Consumer confidence picked up in the UK in December. After the British government clarified the fiscal policy outlook in the fall budget, the pessimism of British households eased somewhat. According to the consumer confidence index jointly released by the market research agency JFK and the Nurnberg Institute for Market Decision Research on Friday, the index rose 2 points to -17 in the same month. The findings, based on the confidence of about 2,000 consumers, surpassed the Wall Street Journal's previous survey of economists. Previously, economists generally expected that the index's recovery would be more moderate and would only rise to -18.

Consumer confidence picked up in the UK in December. After the British government clarified the fiscal policy outlook in the fall budget, the pessimism of British households eased somewhat. According to the consumer confidence index jointly released by the market research agency JFK and the Nurnberg Institute for Market Decision Research on Friday, the index rose 2 points to -17 in the same month. The findings, based on the confidence of about 2,000 consumers, surpassed the Wall Street Journal's previous survey of economists. Previously, economists generally expected that the index's recovery would be more moderate and would only rise to -18.