confidence - Shore News Network

UAE’s non-oil business growth slows in August but confidence high-PMI

ReutersSeptember 5, 20230

DUBAI (Reuters) – Growth in non-oil business activity in the United Arab Emirates eased in August to the slowest pace in six months, but business confidence rose to its highest since before the pandemic, a survey showed on Tuesday. The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index slowed to a reading of 55.0 in August from 56.0 in July. That was its lowest level since February, although it remained well above the 50.0 mark indicating growth in activity. The output subindex indicated continued strong expansion in activity although it slowed to 61.9 in August from 62.8 the previous month

US consumer confidence drops in August on inflation worries

ReutersAugust 29, 20230

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected in August after two straight monthly increases amid renewed concerns about inflation, a survey showed on Tuesday. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index dropped to 106.1 this month from a downwardly revised 114.0 in July. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index retreating to 116.0 from the previously reported 117.0. The decline erased the back-to-back increases in June and July. “Write-in responses showed that consumers were once again preoccupied with rising prices in general, and for groceries and gasoline in particular,” said Dana Peterson, chief economist at

Euro zone consumer confidence falls to -16.0 in August

ReutersAugust 23, 20230

(Reuters) – Euro zone consumer confidence fell by 0.9 points in August from the July number, figures released on Wednesday showed. The European Commission said a flash estimate showed euro zone consumer morale decreased to -16.0 this month from -15.1 in July. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rise to -14.3. In the European Union as a whole, consumer sentiment fell by 0.9 points to -17.0. For European Commission data click on: (Reporting by Adrianna Ebert in Gdansk)

US small business confidence rises to 8-month high in July, NFIB says

ReutersAugust 8, 20230

By Safiyah Riddle (Reuters) – U.S. small business confidence edged up to an eight-month high in July, as concerns about inflation fell to the lowest level in nearly two years, a report released on Tuesday showed. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said its Small Business Optimism Index rose nine-tenths of a point to 91.1 last month, hitting the highest level since November 2022. Disinflation in July appeared to resonate with small businesses as only 21% stated that inflation was their biggest concern – the lowest reading since November 2021 and down 13 points from a year earlier. The

Confidence In US Military Plummets To 26-Year Lows: REPORT

The Daily CallerJuly 31, 20230

Confidence In US Military Plummets To 26-Year Lows: REPORT Jake Smith on July 31, 2023 American confidence in the U.S. military is the lowest it has been in over 25 years, according to a survey released by Gallup on Monday. Only 60% of Americans had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the military, the lowest percentage reported since 1997, according to Gallup. The lackluster levels of confidence come amidst increasingly lower recruitment numbers in multiple military branches, including the Army and the Navy. Republican confidence in the military has dropped more than 20 points in the

Unilever sees Chinese consumer confidence at ‘historical low point’

ReutersJuly 25, 20230

By Richa Naidu LONDON (Reuters) – British consumer goods giant Unilever said on Tuesday that China’s declining property market and exports had sent its consumer sentiment to a historic low, having earlier this year forecast a Chinese “consumption boom”. The maker of Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in February flagged $1.5-$2 trillion in “excess household savings” in China that it believed could boost its sales in the country and in Southeast Asia. Beijing at the time, after almost three years of a “zero-COVID” strategy, had recently dropped its restrictions almost completely and said it would boost imports

‘Reality bites’: High inflation and rates hit UK consumer confidence

ReutersJuly 20, 20230

By Suban Abdulla LONDON (Reuters) – British consumers have turned more pessimistic in the face of rising interest rates and high inflation, according to a survey published on Friday which ended a five-month streak of growing confidence levels. Market research firm GfK’s headline gauge of consumer confidence fell to -30 this month from -24 in June, the first decline since January, and below the -26 forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. “Reality has started to bite and, as people continue to struggle to make ends meet, consumers will pull back from spending,” Joe Staton, GfK’s client strategy director said.

US builder confidence hits highest level in over a year

ReutersJuly 18, 20230

By Safiyah Riddle (Reuters) – U.S. home builder sentiment hit a 13-month high in July as limited housing stock continued to drive demand for new houses, according to a survey on Tuesday, but the report also hinted at increasing challenges from tightening credit conditions in the months to come. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index edged up by one point to 56 in July, the seventh consecutive monthly increase, meeting expectations from economist polled by Reuters. Prospective buyer traffic also reached the highest level since June 2022 at 40, signaling resilient demand for new homes, despite

