KOF Economic Barometer: Standing still, but slight shifts

In August, the KOF Economic Barometer remained at the previous month’s level of 97.0 (revised from 97.1). This, however, conceals slight shifts amongst the components underlying the Barometer. Somewhat more favourable signals than before are coming from indicators of foreign demand and domestically from consumer prospects and manufacturing. The remaining indicator bundles (accommodation and food service activities, financial, insurance and other services as well as construction), however, tend to point to stagnation or slight deterioration in economic sentiment.

In the goods producing sectors (manufacturing and construction), the barometer is strengthened mostly by indicators on order backlog and inventories. The remaining indicators are emitting only negligible signals.

Within manufacturing, the outlook has become more favourable especially for machinery, the metal industry, the chemical industry as well as for food and beverages. On the other hand, the outlook has mainly worsened for the paper and the electrical industries.