Portugal Business Climate Hits 6-Month High

Portugal's business confidence indicator rose to 2.9 in August 2026 from 2.8 previously, reaching the highest since February. Sentiment remained elevated among service providers (8.4 vs 8.4 in July) and improved further for constructors (4.9% vs 4.6). On the other hand, confidence weakened among manufacturers (-4.4 vs -4.3) and traders (3 vs 3.7), of which retailers (6.1 vs 6.4) and wholesalers (-0.1 vs 0.9).

Portugal's business confidence indicator stood at 2.8 in July 2026, unchanged from the previous month, when it reached its highest level since March. Confidence improved in construction and public works (4.6 vs 4.3), supported by stronger employment prospects and more favorable assessments of order books. Manufacturing sentiment also edged up, though remaining in negative territory (-4.3 vs -4.4). In contrast, trade confidence weakened to 3.7 from 4.2, reflecting less favorable assessments of sales volumes and activity expectations for the next three months. Meanwhile, confidence in the services sector eased slightly to 8.4 from 8.5, as weaker views on order books and demand prospects more than offset other factors.

Business confidence in Portugal edged up to 2.8 in June 2026, the highest in four months, after being steady at 2.7 previously. Optimism increased among service providers (8.5 vs 8.3 in May), constructors (4.3 vs 3.8) and traders (4.2 vs 3.3), particularly retailers (6 vs 4.7). On the other hand, sentiment deteriorated further for manufacturers (-4.4 vs -3.5).