Consumers remain wary about buying a home or splurging on shopping, the Macau University of Science and Technology’s consumer confidence index suggests. The index’s second-quarter reading was 87.6 out of 200 points, a 0.3-percent decrease from the first quarter. A reading above 100 points suggests a positive outlook. The confidence index was dragged lower by a decrease in the sub-index measuring confidence in the housing market, according to lead researcher Chan Lai Kow. Mr Chan said consumers felt inflationary pressure on household expenditure had diminished in the second quarter but prices remained a significant drag on the index.
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