported.
