October business sentiment: -10.4
Previous: -9.4 Sep, -7.8 Aug, -2.5 Jul, -1.1 Jun, -0.5 May, +2.8 Apr
October industry sentiment: -11.8
Previous: -13.1 Sep, -12.0 Aug, -6.2 Jul, -4.4 Jun, -3.9 May, +0.2 Apr
PARIS (MNI) – Belgium business confidence in October maintained its
downward trend, as new orders assessments were revised sharply downward
across all major sectors, the National Bank of Belgium reported on
Tuesday.
Falling for the seventh consecutive month, October’s one-point
slide brought the indicator to -10.4, its lowest level in just under two
years, and below the long-run average of -7.5.
The manufacturing sentiment indicator recovered 1.3 points to
-11.8, as companies assessed the outlook for demand less negatively. But
that only partially offset drops in the construction and
retailing/wholesaling sectors, as well as in business-related services,
While the majority of respondents looking to cut staff in the near
term also decreased, the more negative assessment of total new orders
could lead to a renewed drop in employment expectations.
In the retailing and wholesaling sectors, sentiment fell to its
lowest point since the start of 2010, as employment expectations and
respondents’ intentions on placing orders declined, while demand
expectations remained well below average.
After stagnating in September, construction morale fell in October,
dragged down by a worsening trend in orders, slimmer order books and
weaker demand expectations.
Business-related services morale fell for the third consecutive
month in October. Respondents grew more pessimistic regarding the
outlook for demand and activity.
— Paris newsroom +331 4271 5540; email: paris@marketnews.com —
[TOPICS: M$X$$$,M$XDS$]
