Source: The Patriot Light | AWK Network | VIEW ORIGINAL POST ==>
(Reuters) – British consumer morale hit a four-month high in December as households grew cheerier about their finances, a survey showed on Friday, in good news for finance minister Rachel Reeves after other indicators showed a post-budget slide in business sentiment.
The monthly consumer confidence index from market research firm GfK rose to -17 in December from -18 in November, the highest reading since August. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to an unchanged reading.
GfK’s measures of past and future financial confidence also rose to four-month highs, while the other components – economic confidence and major purchase intentions – were steady.
Overall the readings added to signs that consumers remain relatively confident about the outlook, in contrast to a sharp dip in business confidence after Reeves’ Oct. 30 budget imposed sharp tax increases on employers.
A separate YouGov/Cebr survey published on Wednesday showed consumer confidence ticked higher this month, despite a drop in perceived job security.
Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at NIQ GfK, said consumers were still uncertain about making big-ticket purchases and highlighted consumers’ relatively weak…
