Australian Housing Lending Falls Sharply, Consumer and Business Sentiment Decline in Q3 2026.

Australia saw a sharp 15.5% decline in new housing lending in Q3 2026, the largest since 2002, with investor lending pulling back significantly. Consumer sentiment fell to a four-year low of 78.2 in November, and business confidence also decreased. These developments, alongside the impact of higher US October CPI, are creating tension for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) regarding further interest rate hikes to tackle inflation.