Australia's Consumer Confidence Soars, NZ First-Time Buyers Seize Opportunity Amid Housing Market Softening

Consumer confidence in Australia soared 12.8% in November, while first-time homebuyers in New Zealand made up a record 27.7% of all transactions in Q3. A Macquarie-led group is acquiring Potters Industries for $1.1 billion, and the US jobs market slowed, raising the prospect of a Federal Reserve rate cut next month. China's cybersecurity agency accused the US government of orchestrating a $13 billion Bitcoin theft.