German consumer morale is expected to hold steady in November despite mounting concern over a hard Brexit and trade tensions, a key survey showed Friday. A forward-looking monthly barometer by pollsters GfK stood at 10.6 points for November, unchanged from October. The survey of some 2,000 people showed a mixed picture, with consumers planning to spend more on big purchases while at the same time expressing growing pessimism about the economic outlook and their income expectations.
"The reading remains at a good level overall," GfK said in a statement. Morale was dampened by the ongoing trade row between the United States and China, which is expected to have knock-effects on export-reliant countries like European powerhouse Germany. The deadlocked negotiations over Britain's exit from the EU, and the growing risk of a no-deal Brexit that would massively disrupt trade, also weighed on consumers' minds.