Chile: Business confidence dips in April but remains optimistic
The business confidence index (IMCE), published by ICARE and the Adolfo Ibáñez University, fell to 52.1 points in April, from the 54.0 points recorded in March. Nevertheless, the index remained above the crucial 50-point threshold that separates optimism from pessimism among Chilean businesses.
The decline was underpinned by a mild deterioration in three out of the four sectors included in the index. Confidence in the industrial sector dipped further down into negative territory in April. Meanwhile, sentiment in the construction and mining sector decreased, although remained positive nonetheless. In contrast, the commercial sector turned marginally more optimistic in the surveyed month.