Italy's consumer confidence jumps in April

By Liam Moloney
ROME
Italian consumer confidence continued to rise in April as households were more optimistic about the future of the country's economy, statistics institute Istat said , suggesting that the new government headed by Premier Matteo Renzi is having a positive impact on the national mood                                        
Italy's consumer confidence index jumped to 105.4 in April from 101.9 in March, Istat said
The March figure was revised upward slightly                                        
The April figure is the highest since January 2010, although last June Istat changed some of the methodology of the survey                                        
Households, which in Italy tend to have low debt burdens and substantial savings, expressed notably more buoyant sentiment regarding their economic situations and private expectations, according to Istat