Australia Westpac Leading Index improved slightly in April, rising from -0.08% to -0.01%. Westpac noted that the index is once again indicating some stabilization in growth momentum. However, the improvement in growth is expected to be modest.
Westpac forecasts GDP to grow at an annual pace of 1.9% in the second half of the year, up from 1.3% in the first half. Despite this uptick, the growth rate remains below Australia’s trend, which is estimated to be around 2.5% per year with some moderation in population growth.