Consumer Pulse

Having started 2021 on a soft note, the Consumer Pulse rose in February; coming in at 67.2. This was 6.8 higher than last month’s reading but down 16.8 on a year ago. While the extension of the public health measures saw households lower their assessment of the current economic situation this month, progress on the vaccination front lifted recovery hopes and the headline index. This month’s survey also looked at households’ savings and investments. The results show that deposit/savings accounts continue to dominate but that interest in financial assets like shares and in property has increased a little, with two in five indicating that they consider it a good time to invest in such things (typically it is a third).