Austria: Consumer sentiment is stable in February
Consumer confidence was stable at January’s minus 3 in February.
The stable reading reflected still rosy, albeit more moderate, views on the financial situation of households in both the past 12 months and the next 12 months. Sentiment regarding the general economic situation in the past year was unchanged while views on the economy in the year ahead soured. More pessimistic views on the economic outlook were likely linked to lingering external headwinds and the outbreak of the coronavirus. Perhaps influenced by pessimistic views on the economy, intentions to save over the next 12 months rose despite the continued ultra-loose monetary policy of the ECB.