Lockdown II Puts a Damper on the European Consumer Mood

The resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic and renewed lockdowns have torpedoed the mood among households in the euro area’s two largest economies. French consumer confidence sank to the lowest in two years -- worse even than during the first wave of the pandemic -- as households worried more about their finances, the job market and living standards. In Germany, the Gfk sentiment measure dropped to its weakest since July, with income worries rising.