Netherlands: Business sentiment drops to multi-year low in May
Business sentiment eased to 4.7 in May from 6.7 in April, marking the lowest reading since December 2016. However, the index remained easily above the neutral zero-point mark that separates optimism from pessimism; it also remained above the long-term average of 1.0 over the past 20 years. The index has remained in optimistic territory since October 2014.
The main downward pressure came from less optimism regarding order books and expected output. Views on stocks of finished goods also deteriorated.