Italy business sentiment stable in September, consumer morale rises

ROME (Reuters) -Italian businesses sentiment was broadly stable for a fourth month running in September but consumer morale improved, data showed on Friday, in mixed signs for the prospects of the euro zone's third largest economy.

National statistics institute ISTAT's composite business morale index, combining surveys of the manufacturing, retail, construction and services sectors, edged up marginally to 93.7 this month from 93.6 in August.

The sub-index for manufacturing was unchanged at 87.3, just missing a forecast of 87.5 in a Reuters survey of seven analysts.

Construction and services morale picked up slightly, offsetting a more marked decline in retail sector sentiment.

Consumer confidence improved in September to 96.8 from 96.2 the previous month, ISTAT said, slightly above a median forecast of 96.5 in Reuters' poll of analysts.

The Italian economy contracted by 0.1% in the second quarter from the previous three months, data showed last month, after the government in April halved its 2025 growth estimate to 0.6% amid mounting uncertainty over the impact of U.S. tariffs on goods imports.

(Reporting By Gavin Jones, graphic by Setefano Bernabei)

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