Friday, June 26, 2009

Canadian consumer confidence

Canadian consumers are feeling more optimistic about their finances and job prospects, but they are still shying away from making major purchases, the Conference Board of Canada said Monday.

The board’s consumer confidence index rose 0.7 points to 82.1 in June – the fourth straight monthly increase. The index – based on monthly surveys – is now up 10.6 points since March.

“Responses indicate that consumers feel increasingly confident about their current and future financial situation,” the board said. “As well, the balance of opinion on future employment prospects improved for a third consecutive month.”
The survey – conducted between June 4th and 14th – found, however, that many consumers are holding off on buying big-ticket items. “The recession has clearly hit the financial well-being of many Canadians, as negative responses still outnumber positive responses by a more than two-to-one margin,” the board said. – Financial Post

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