In August 2020, both the consumer confidence climate (from 100.1 to 100.8) and the composite index of business confidence is estimated to rise from 77.0 to 80.8. Istat notes this, underlining that among the components of the consumer confidence climate, the economic climate records the most marked increase, passing from 85.9 to 90.1. For companies, the estimates show an increase in confidence spread to all sectors, albeit with different intensities.
In particular, in industry the manufacturing sector confidence index rises from 85.3 to 86.1 and in construction it increases from 129.7 to 132.6. In the retail trade the index increases from 86.7 to 94.
For consumers, the current and future climate indices also improved, passing respectively from 97.3 in July to 98.1 in August for the current and from 104.3 to 105.3 for the future, while the personal component decreased slightly (from 105.2 to 104.9). As far as businesses are concerned, the services sector shows a decidedly more marked positive trend: in market services (the index rises from 66 to 74.7). In the manufacturing industry, assessments on orders improve while production expectations are decreasing. Stocks of finished products are judged to have slightly increased compared to last month. For construction, the increase in the index is driven by a marked improvement in employment expectations at the company, while assessments on orders deteriorate. In retail trade, the confidence index went from 86.7 in July to 94 in August. At the level of the distribution circuit, confidence increases markedly in large-scale distribution while in traditional distribution the increase is more contained.
"In August - underlines Istat in its comment - the climate of business confidence increased for the third consecutive month. This increase is widespread in all sectors and is marked for services, while it is more contained for industry. recovering in all sectors, business confidence indicators are still far from the levels prior to the health emergency, especially in market services. The consumer confidence index is on the rise after the slight deterioration recorded in the month July 2020. Growth is driven by the marked improvement in expectations on the country's economic situation and unemployment ".