Thursday 17th May 2007
Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets consumer confidence barometer indicates a buoyant mood similar to that found in a previous business banking survey.
The Business Barometer, published prior to the Bank of Englands base rate hike on Thursday May 10th, showed 41 per cent more firms were optimistic than pessimistic for the future of the economy.
And the new Consumer Barometer, published this week, found confidence among the public reflected that in the business banking survey in spite of the 0.25 per cent base rate rise.
Trevor Williams, chief economist at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, suggested that anticipation of the rate hike helped to limit the negative impression it may have had on affordability.
"For consumers, forewarned is forearmed and the impact is likely to be much less than if the rise came out of the blue," he explained.
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