In March 2019, the consumer confidence index decreased from 112.4 to 111.2. All of its components worsened: the economic, the personal, the current and the future one (from 126.4 to 123.9, from 108.2 to 106.8, from 109.4 to 107.8 and from 116.9 to 115.9, respectively).
With regard to the business surveys, the business confidence index (IESI, Istat Economic Sentiment Indicator) bettered from 98.2 to 99.2.
The confidence index in manufacturing lowered from 101.6 to 100.8. Assessments on order books and expectations on production worsened (balance from -10.5 to -11.0 and from 5.6 to 3.5, respectively), while assessments on inventories only moderately inched (balance from 5.4 to 4.9).
The confidence index in construction went up from 135.5 to 140.3. In particular, both the assessments on order books/construction plans and employment expectations improved (balance from -21.3 to -20.2 and from 0.3 to 5.6, respectively).
The market services confidence index heightened from 98.3 to 100.1. The balances concerning assessments on order books and expectations on business trend rose (from -3.5 to 0.7 and from 5.3 to 9.7 respectively) while the expectations on order books deteriorated (balance from 4.0 to 1.0).
The retail trade confidence index remained stable at 105.5. Assessments on current sales worsened and expectations on the future ones improved (from 13.3 to 10.4 the former and from 20.7 to 23.7 the latter). Finally, the balance concerning the assessments on volume of stocks gradually moved from 9.9 to 10.2. The confidence index decreased in the large scale distribution (from 106.9 to 105.4) and it rose in the small and medium scale distribution (from 104.3 to 104.8).