Italy: Business confidence continues to improve in August
The National Institute of Statistics (Istat)’s composite business confidence indicator (Clima di Fiducia delle Imprese Italiane, IESE)—which covers the manufacturing, construction, market services and retail sectors—rose from 77.0 in July to 80.8 in August.
The uptick was driven by improved sentiment in all sectors; however, overall confidence remained downbeat. That said, sentiment in the construction sector grew more optimistic in the month.