Netherlands: Business confidence hits highest reading since March in December.
Business confidence rose to minus 0.4 in December from November’s minus 3.8. December’s result marked the best reading since April. Consequently, the index moved closer to the 0-threshold, but still indicated pessimism among businesses.
The uptick chiefly reflected improved attitudes regarding expected output; global economic activity is expected to pick up in 2021 from 2020’s coronavirus-induces downturn. Moreover, producers are less pessimistic regarding their order books, and slightly more optimistic regarding stocks of finished goods.