The nation’s consumer confidence dropped from a month earlier last month as the public showed more concern over stock investments and commodity prices, the latest National Central University survey showed yesterday.
The consumer confidence index (CCI) fell 0.89 points from the previous month to 85.89 last month, terminating eight months of consecutive increases since June last year, the university’s Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development said in a report.
However, last month’s figure still represented the second-highest mark since 2001, the center’s tallies showed.
“People’s pessimism on consumer prices and stock performances led to the decrease of the CCI last month,” center director Hsu Chih-chiang (徐之強) said by telephone.
The CCI benchmark gauges public expectations concerning stock performances, household finances, durable goods, job -opportunities, consumer prices and the economic outlook for the next six months.
Last month’s survey — which polled 2,396 people over the age of 20 nationwide between Feb. 19 and 22 — showed increasing public uncertainty over stock performances, consumer prices and the economic outlook, while sentiment over household finances, durable goods and job opportunities saw improvements.
The sub-index of durable goods increased 10.8 points to 103.9 last month, the most of all sub-indices, while the sub-index of stock performances fell by 9.6 points to 92.8, the deepest decrease among all.
However, this month’s sub-index of durable goods could show a decrease by factoring in the possibility the government will implement a luxury tax, Hsu said
“Although the public remained optimistic on the overall business sentiments in the near future, the CCI benchmark could fall again this month in response to the lower sub-index of durable goods,” Hsu said.
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