French consumer confidence remains unchanged in Sep, at par with expectations

Consumer confidence in France remained stable during the month of September, remaining at par with what markets had initially anticipated.

French consumer confidence index held steady at 97. The score remained below its long-term average of 100, data released by statistics agency INSEE showed Wednesday. Households' opinion of their personal financial situation in the past twelve months was virtually stable. The corresponding index came in at -23 versus -22 in August.

Moreover, consumers' assessment of future financial situation remained unchanged. The index score was -10 in September. Similarly, their opinion on their current saving capacity held steady in September. The index stood at 10. At the same time, the index for future saving capacity rose to -7 from -10.

Households' opinion of the future standard of living in France has picked up in September. The index improved to -31 from -34. On the other hand, the indicator for past standard of living dropped to -55 from -53.

Further, households' fears concerning unemployment have receded a little in September. The corresponding indicator came in at 30 compared to 33 in the prior month. Consumers were more numerous than in August to consider that prices increased during the past twelve months. The corresponding balance gained 5 points to -47, the highest level since December 2014.