Argentina: Consumer confidence ticks up in January but remains downbeat
The Universidad Torcuato di Tella (UTDT) consumer confidence index edged up to 43.0 in January from 42.4 in December. However, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold that separates optimism from pessimism among consumers, where it has been for over two years.
January’s print mainly reflected an improvement in consumers’ willingness to purchase big-ticket items, which nevertheless remained at abysmal levels. Moreover, consumers also had better assessments of their personal financial conditions compared to one year ago. On the other hand, consumers’ expectations on their personal financial situation in one-year view deteriorated, and their outlook on the future general macroeconomic situation weakened.