Americans’ Confidence In Higher Education Plummets To New Lows

The Daily CallerJuly 11, 20230

Americans’ Confidence In Higher Education Plummets To New Lows Brandon Poulter on July 11, 2023 U.S. adults’ confidence in higher education is hitting new lows, according to a Tuesday Gallup poll. The percentage of respondents that responded to having “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust fell from 57% in 2015 to 36% in 2023, according to the poll. Americans who reported “some” or “very little” trust, however, rose from 42% to 62%. Trust in higher education among Americans with no college degree fell from 54% in 2015 to 29% in 2023, while trust among those with a

New Zealand 2nd qtr business confidence continues to improve but still downbeat –think-tank

ReutersJuly 3, 20230

By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s business confidence in the second quarter continued to pick up from low levels but firms remain downbeat, a private think tank said on Tuesday. A net 63% of firms surveyed expected general business conditions to deteriorate compared with 66% pessimism in the previous quarter, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research’s (NZIER) quarterly survey of business opinion (QSBO) showed. On a seasonally adjusted basis, 59% expected business conditions to worsen, versus 63% pessimism recorded in the previous period. The survey’s measure of capacity utilization fell to 81.7%, from the previous quarter’s 94.0%.

New Zealand business confidence improves in June- ANZ survey

ReutersJune 28, 20230

SYDNEY (Reuters) – New Zealand’s business confidence improved in June, hitting the highest read since November 2021, while expected own activity moved to positive territory for the first time in 14 months, an ANZ Bank survey showed on Thursday. The survey’s headline measure showed a net 18% of respondents expected the economy to deteriorate over the year ahead, but that was far better than the 31.1% pessimism level in the previous poll in May. A net 2.7% of respondents expected their own businesses to grow in the next 12 months, versus 4.5% last month who saw contraction coming. “June saw

U.S. consumer confidence approaches 1-1/2-year high in June

ReutersJune 27, 20230

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. consumer confidence increased in June to the highest level in nearly 1-1/2 years, but fears of a recession lingered, according to a survey on Tuesday. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index rose to 109.7 this month, the highest reading since January 2022, from 102.5 in May. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the index to climb to 104.0. “Greater confidence was most evident among consumers under age 35, and consumers earning incomes over $35,000,” said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board. “Nonetheless, the expectations gauge continued to signal consumers anticipating a recession

Putin expresses confidence on Ukraine in interview recorded before revolt

ReutersJune 25, 20230

(Reuters) – Russian state television on Sunday showed Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing confidence in plans for Ukraine in an interview that appeared to have been recorded before Saturday’s aborted revolt by the Wagner group of mercenaries. “We feel confident, and, of course, we are in a position to implement all the plans and tasks ahead of us,” Putin said. “This also applies to the country’s defence, it applies to the special military operation, it applies to the economy as a whole and its individual areas.” The comments in an interview with Kremlin correspondent Pavel Zarubin were broadcast by Rossiya

Mike Pence Says He’d Fire FBI Director Wray On ‘Day One,’ Americans Have ‘Lost Confidence’ In DOJ

The Daily CallerJune 15, 20230

Mike Pence Says He’d Fire FBI Director Wray On ‘Day One,’ Americans Have ‘Lost Confidence’ In DOJ Harold Hutchison on June 14, 2023 Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday he would fire FBI Director Christopher Wray on “day one” if elected president, saying that Americans have “lost confidence” in the Justice Department. The FBI has faced accusations that the agency has become politicized in cases involving pro-life advocates and parents protesting at school board meetings and was involved in censorship following reports based on documents released to journalist Matt Taibbi by Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter. “Would you

South African business confidence slips slightly in May

ReutersJune 14, 20230

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African business confidence fell slightly in May, with lower trade volumes, fewer tourists and a weaker rand exchange rate weighing on sentiment, data showed on Wednesday. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) business confidence index dropped to 106.9 in May from 107.1 in April. SACCI said in a statement that it was essential to put South Africa back on a trajectory towards attracting foreign investment. “A large part of the loss of business confidence could be regained by following the best global economic and business interests of South Africa,” it added. (Reporting by

UK business confidence dips in May, inflation pressures persist: Lloyds

ReutersMay 30, 20230

By Suban Abdulla LONDON (Reuters) – Sentiment among British businesses fell for the first time in three months in May as firms were less optimistic about the economy and their trading prospects despite some signs of resilience in the economy, a survey showed on Wednesday. The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer fell to 28% in May from 33% in April, its first decline since February, but in line with the survey’s long-term average. “The UK has avoided an outright contraction in GDP – indicating a certain amount of underlying resilience in the economy,” Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist at Lloyds Bank said.

