Netherlands: Business confidence falls at the close of the first quarter

Confidence in the Dutch manufacturing sector came down from the prior month’s record high of 10.9 to 9.5 in March. Despite the moderation in confidence, the sentiment survey remained well-anchored above the crucial zero-point mark separating optimism from pessimism among Dutch manufacturers. The indicator also remained notably above the long-term average of 0.8 over the past two decades.

For the 16th consecutive month, all sub-indicators remained elevated within optimistic territory. Manufacturers’ views on output expectations and order books in the next three months moderated from the prior month; however, their view on stocks of finished products was virtually unchanged.

Netherlands Fixed Investment Forecast

FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists see fixed investment growing 4.3% in 2018, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast. For 2019, the panel expects fixed investment to expand 3.3%.