ROME, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Morale among Italian businesses and consumers rose in January, data showed on Wednesday, offering some prospect of firmer growth for the euro zone's third largest economy.
Italian Business Confidence Reaches Two-Year Peak in January
Business and Consumer Confidence in Italy
ROME, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Italian business morale touched a two-year high in January and consumer confidence also rose, data showed on Wednesday, offering some prospect of firmer growth for the euro zone's third-largest economy.
Overview of Business Morale
National statistics institute ISTAT's composite business morale index, combining surveys of the manufacturing, retail, construction and services sectors, increased to 97.6 this month, the highest level since January 2024, from 96.6 in December.
Consumer Confidence Trends
The sub-index for manufacturing rose to 89.2, above a forecast of 89.0 in Reuters' survey of six analysts.
Economic Context and Growth Targets
The consumer confidence index edged up to 96.8 from 96.6 the previous month, ISTAT said, below a median forecast of 97.0 in Reuters' poll.
The improved business and consumer sentiment came against a background of economic weakness in Italy.
Italy's government set a full-year growth target of 0.5% for 2025 and 0.7% for this year, among the lowest rates in Europe.
In the third quarter last year, gross domestic product increased by a marginal 0.1%, following a 0.1% contraction in the previous three months.
(Reporting by Antonella Cinelli, graphic by Stefano Bernabei, editing by Gavin Jones, Keith Weir)
