Belgium: New rise in the business barometer in February

Overall confidence among Belgian business leaders picked up in February, for the third month in a row. The upturn in the business climate hinged entirely on the manufacturing industry, where the improvement was particularly strong. In this branch of activity, entrepreneurs are expecting a sharp rise in demand. Furthermore, finished product stock levels were considered to be significantly lower than last month. The rise in the indicator in the manufacturing industry mainly concerned production of intermediate goods. In the business-related services sector, on the other hand, the economic climate ... (full story)