France: Economic sentiment eases in April
Economic sentiment fell to 95.9 in April from March’s 100.7. Consequently, the index dipped below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected declining sentiment in the industrial sector and dampened sentiment in the construction sector. Moreover, confidence in the services sector cooled in April and consumer confidence waned in April. That said, sentiment in the retail sector increased in the surveyed month.
Relating to indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations improved, while the economic uncertainty index decreased in April.