Consumers upbeat about the buying climate
The Economic Tendency Indicator declined for a third successive month, falling 2.7 points from 104.2 in February to 101.5 in March. There were decreases in all of the sector indicators, most notably in the manufacturing indicator, which fell 4.6 points, but all are still above the historical average. The consumer confidence indicator, meanwhile, gained 2.9 points and is now also back slightly above the historical average.Situation stronger than normal The confidence indicator for the manufacturing industry fell 4.6 points in March but remains more than 1 point above the historical