Markets Await RBA Minutes and Labor Data to Gauge Rate Path

Key Facts

1The Reserve Bank of Australia is set to release its September policy meeting minutes on Tuesday, followed by labor force data on Thursday.

2The RBA raised the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.60% in September, marking the fourth increase of the cycle.

3Westpac’s consumer sentiment index fell 4.7% to 80.4 in October, reflecting the impact of rate hikes on households.

The Reserve Bank of Australia is scheduled to release its September policy meeting minutes on Tuesday, followed by the publication of labor force data on Thursday. According to reports, the RBA raised the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.60% in September, marking the fourth increase of the current cycle as inflation remains above target due to domestic capacity strains and global shocks.

Data shows that Westpac’s consumer sentiment index fell by 4.7% to 80.4 in October 2026, reflecting the pressure of rate hikes on households. Economic records indicate that the Westpac Consumer Confidence Change was confirmed at -4.7% on October 5, 2026, significantly lower than the forecasted decline of 1.2%.