The authors propose a statistical methodology to test changes in consumer confidence indicators. These indicators are surveyed monthly and each time concern di®erent individuals. This complicates a straightforward interpretation of changes in the values of the index. The proposed methodology...

We argue that the U.S. personal saving rate’s long stability (from the 1960s through the early 1980s), subsequent steady decline (1980s - 2007), and recent substantial increase (2008 - 2011) can all be interpreted using a parsimonious ‘buffer stock’ model of optimal...

This paper proposes an analysis of consumer and business sentiment in Italy. The analysis is based on two continuous surveys (Climi Sociali e di Consumo, Climi Aziendali) conducted by Gfk Eurisko since 2001. During the past year (2009) a clear mismatch occurred between macroeconomic trends...

Even though economic models have been relatively successful in explaining the long run patterns of house prices, they have more difficulties in explaining short run developments of the housing markets. However, the fact that during such ‘bubbles’ the spatial pattern of house prices, which...

People are consumers and voters. Their sentiment about the economy and the competence of their leaders determine their confidence level. This research note investigates whether economic conditions measured by changes in the recent consumption level modify the dynamics of confidence formation....

L’objectif de cet article est de développer une échelle de mesure de la confiance du consommateur vis-à-vis d’un marchand Internet. Les données ont été collectées sur un échantillon total de 430 personnes. Deux études ont été réalisées pour construire cet outil de mesure. Les...

This paper provides new evidence on the relations between the stock market and consumer behavior in Canada. It differentiates between two channels of stock price transmission: a direct wealth channel that operates through changes in wealth and an indirect consumer confidence channel that affects...

Results from continuous tracking of consumer confidence and media coverage of food safety events over a 67 week period between May 2008 and August 2009 are reported. An ordered probit model is used to test the hypothesis that media coverage of food safety events affects consumer confidence in...

For most academics and policy makers, the depth of the 2007-09 financial crisis, its longevity and its impacts on the real economy resulted from an erosion of confidence. This paper proposes to assess empirically the link between consumer sentiment and consumption expenditures for the United...

Mehr als die Hälfte des Bruttoinlandsprodukts im Euroraum wird für den privaten Verbrauch verwendet. Daher kommt der Genauigkeit von Konsumprognosen eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Da der Konsum maßgeblich von den Stimmungen der Akteure beeinflusst wird, weist die Europäische Kommission...