https://www.cmegroup.com/content/dam/cmegroup/images/common/default/article-940x600.jpg
CH: SECO Consumer Climate
| Actual | Previous | |
| Level | -38 | -40 |
Highlights
Consumer confidence improved to minus 38 in May from minus 40 the previous month, with the result the best since February.
The expected situation for making large purchases rose to minus 54 from minus 55, with the current situation rising to minus 29 from minus 30. At the same time the propensity to to save increased 38 from 36 in April.
Definition
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) compiles a quarterly survey of consumer attitudes on present and expected economic and financial conditions. The survey covers around 1,200 Swiss households and results are synthesised into a single summary consumer climate index that attempts to measure consumer sentiment.
Description
The pattern in consumer attitudes and spending is often a major influence on stock and bond markets. For stocks, strong economic growth translates to healthy corporate profits and higher stock prices. For bonds, the focus is whether economic growth goes overboard and leads to inflation. Ideally, the economy walks that fine line between strong growth and excessive (inflationary) growth. Consumer spending accounts for a major portion of the Swiss economy, so investors want to know what consumers are up to and how they might behave in the near future. The more confident consumers are about the economy and their own personal finances, the more likely they are to spend. An increasing important element of the survey is the question concerning current buying intentions.