Consumer and business confidence - June 2022

In June 2022, the consumer confidence index worsened from 102.7 to 98.3 because of a fall in all of its components. In particular, the economic climate plunged from 103.6 to 93.9, the current one collapsed from 104.6 to 97.9, the personal one decreased from 102.4 to 99.8, and, finally, the future one slipped from 99.8 to 98.8.

Regarding the business confidence climate, the index (IESI, Istat Economic Sentiment Indicator) progressed from 111.0 to 113.6.

The confidence climate in manufacturing improved from 109.4 to 110.0. Particularly, compared to the previous month, respondents gave more favourable assessments on the order books and formulated better expectations on the future production (the balances of the variables went up from 5.3 to 7.3 and from 7.2 to 8.1, respectively). To conclude, inventories were judged to be on the rise (the related balance varied, in fact, from 0.4 to 1.7).

The confidence index in construction improved from 158.7 to 159.7. Among the confidence-building variables, the assessments on order books/construction got better (the related balance passed from 3.6 to 5.3), while the expectations on employment slightly deteriorated (the balance of the variable slipped from 6.1 to 5.6).

The market services confidence increased from 103.8 to 109.1 backed, in particular, by optimism about the future developments of order books (the balance of the variable grew from 3.8 to 11.5). The assessments on order books and on current business trend also gave more favourable indications and the related balances passed from 8.8 to 13.2 and from 10.2 to 14.7, respectively.

The retail trade confidence index grew from 105.8 to 107.2. The balance referring to the current business trend clearly increased (in fact, it went up from 7.8 to 13.3), while unfavourable signals came from the expectations on future sales (the related balance continued to decline for a second straight month passing from 16.6 to 13.3). Finally, inventories, consistently with the current sale trend, showed a new reduction (from -0.3 to -2.4 the related balance).