• Commonwealth Bank flagged stalling household demand, with spending up 0.1% in August as cost pressures squeezed consumers.
• Data pointed to a broad-based slowdown versus 2025 and early 2026, with weaker income growth weighing on activity.
• Lower housing prices are expected to deepen the negative wealth effect, adding further downside risk to consumption.
• Bank economists forecast a 25 bp RBA hike to 4.6% at the Sept. 28-29 meeting, with November risk tied to inflation.
• Higher rates could lift mortgage repayments for borrowers who kept payments unchanged during 2025 rate cuts.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Commonwealth Bank of Australia published the original content used to generate this news brief on September 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.