LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) – British businesses’ confidence about the economic outlook fell this month although their assessment of their own prospects was less downbeat, a survey by Lloyds showed on Tuesday.
“While cost pressures and global uncertainty continue to weigh on business confidence, international firms are much more confident with many seeing signs of supply chain disruption easing and strengthening customer demand,” said Amanda Murphy, CEO for Lloyds Business and Commercial Banking.
The survey also showed:
• Businesses’ overall confidence fell by 3 points to +44, below its 12-month average of +47
• The net balance in confidence about the wider economy fell by 4 points to +31, and lower than the 12-month average of +38
• Firms’ optimism about their own trading outlook decreased by 2 points to +56, still close to its 12-month average of +57, with 64% of firms expecting stronger output in the coming year
• Confidence among manufacturing companies showed a 10-point fall to +33 in June, well below its 12-month average of +46
• Hiring intentions for the 12 months ahead rose for the first time in three months
• Lloyds’ data was based on online polling by Ipsos of 1,200 businesses with annual sales of at least £250,000 ($330,275), conducted from June 1 to June 15
($1 = 0.7569 pounds)
(Reporting by Suban Abdulla; editing by David Milliken)
