The Consumer confidence indicator declined in August, after increasing between May and July. This evolution was driven by negative contributions from expectations regarding the future evolution of the country’s economic situation, of major purchases by households and of households’ financial situation. In the opposite direction, opinions on the past evolution of households’ financial situation registered a positive contribution.
The balance of opinions on past price developments decreased in the last four months, after recording in April its highest rise since May 2008. The balance of expectations on future price developments increased in August, following the decreases of the previous four months.
The economic climate indicator increased in August, after having declined in the previous month. The confidence indicators increased in Construction and Public Works and in Services, having decreased in Trade and in Manufacturing Industry.
The confidence indicator of Construction and Public Works increased in the previous two months, after having decreased in June, recording its highest rise since January 2002. This development reflected positive contributions of both components: opinions on current order books and perspectives on employment. The confidence indicator of Services also increased in August, after having decreased in the previous month, reflecting only the positive contribution from opinions on the evolution of the order books. Conversely, the Trade confidence indicator decreased in July and August, after having increased in June, reflecting the negative contributions from the current volume of stocks and expectations for activity over the next three months. In the Manufacturing Industry, the indicator also decreased in July and August, after having stabilized in the two previous months, driven only by the negative contribution of production expectations.
In August, the entrepreneurs’ expectations regarding the future evolution of selling prices increased in Trade, Manufacturing Industry and Construction and Public Works, having decreased in Services.
