Italian firms optimistic confidence in top since 2008 – AGI – Agenzia Journalistic Italy

19:27 March 30, 2015

(AGI) – Rome, March 30 – Italian companies and consumers return to believe in recovery. And for the European Commission, Italy, among the major economies of the eurozone, and ‘the one that scores the most improvement’ equity in economic expectations.
Domestically and ‘Istat in the morning to report that the ‘overall index of Italian business confidence for the month of March and’ “a marked improvement” and goes up to 103 points from 97.5 in February, reaching the highest since July 2008. There is also increased consumer confidence Italians, who arrives in 110.9 points from 107.7 in February. The improvement in confidence in all the main sectors, underlines the Istat: manufacturing (to 103.7 from 100.5), construction (to 116.0 from 108.5), market services (to 108.1 from 100.4) and retail trade (to 103.0 from 101.0).
In manufacturing companies improve both the opinions on orders (from -17 to -11) and production expectations (from 10 8); the balance of the opinions on inventories increases to 3 to 4. In construction
improve both the opinions on orders and / or construction plans, either – albeit slightly – employment expectations (from -45 to -36 -11 and -12 balances). The figure, said Labour Minister Giuliano Poletti, and ” positive ’cause confirms a trend that has’ triggered by a bit’ of months. ” In service companies improve judgments and expectations for orders (from -1 to 2 and 4 to -1, the respective balances) and expectations on economic in general (17 2). In the retail worse judgments on current sales (-5 1), while improving the expectations on future sales (28 to 19); drawdown in inventories are judged (7 to 10). The index
confidence rises in all major groups of industries: consumer goods from 98.8 to 100.3, goods intermediate to 99.6 from 95.3 and in capital goods to 111.8 from 107.2. Even the opinions on orders improved: in consumer goods the balance rose to -10 from -13, in intermediate goods to -17 from -24 and in capital goods from -14 to -7. The balance of opinions on stocks of finished goods passes to 4 from 5 in consumer goods, from 2 to 3 in the intermediate and 2 from 5 in the capital goods. The production expectations improved in the intermediate goods and capital goods (respectively from 5 to 10 and 15 to 11), while remaining stable at 6 in consumer goods.
As exports in the first quarter of the year improved expectations on revenues but worsen judgments: salt from 7 to 9 the seasonally adjusted balance to the relationship between export and domestic prices; fell to 32% from 34% the share of the companies surveyed complained that the presence of significant obstacles to the attivita ‘export; among these obstacles, diminish in importance those related to cost, finance, the bureaucracy and the quality ‘of the products, while increasing importance of those related to the time of delivery and other reasons. To resize in part because the Istat and ‘the CISL: according to the confederal secretary of the CISL, Giuseppe Farina, “and’ positive growth of business confidence on the recovery, sin, however, ‘that their optimism is belied by the same Istat a few days ago did record an alarming drop in orders and sales. ” “Today’s data represent an additional element to support the improvement of the macroeconomic environment,” and ‘commentary Confcommercio. “In particular, the sentiment of the families, who, after three consecutive increases, has reached the most ‘high since 2007, can’ be interpreted as a sound basis for a recovery in consumption, partly already ‘seen in retail sales January, “aggniunge the research department of the traders. “Continue to rise decisively operators ‘confidence. In terms families, and’ always the economic climate to lead the leap: this indicator and ‘returned to levels that were not more’ seen from the early years of the euro, ie in 2001 -2002, “adds Sergio De Nardis, chief economist of Nomisma, said the data released this morning by Istat. The good news coming from Europe: the European Commission’s indicator that measures the economic sentiment in the euro area recorded a significant increase in March compared to February, confirming the positive trend in place since the beginning of the year. Among the major economies of the eurozone, Italy marks the greater improvement in economic expectations. The indicator, which combines the confidence of consumers, traders and sectors of industry, services, finance and construction, an increase in the euro zone by 1.6 share points touching 103.9 points, further above the average long-term (1990-2014). In Italy the indicator and ‘increased in March by 2.4 points, reaching a peak of 106.1 points. (AGI).