Consumer and business confidence

In November 2019, the consumer confidence index worsened from 111.5 to 108.5. More specifically, the fall in confidence affected the economic component (from 127.2 to 116.3), the current one (from 107.9 to 106.8) and, finally, the future one (from 116.1 to 110.2). Only the personal component slightly bettered, passing from 105.4 to 105.8.

As for the business confidence climate, the index (IESI, Istat Economic Sentiment Indicator) improved slightly passing from 98.9 to 99.1.

The confidence index in manufacturing weakened from 99.5 to 98.9. Both the assessments on order books and the expectations on production declined (the related balances moved from -16.6 to -19.1 and from 5.4 to 5.1, respectively). The assessments on inventories passed from 5.0 to 3.8.

The confidence index in construction regressed from 141.3 to 137.1. Both its components changed for the worse: the assessments on order books/construction plans from -13.9 to -14.7 and the employment expectations from 0.6 to -4.2.

The market services confidence index remained unchanged to 99.6. More specifically, the expectations and the assessments on order books went up (the related balances rose from -1.5 to -0.9 the first and from 4.8 to 6.2 the second), while the assessments on business trend deteriorated (the balance of the variable lowered from 6.6 to 4.5).

The retail trade confidence index remained practically unchanged, passing from 108.3 to 108.2. Both the assessments on current sales and the expectations on future ones slightly declined (the related balances moved from 13.2 to 12.8 the first, from 28.3 to 27.9 the second). The inventories were also considered to have lowered (the balance of the variable diminished from 9.0 to 8.4). The breakdown of data by distribution channel showed that the retail trade confidence index held steady in the large scale distribution (111.5) and varied in the small and medium scale one (from 99.0 to 100.3).