Australia new vehicle sales up 3.7 pct in Oct

SYDNEY, Nov 23 - Sales of new motor vehicles in Australia rose 3.7 percent in October from the previous month, a show of consumer resilience that could bode well for retail spending.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed that 81,122 vehicles were sold on a seasonally adjusted basis in October, up from 78,243 in September. That followed a 3.1 percent increase in September.

Sales were up 3.3 percent on October last year.

The data echoes strength shown in industry sales figures releaeed earlier this month. New vehicle sales in Australia rose for a second month in October and posted the first annual increase in over a year as demand steadily recovered.

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