UK business confidence jumped to six-month high in March, Lloyds says
British executives were feeling considerably more confident in March than half a year ago, despite the strength in sterling.
Lloyds Bank’s business confidence barometer for March jumped by eight points to a reading of 53%.
That followed a drop of seven points in the month before.
In the first three months of the year the index average stood at 50%, slightly above the 47% seen over the final three months of last year.
The chief factor behind the improvement was the sharp 19 point rise in the net balance of respondents – to a reading of 61% - who reported feeling more optimistic about the prospects for the economy than three months ago.
The above rise came despite a drop in the net balance of those expecting to see an increase in trading prospects, over the next year, by 4 points to 44%.