For the third consecutive month, the industry’s assessment of the current scenario and the coming months showed a slight deterioration. According to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the Industrial Entrepreneur Confidence Index (Icei) fell from 51.7 points in November to 50.8 points in December.
Despite the retreat, the sector has slight optimism, because values above 50 points indicate confidence. In a note, the CNI informed that there is still confidence from the industrial entrepreneur, but that it is restricted and not very intense.
The December index is below the historical average of 54.3 points. According to CNI, this is due to the composition of the indicator. The Current Conditions Index, which measures the current scenario in relation to the last six months, dropped from 53.2 points to 50.3 points, indicating that the industrial entrepreneur no longer sees improvement in current conditions.
With regard to the economy, the indicator stood at 48.4 points in November, below the 50-point dividing line. In November, the Confidence Index in the Brazilian Economy had stood at 52.9 points. The assessment is that the economy is worse today than it was six months ago.
Expectations
The Expectations Index, which measures industry prospects for the next six months, remained stable at 51 points in December. According to the CNI, the indicator shows moderate optimism.
The indicator components show divergent paths. According to CNI, the industrial entrepreneur evaluates, in a different way, the expectations for his company and for the economy as a whole.
The Expectations Index for the company itself, which measures the perceptions of the entrepreneur for the own business in the next six months, rose from 53.6 to 54.1 points. However, the Expectations Index for the Brazilian Economy dropped from 45.9 to 44.8 points.
