France: Economic sentiment rises into optimistic territory in March
Economic sentiment rose to 100.7 in March from February’s 98.1. March’s result marked the best reading since August 2022. Consequently, the index moved above the long-term average of 100, pointing to a positive near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected stronger sentiment in the industrial sector. Moreover, confidence in the services sector was healthier in March, while sentiment in the retail sector rose in the surveyed month. Additionally, consumer confidence was up in March. Conversely, sentiment in the construction sector weakened.
Considering indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations deteriorated, while the economic uncertainty index decreased in March.