New Zealand consumer confidence flat in May -ANZ-Roy Morgan

ReutersMay 25, 20230

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Consumer confidence in New Zealand was flat in May compared with the prior month and remained very subdued as consumers remained under pressure amid high inflationary pressures, ANZ-Roy Morgan data showed on Friday. The consumer confidence index slightly fell to 79.2 in May from April’s 79.3. A reading above 100 shows optimism, while below that indicates pessimism. “While the labour market remains tight, conferring both a high degree of job security and strong wage growth, ongoing cost of living increases, including higher mortgage rates for the 38% of households who have a mortgage, continue to bite,” ANZ

Americans’ confidence in Powell hits a low mark for a Fed chief, poll shows

ReutersMay 9, 20230

(Reuters) – Americans’ confidence in Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s economic stewardship has skidded to the lowest of any recent U.S. central bank head, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday that also showed broad doubts about the country’s economic leadership overall. Just 36% of respondents to a Gallup poll taken last month said they had either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in Powell. That was the lowest of any Fed chair since Gallup began the annual survey in 2001 when Alan Greenspan was in charge; the previous low was 37% for Janet Yellen, now Treasury secretary,

Column-Inflation and the markets take a bite out of retirement confidence

ReutersMay 2, 20230

By Mark Miller (Reuters) – The U.S. economy is in much better shape today than it was during the Great Recession. But persistent inflation and last year’s sharp stock market decline have shaken the confidence of American workers and retirees about their retirement prospects in a way not seen since 2008. That is the key finding of the 2023 Retirement Confidence Survey – the longest-running survey of its kind measuring worker and retiree confidence. Conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research, the survey is in its 33rd year. The survey was fielded during January this year,

Dutch celebrate King’s Day as confidence in monarchy diminishes

ReutersApril 27, 20230

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) – Millions of Dutch revellers took to the streets on Thursday to celebrate King’s Day festivities, dressing in orange and enjoying open-air markets – even as trust in the man at the centre of the nationwide party sinks to a low ebb. King Willem-Alexander, whose 56th birthday is the official reason for the holiday, isn’t nearly as popular as he once was, an annual poll by research company Ipsos showed this week, after vacationing in Greece during the pandemic and flouting social-distancing rules. Trust in the country’s first king in more than 120 years, who succeeded his mother

US consumer confidence falls to 9-month low in April

ReutersApril 25, 20230

(Reuters) – U.S. consumer confidence fell to a nine-month low in April led by a darkening outlook that augers a recession beginning in the near future, a survey showed on Tuesday. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 101.3 – the lowest since July 2022 – from a revised 104.0 in March. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the index to be unchanged from March at 104.0. “While consumers’ relatively favorable assessment of the current business environment improved somewhat in April, their expectations fell and remain below the level which often signals a recession looming in the

New Zealand Business Confidence largely unchanged – ANZ

ReutersMarch 29, 20230

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s business confidence was largely unchanged in March as firms are wary but hanging in there, ANZ Bank said in a note on Tuesday accompanying its business confidence survey. The survey’s headline measure showed a net 43.4% of respondents expected the economy to deteriorate over the year ahead versus a 43.3% pessimism level in the previous poll in February. A net 8.5% of respondents expected their own businesses to shrink in the next 12 months versus 9.2% last month who saw contraction coming. “Though it’s early days, you’d have to say things do look like a

Corporate agitator Ackman tells US to raise FDIC insurance limit to shore up confidence

ReutersMarch 29, 20230

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss NEW YORK (Reuters) – Billionaire investor William Ackman who spent years telling corporations how to perform better is now taking on the U.S. government by calling for higher insurance limits to safeguard the banking system at the height of a banking crisis. Ackman, who runs hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management, sent a letter to his investors saying the FDIC should raise its $250,000 per account limit days after U.S. regulators took over Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, triggering a crisis in U.S. regional banks. In his annual letter to shareholders he amplified a message he

ECB’s Villeroy: rate hike signals strong confidence in European banks

ReutersMarch 17, 20230

PARIS (Reuters) – The European Central Bank’s decision to raise interest rates by half a point on Thursday reflects the central bank’s priority of fighting inflation and also signals strong confidence in the solidity of European banks, French ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Friday. “French and European banks are very solid,” Villeroy, who is also governor of the French central bank, said on BFM business radio. A rout in global markets triggered by last week’s collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and made worse by doubts around the future of Switzerland’s Credit Suisse had prompted some to

U.S. small business confidence improves further in February – NFIB

ReutersMarch 14, 20230

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. small-business confidence improved further in February, but many owners continued to experience difficulties finding workers, according to a survey on Tuesday. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said its Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.6 point to 90.9 last month. Still, it was the 14th straight month that the index was below the 49-year average of 98. Forty-seven percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill, up 2 points from January, with workers scarce for both skilled and unskilled positions. This is consistent with recent reports showing that the labor market remains