BUSINESSES’ confidence in the Slovak economy improved in October. Compared with the previous month, economic sentiment rose by 1.9 points to 93.1 points. Yet, sentiment is still lower than last year when it stood at 93.5 points. Moreover, it lags behind the long-term average by 12.2 points, the SITA newswire reported.
The sentiment indicator in industry rose by 4 points month-on-month in October to 3.7 points, which is the highest level since January 2012. It is a result of positive expectations of production growth in the following three months, SITA wrote.
Also, the indicator in construction improved when it rose by 3.5 points month-on-month to -45.5 points, a result of a more positive evaluation of current demand in the sector. At the moment the indicator lags behind its long-term average by 19.5 points, according to SITA.
In addition to this, consumer confidence in Slovakia also improved. Compared with previous months, it rose by 1.2 points to -21.8 points. The indicator also improved in annual terms, rising 16.2 points, SITA reported.