Intra-Day Market Moving News and Views (GBP/USD)
31 Mar 2016 00:30GMT
A survey by Reuters showed on Thursday that British consumers remain their least confident in more than a year as they worry about the country's European Union referendum and the euro zone's unresolved economic problems.
Market research firm GfK said its overall consumer sentiment indicator stood at zero in March, unchanged from February and its joint lowest level since December 2014. Overall the survey showed consumers were less willing to spend on big-ticket items than in February.
Britain's consumers have been the key driver of the country's economic recovery over the past three years.
Joe Staton, head of market dynamics at GfK, said that despite good economic headlines about low inflation, interest rates and prices in the shops, concerns about Brexit and the ongoing euro zone crisis appear to be hitting home.
Optimism among consumers about the economy over the next 12 months was 18 points lower than in March 2015 at -12.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has warned repeatedly that the country faces a "dangerous mixture" of risks from the world economy.
Economists say the government's decision to hold the EU referendum is another, home-grown, risk which is likely to hurt confidence in the run-up to the vote on June 23.
If voters decide to leave the bloc, Britain will probably suffer a hit to growth, at least in the short term, most economists say.
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