Belgium: Economic sentiment deteriorates in February
The consumer confidence indicator produced by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) fell another 1.0 point in February to minus 7.0 points. The reading was driven by households’ deteriorating views on their ability to save over the short-term, which appeared linked to an uptick in inflation expectations and concerns over big-ticket purchases over the forecast horizon.
Moreover, the NBB’s business confidence indicator dipped from minus 1.5 points to minus 1.7 points on the back of deteriorating trade-and manufacturing-sector sentiment. On the other hand, optimism in the building- and services-related sectors picked up.