FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Thailand's Consumer Confidence Index Rises for Second Month in July

By

Thailand's consumer confidence index rose to 51.8 in July from 50.7 in June, marking a second consecutive monthly increase and signaling an improvement in consumer sentiment, according to the survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.

The survey found that confidence showed signs of recovery despite continued concerns among consumers and businesses over domestic and global economic risks.

Meanwhile, the Thai Chamber of Commerce Confidence Index edged up to 41.5 in July from 41.4 in June.

The current confidence index fell to 35.9 from 36.0, while the future confidence index rose to 47.1 from 46.9, indicating a more positive outlook for the economy in the coming period.

Related Articles

International

New Zealand Central Bank Maintains Loan-to-Value Ratio Restrictions Amid Contained Housing Risks

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) on Friday left loan-to-value ratio (LVR) settings unchanged in its annual review of macroprudential policy, noting that housing risks are currently contained.The current settings, which have been in place since December 2025, allow up to 25% of new lending to have an LVR above 80% for owner occupiers, and up to 10% of new lending to have an LVR above 70% for investors."Nationally, house prices have remained broadly flat in recent years, while mortgage lending growth has been modest and the share of higher-risk lending remains manageable," said Angus McGregor, the central bank's assistant governor of financial stability.He added that debt-to-income restrictions, which complement LVR settings as a guardrail against the accumulation of high-risk lending, also remain in place.

^NZ50
International

Australia's Total Loan Commitments for Dwellings Falls in June Quarter

The number of total loan commitments for dwellings in Australia fell 5.4% to 134,225 in the June Quarter, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday.New owner-occupier home loans declined 3.3% to 81,626, with their total value falling 1.9% to AU$60.53 billion, while first home buyer loans decreased 2.9% to 29,319, and rose 0.2% in value to AU$18.38 billion."Lending fell across all borrower types this quarter and returned to similar levels to this time last year," said Mish Tan, the bureau's head of finance statistics.Meanwhile, lending to investors fell 8.6% to 52,599. The total value of investment loans approved decreased over 10% to AU$37.12 billion.Compared with the year-earlier period, total loan approvals rose 0.1% in the June quarter. New home loans were flat, while investor loans increased 2.8%.

ASX 200
International

New Zealand Supermarkets See Grocery Supplier Costs Rise Nearly 2% Year Over Year in July, Infometrics Says

Costs for supermarkets in New Zealand from grocery suppliers increased 1.9% in July from a year earlier, Infometrics said in a Friday report."July's result was the slowest annual increase since February 2025, driven by a number of cost decreases as some fuel adjustment factors reversed out," according to Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen.At the same time, "product cost increases haven't been as intense as first feared when conflict in the Middle East sent various input costs soaring," Olsen said."Although costs for some items have eased back slightly, increases continue across some household staples including meats, some produce, and recently some non-food grocery items," Olsen added.Supplier costs rose across all departments in July compared with a year earlier, with butchery cost increases led by beef, lamb, and pork, while higher produce costs were led by onions, cucumbers, and certain fruits.Month on month, just over 3,600 products increased in cost from June to July, which Infometrics said is "a more usual number of monthly cost increases after the surge in June."

^NZ50