France: Consumers grow more optimistic in July
Consumers grew more optimistic in July, with sentiment rising for a sixth consecutive month. According to the French Statistical Institute (INSEE), confidence ticked up 1 point from June to land at 102 points. Accordingly, the index inched above the 100-point threshold—its long-term average—for the first time since April 2018.
July’s upturn mostly reflected consumers’ less downbeat sentiment towards purchasing big-ticket household items. Moreover, concerns over unemployment decreased slightly, while sentiment towards current and expected saving capacity both inched up.