Confidence Falls Despite Higher Growth Forecasts

Confidence falls despite higher growth forecasts

Consumer confidence weakened this month despite a string of upgrades to economic growth forecasts, underscoring a widening gap in the economy as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom benefits only a narrow group of industries, a National Central University survey showed.The university’s Research Cen

Business outlook improves despite weak consumer confidence

Finland's business sector showed further signs of recovery in July, with confidence improving across manufacturing, construction, services and retail. At the same time, consumer sentiment remained weak as households continued to limit spending and expressed concern about unemployment despite a brighter outlook for the economy. The findings come from a new survey by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and Statistics Finland data.

Fragile consumer confidence undermining growth in UK economy | Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce

Emeritus Professor Joe Nellis is economic adviser at MHA, the accountancy and advisory firm. The GfK Consumer Confidence Index for July came in at -17, an improvement on -23 recorded in June. However, persistently weak readings suggest a lack of consumer demand in the economy. Despite considerable improvement from the lowest point of the cost-of-living crisis in 2022/23, these results suggest that many households across the UK are still unconvin…

Scottish businesses turn to self-funding as growth confidence dips in H2

Over two thirds (68%) of private business owners in Scotland are confident in delivering growth in the second half of 2026, according to KPMG. At the start of 2026, KPMG’s annual Private Enterprise Barometer surveyed 1,500 privately owned businesses across the UK, including 119 in Scotland, spanning sectors such as professional services, financial services, technology, industrial manufacturing and retail, to understand their growth ambitions and…