Hungarian business confidence deteriorates, firms plan price hikes – GKI survey

BUDAPEST, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Hungarian households’ confidence improved slightly in December

but business sentiment deteriorated with companies planning price hikes, a survey by think tank GKI showed on Monday.

GKI said while companies’ intentions to lift prices amid a general rise in inflation strengthened further in December, households’ inflation expectations weakened after several months of strengthening.

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Hungarian inflation surged to an annual 7.4% in November, a 14-year high, forcing the central bank to ramp up the pace of its monetary tightening. read more

“Companies’ intentions to raise prices strengthened further (in December) except in industry,” GKI said in its monthly survey, adding that plans to increase prices in the construction sector had not been this pronounced in 20 years.

“Almost three quarters of companies that are building homes prepare to raise prices in the next three…

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